Rights of Way and Easements: You Can't Do Much about Them Up & Coming Weekly No permanent structures like sheds, swimming pools, decks, gazebos or sometimes trees or fences. If you do, and the utility needs access to the ground underneath, they'll move it at your expense. Easements and rights of way come in different sizes. |
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Rights of Way and Easements: You Can't Do Much about Them - Up & Coming Weekly
A school playing field in England over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Dotted around its perimeter are stalls and marquees, burger stands and ice cream vans, gazebos and camping chairs. Saturdays torrential downpour is a distant memory and the sun occasionally pokes through the clouds to make the underfoot dry and keep Sundays crowd warm enough.
A true English eccentric mans a stall of obsolete bicycle related junk (or collectors items, depending on your viewpoint.) Plastic cratefuls of decades old components including some rare as hens teeth Zeus bits and pieces nestle against row upon row of assorted nuts, bolts, brackets and clip on cable guides; an oxidising Aladdins cave of every item you never knew you needed, and most likely dont. Yet our bearded proprietor is doing a steady trade among those who like a good rummage.
In the main marquee is an entrancing photographic display by the Tricycle Association, a sub-genre of cycling eccentricity out on its own.
Imagery from, at a guess, the Isle of Man week in the 70s, depicts a snaking line of trikes weaving through narrow streets between rows of whitewashed terraces. And, to dispel the notion that this peculiar and crowd pleasing branch of cycle sport is consigned to the history books, shots of this years World Championships in Belgium adorn the display boards; the trikes pilots leaning at alarming angles to keep all three wheels grounded on a tight left hander. It is bike handling or trike handling, to be precise of the highest order.
Back out in the open air, Islabikes is doing brisk trade all weekend long Ms Rowntrees range of wonderful miniature racing bikes and tiny pushalongs attracting a throng of kids and parents. The Islabike is the mount of choice for discerning toddlers and teenagers alike.
Woe betide any unsuspecting newcomer who sets up where a bunch of Essex boys and girls have been pitching the last 20 odd years
Gazebos dotted round the perimeter protect rollers from the elements, their owners spinning away in preparation for upcoming racing. There is a proprietorial air about the encampments. Clubs stake out their turf on Friday evening. Woe betide any unsuspecting newcomer who sets up where a bunch of Essex boys and girls have been pitching the last 20 odd years
And the centrepiece of this scene? A 400 metre oval, staked out with tiny wooden pegs around its perimeter, that will see three days of action over this extended holiday weekend. This is grass track racing.
Before the explosion of track racing as a paying spectacle in the late 19th century, grass ovals were the order of the day. It requires a flat field (the challenging but beautifully scenic Ambleside in the Lake District seemingly the exception to the rule), wooden pegs, and a bunch of willing riders on fixed wheel machines. Grass track is perfectly simple and a joy to watch. It is also peculiarly British with the exception of the Caribbean islands, where the sport still holds its own.
The eastern swathe of Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk hosts many grass meets throughout the summer
It is decidedly working class, practised by long established clubs from all over the country but with certain strongholds: former mining towns have a long association with this type of racing.
The eastern swathe of Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk hosts many grass meets throughout the summer; the clubs of Maldon, Chelmer, Ipswich and Spalding swelling the ranks of the hosts in Mildenhall, with nearby Hertfordshire sending racers from Welwyn and Ashwell. From further afield, East Bradford, Chesterfield and Beacon Wheelers (from the far flung Penrith) field sizable contingents.
There is a pleasing lack of expensive kit: club colours are de rigueur. Bikes are predominantly ageing track irons shod with file tread cyclo-cross tubs to bite into the grass on the 33 metre radius bends. The utilitarian and purely practical aspect of the machinery is in stark contrast to modern track bikes, with their astronomically expensive carbon frames and disc wheels. Grass track is truly a sport of the people.
And a sport of families. To see three generations of one cycling clan at Mildenhall is far from unusual parents and children racing, grandparents cheering from the sidelines. Dean Downing, longstanding domestic professional for Rapha Condor Sharp, mans a stall alongside his father, Ken, while his daughter Lily scampers around with her freshly painted pirates face.
