In 2008 final construction drawings for “Phase 2 Stage 1” of the Highway 12 sidewalk project were issued. The drawings are detailed and very specific, as they would be. Everything is spelled out, down to the design of the hardware used to hold up mail boxes, sign details, and the depth of fence posts.
One thing that was not thought about is the space created, or delineated between the edge of the sidewalk and buildings, fences and walls along the highway. Formerly just part of the shoulder of the road, these unpaved spaces became the chaotic province of weeds and trash, unclaimed and untended by anybody.
Layout of the Hawthorne-Thomson stretch
This 300’ strip on the east side of the highway between Hawthorne and Thomson is a good example.
October 2009, soon after construction was finished. Broadcast wildflower seeds are just sprouting.
November 2016. Weeds and exotic grasses grow mixed with a few California poppies surviving from 2009.
2019. Property owners have planted palm trees.
Other examples of wasted space.
The new sidewalks, streetlights, and other amenities provided by the project are much appreciated in the community. It’s a shame that the interstices of the design were not dealt with originally, but they now represent an opportunity for creativity and community engagement. Let a hundred fledgling landscape architects bloom!
springs museum 