Cave Creek Unified and the $450000 Landscaping Boondoggle

After initially voting against it, last June the Cave Creek Unified Governing Board reversed itself in two short months and voted unanimously to spend $450,000 to install landscaping at the high school. This landscaping included hardscape, new plants and water sucking grass, new fencing and lighting, and shaded seating areas. The rationale behind this was to green up the campus and improve security with the fencing.  The district staff assured us that there was a “MASTER PLAN” and any new construction on the campus would NOT disturb this new and expensive work.

Well in less than a year, the green grass is brown, there is more concrete now than before, the security fencing is worthless when gates are left open, and the leading plan for the high school expansion will destroy a good part of this new landscaping.

This is a huge failure in the long list of failures and betrayal of the public’s trust.  The board just sits there and rubber stamps every thing put in front of it with no regard to its responsibility to be good stewards of our money.  Everyone in that board room knew that the new high school expansion would destroy some of this work.  There was no hurry to do this and these landscape plans could have been completed after the new addition was complete.

Does this look any greener to you?

Are we are not overseeding?  Does this mean the campus is only green Aug-Sept and April-May.  So $450000 for 4 months of green? Additionally what's up with all the added concrete? Concrete is not very green and of course increases the heat in the area. (click to enlarge)

Security or NOT!

So why did we spend 10s of thousands on new fences to increase security, yet we go and leave them open.  Clearly this picture was taken mid day when school was in session. Red arrows point to open gates. The gates on the right and left allow unsecured access to the rear of the school where there is no fence.  (click to enlarge)

Destory!

The leading plan for the high school includes putting a 2 story building on the east side.  Not only does this plan destory the new landscaping in that area, it includes plans for a new entrance to the school, again, negating the work that was just completed to have a unique entrance to the school.  Why did we not just wait!  Where is the master plan? WTF! You can see in the picture that new fencing, a covered seating area, and new plants and grass will be impacted by this new construction. (red is new building, green is new plaza, click to enlarge)