Downing Senior and brother Johnny were both grass track riders of note, so unsurprisingly, both Dean and his younger brother Russell started in the same discipline. Dean still holds the record as the youngest winner of the national 8km title he was 17 and very proud of it he is too. Should Lily decide to follow in her fathers footsteps, it will undoubtedly be a grass track meeting where she takes those first pedal strokes.
There is, and this was a pleasant surprise to me, a few quid to be made at grass track racing, especially on the Highland Games circuit. I spent a couple of weeks in Scotland a few years back, did seven meetings and came away with 1,500 in my pocket, says Dean. First prize for an 8km is 200, so if youre in good form, the money is pretty decent.
The family connections are widespread in this world. Commentator Dave Kennedy keeps the crowd entertained with three days of flawless talking at Mildenhall, dry wit interspersed with useful information, but with amusing one liners to the fore. He is father to three grass track racing brothers, including multiple champion Richard, and organises grass track at the Heckington Show, where cycling competes competes with livestock and tug of war for the crowds attention.
More siblings, in the shape of brothers Ben and Rowan Elliott, regularly carve up National Championship titles between them. This time it is younger brother Rowan who leaves Mildenhall with the 800m crown. Wives and children are in attendance, the toddlers blasting around the field on their tiny Islabikes whenever the chance arises. It is a special atmosphere.
As I settle down to talk to organiser Max Pendleton at the end of a days racing in which he has acted as human pacer for ten keirin events, following a mere 16 the previous day it feels like I have witnessed the perfect cycling event. It has not been the parochial anachronism that I feared might have been wilting away in deepest Suffolk for the last two and a half decades. It is old school. It is peculiar. But it is also thriving and encompasses all that it good about the British club scene. There is a true sense of community that is clear in everyone I have talked to over the weekend.
Pendleton is a fit, lean, tanned 67-year-old who could easily pass for a decade younger, on the bike or off. Yes, he is related to Victoria: hes her dad. Shes a former Mildenhall CC member and source of great pride to all at the club, and you can imagine where the double Olympic champion started racing. It teaches you such skills, says Max. Vickys bike handling is second to none and she learnt it on grass.
Mildenhall is very much a cycling event, aimed at the cycling fraternity. Its predecessor, the Dairytime Gala, was pitched more at the local community, with mixed results. We decided to go looking for cyclists, rather than looking for Joe Public, explains Pendleton. We switched it to this and it just grew from there. It had a rough period five or six years ago, but it seems to be picking up now. We had 80 kids yesterday, 75 today. And there are four big kids leagues in this area, so it is building nicely.
Grass track is very much the focus of the weekend but the programme of Audax rides, childrens duathlon, cyclo-cross and roller racing, plus the usual face painting and bouncy castle attractions for youngsters, provides something for everyone. There is plenty of serious action spread over the weekend including a National Championship but its interspersed with a healthy dose of fun and games. Pendleton and his team have nailed it.
Grass track was very big in the 1920s to 50s, he says, especially at miners welfare meetings and company sports days: Electrolux, STC, Vauxhall, all the big companies round here used to have a sports meeting with mostly athletics, but interspersed with grass track.
Three of us went to Ambleside and Heckington back in the 70s and came away with 500 between us
Travel to the Lake District for the Ambleside Show and wrestlers clad in white long sleeve vests and matching long johns, covered by spectacular embroidered velvet knickers, grapple away in the centre of the track while the racing goes on around them a surreal scene. Pendleton confirms Dean Downings assertion that if you are handy on grass, the prize money is and was worth travelling for.
Three of us went to Ambleside and Heckington back in the 70s and came away with 500 between us. That was decent money, considering I was probably earning about 2,000 a year then. Mind you, we did win two thirds of the events between us When it comes to winning its been like father, like daughter, although you get the impression Max has eased back somewhat from the days when he was coaxing the best out of the young Victoria.
Standing on the final bend for the heats of the handicap sprint, I fully appreciate the skill involved in staying upright while hammering at full tilt on moist grass; the scratch rider having the unenviable task of passing all and sundry on the unworn outfield, both wheels bucking and skipping on every bump in the surface. The only way to get round in one piece, Ben Elliott assures me, is to keep the pressure on those pedals at all times. Ease off the gas for a split second and you are down
If handicap sprinting sounds too demanding there is always the hoop race. In this variant of musical chairs, Pendleton mischievously roams the track scattering plastic rings, riders stalling and lurking until the blow of a whistle signals a mad scramble to position a back wheel inside the nearest circle. Cheating, if not actively encouraged, is certainly not frowned on. Pendleton is called upon to deliberate on disputes and promptly turns to the assembled throng to holler his decision in best pantomime tradition. The loser skulks away with a sheepish grin. The winner gets to sing a song over the PA system, whether they want to or not.
The Bristow Devil, named after and sponsored by former Paralympian Mark Bristow, is an elimination race with a difference. The next to last rider over the line scores a point, to negate the (according to the inventor) unfair tactic of blasting away off the front for the duration of the race. Those bike handling skills Pendleton emphasises are tested to the limit under Bristows devilish rules, so ten riders cross the line in very close order travelling at a snails pace and treading the fine line between point scoring and being pulled out by MC Dave Kennedy. The dreaded call from the judges is delivered on first name terms and received with good grace by the riders.
This mix of the serious and the decidedly not-so is a winning combination that deserves to succeed, and which seemingly is doing so. In the age of corporate sponsorship and ever increasing budgets for cycling events, there is still room for the club organised, grassroots event of which Mildenhall is a shining example.
The following has gone down since its heyday, Pendleton concludes, but it has got a lot more relaxed: involve the crowd in the judging and it gets them warmed up and becomes the fun thing you have got here, which as far as I am concerned is beautiful. I love this.
From the Rouleur annual, 2012
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Grass Track: Victoria Pendleton's racing roots - Rouleur (registration)
Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Lyric Theatre
In June, the New York Post reported that Colin Firth, who is rumored to have turned down the role of Henry Higgins in the upcoming, highly-anticipated 2018 Lincoln Center revival of My Fair Lady, might still be considering the role. Just a few days ago, they claimed that Lauren Ambrose could be our next Eliza Doolittle. These recent tidbits come on the heels of at least a dozen other Post articles over the last several years speculating on casting and direction for the slow-starting revival. And why does New York's love-to-hate chatterbox keep landing on My Fair Lady gossip? For the same reason we want to read it. It's a story that we can't get enough of. And why can't we get enough of it? Easy. We are obsessed with the familiar Pygmalion story: boy meets plain old girl, boy molds plain old girl into new-and-improved perfect girl, boy is fabulously happy. The thing that makes My Fair Lady a Pygmalion story that rises above its mythological predecessor, as well as many other pop culture retellings, is that the plain old girl in this one, once she is transformed into new-and-improved perfect girl, recognizes what she has lost in the bargain and actually holds the boy accountable for it. That's a good story. A relevant story. An important story. And Atlanta Lyric Theatre, in their current production under the direction of Scott Seidl, tells the story quite well. With an excellent cast, led by popular Atlanta actor Galen Crawley in her gorgeous turn as Eliza Doolittle, and some of the best music to hit the Atlanta stages this summer, the production is definitely one to celebrate.
The Lerner and Loewe tuner tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl, who seeks out speech lessons from Henry Higgins, a bachelor and notable phoneticist, in hopes of improving her social station by securing a position as a lady in a flower shop. Higgins, eager to showcase his speech training skills to his friend, Colonel Pickering, takes on the new pupil, but he doesn't bargain on Eliza teaching him as much as he teaches her.
The biggest boasting right for this production belongs to the music under the direction of Paul Tate. There is no weak link among the players in this area. Every note is a sheer delight, and the choice to flank the stage with two pianos that provide the entirety of the show's accompaniment is an inspired one. The big voices, relieved of the challenges that a full orchestra presents, are shown to their best advantages.
The production also boasts some great acting. Galen Crawley is the jewel in the production's crown. She plays a Cockney flower girl exactly as convincingly as she does a refined lady of high society. And that doesn't happen very often. In addition, she brings an infectious energy and spunk to her role that stabilizes the performances around her. George Deavours as Alfred Doolittle, Karen Howell as Mrs. Higgins, and Chris Saltalamacchio in the role of Freddy Eynsford-Hill also deliver Great Performances. Rob Roper, returning to the stage after a 30-year hiatus, is excellent in the role of Colonel Pickering, so excellent, in fact, that Mark Bradley Miller in the role of Henry Higgins often finds himself dangerously close to being upstaged. Miller plays a very mild Higgins here, and that's a little problematic, both because it causes him to throw away a lot of jokes and because a number of his epiphanic moments never realize their full potential.
Any good discussion of the talent of this cast must include a mention of the ensemble work. This ensemble, most notably in the street scenes and the Ascot opening day scene, beautifully executes Ashley Chasteen's delightfully fresh choreography. In addition, they provide such gorgeous mise en scne that just their presence could have solved this production's biggest problem.
That biggest problem - and it is so often a problem for productions of My Fair Lady - is the set design. Lee Shiver-Cerone starts with a wonderful idea, those two aforementioned pianos flanking the stage. The pianos are housed inside large gazebos. Also wonderful. But those pianos in gazebos beg for attention, and because Shiver-Cerone never divorces himself fully from old, tired My Fair Lady scenic ideas that involve heavy backdrops and big wooden staircases, he gets into a jam. Nearly every stage picture that doesn't allow the pianos to be in their rightful place as focal points is blemished by the unwanted intrusion of...well... two pianos in gazebos.
On the whole, the Atlanta Lyric Theatre has put on a decidedly loverly production of My Fair Lady. If you want to hear those old familiar songs sung about as well as they can be sung, the Atlanta Lyric Theatre is the place to be this month.
My Fair Lady plays through September 3. For tickets and information, visit http://www.atlantalyrictheatre.com
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BWW Review: MY FAIR LADY at Atlanta Lyric Theatre - Broadway World
9 ways to create shade to beat the outdoor heat.
By Steve Asbell, Houzz
Evan Travels Photography, original photo on Houzz
Summer doesn't have to send you and your guests clinging to the comforts of air conditioning, especially if you're willing to make your backyard a little more inviting with the addition of some welcome shade, air movement or maybe a splash of water. By incorporating one or more of these cool features into your outdoor space, you'll find yourself spending more and more time enjoying your extra square footage outdoors.
1. Gazebos.Think back to that clubhouse you had a kid; gazebos are like clubhouses for adults. Serving both as shelter and focal point, a well-situated and thoughtfully designed gazebo is sure to become the star attraction of your outdoor gatherings, luring you and your guests out into the landscape.
While building a gazebo might seem like a big to-do, a well-designed one is like the cherry on top of a sundae. Design yours to coordinate with the style of your home, and be sure to give it enough space to allow for open views.
2. Porches. If your style is to stay closer to home, consider the porch. Front porches face out and open up to the world and are ideal for reading the morning's news or enjoying sweet tea at sunset, while back porches are for parties and barbecues.
You can utilize your existing porch or make modifications if you already have one, or you can build one out as an addition. You can easily dress up an underused porch with comfortable seating and side tables, along with a set of planted hanging baskets. More ambitious projects can include adding gingerbread trim, a tin roof or new wood flooring.
Stout Design Build, original photo on Houzz
3. Pergolas.Though traditionally planted with vines to cover walkways in the garden, many pergolas today are used as architectural elements and are given the same pride of place in the garden. Materials run the gamut from rustic and naturalistic willow branches to the wood or metal seen in modern interpretations like this modern oceanfront design.
If you do decide to grow vines on your pergola, choose strong and woody vines that can support much of their own weight. A professionally installed pergola can handle a much heavier load than one installed from a kit.
Orlando Comas Landscape Architect, original photo on Houzz
4. Shade trees.The easiest and most cost-effective way to add shade to your outdoor space is to plant shade trees such as the live oak trees (Quercus virginiana, zones 7 to 11) pictured here, and they certainly do their part to add beauty and charm to the neighborhood.
The biggest downside is that they take time, but a quick fix is to buy balled and burlapped trees from the nursery that are already large enough to offer some shade. Much as with a puppy, you will also have to commit to caring for your new tree by keeping it well fed, watered and groomed, as well as by picking up its droppings. Unlike puppies, however, a well-cared-for tree can last for generations to come. Fall is usually the best time to plant new trees, but you can begin planning for the perfect spot now.
Hardy Group Builders, original photo on Houzz
5. Awnings. It used to be that awnings and canopies were confined to the edges of buildings, but today they've ventured out into the open like the wings of butterflies. Tensioned shade sails, like the ones shown here, take on the forms of wings when attached to nearby structures and bathe the space with captivating light. Other awnings are installed much like pergolas, but the different strips of fabric can be rolled up in different ways to shade the desired area.
6. Fans. If it's still 95 degrees in the shade and too muggy to really enjoy yourself, a cool breeze will circulate the air to make the heat 8 degrees more bearable, as well as keep mosquitoes at bay. Available in chic brushed aluminum, or in styles made to look like palm fronds or rattan, ceiling fans somehow even manage to make an outdoor living area look more inviting. For the less ambitious homeowner, there are freestanding and clamp-on models that can be moved to where they're needed most.
7. Misting systems.Our bodies produce sweat to act as a natural air conditioning system, evaporating and cooling the immediate area around our skin. Sweating is definitely one of nature's little miracles, but wouldn't you rather cool off without the body odor or salty residue? Misting systems spray a fine mist over your outdoor space like the fog surrounding a rain forest waterfall, and the cool breeze provided by a misting fan can make outdoor living very comfortable on even the hottest days.
Raymond Jungles Inc, original photo on Houzz
8. Swimming pools.Undoubtedly the most effective way to cool off, swimming pools have the effect of an oasis in the Sahara and even make landscapes look cooler by association. It's hard to look at this pool by Raymond Jungles and resist sighing a little and escaping into your imagination for a little dip.
A swimming pool surrounded by nothing more than concrete and turf is nice and all, but not nearly as inviting as one that's been lushly landscaped. When planting around your pool, be sure to choose plants that are clean and don't drop too much leaf litter into the pool. Palms, bromeliads and cordylines are great choices for the tropics, while evergreen conifers and grasses work well for most other regions.
Avalon Northwest Landscape LLC, original photo on Houzz
9. Water features. It doesn't take an entire swimming pool to cool off a garden; just the soothing sounds of a small brimming urn or fountain will make a brutal summer day feel more manageable. Well-designed and maintained koi ponds provide a welcome distraction and endless entertainment, and water gardens attract wildlife and make the outdoor space appear cooler. Pondless water features such as the one shown here are ideal for small spaces and require less maintenance than full-scale ponds.
Professionally installed water features are ideal where design and longevity are concerned, but budget-conscious homeowners can get their feet wet with a variety of products from precast fountains and brimming urns to plastic pond liners and waterfall kits.
This article was originally published on Houzz.comFor related posts see:Add a Statement-Making Gazebo to Stay Cool in StyleInspiring Swimming Pool DesignsStylishOutdoor Fountains for the Garden
Read moreHome Grownblogs your go-to source for tips and inspiration for your home or garden, andsubscribetoday to haveOrlandomagazine delivered to your door once a month.
Adding antique garden ornaments to the landscape blends horticulture with history. One-of-a-kind pieces will personalize your property, and over time may grow into something richly rewarding financially as well as artistically.
Really outstanding good old pieces such as a swan bench, unusual large decorative urn or piece of sculpture will continue to go up in value, but really more important to my client is the same artistic pleasure that placing a certain piece in their garden gives to them, said Aileen Minor, owner of Aileen Minor Garden Antiques & Decorative Arts in Centreville, Maryland.
Some of her garden antiques have been installed in the U.S. Capitol, the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and in private collections around the United States, Germany, England and France.
The definition of antique is somewhat elastic but generally applies to objects more than 100 years old.
What makes a piece worth collecting? I would say rarity, design detail, all original parts and age, Minor said.
Garden antiques are most commonly made of wicker, metal or stone, and range from pergolas and gazebos to cemetery headstones and fountains, from ironwork, fencing and gates to outdoor furniture and windows.
Family heirlooms certainly qualify.
Each person has his or her own idea about what constitutes a collectible, said Troy Rhone, owner of Troy Rhone Garden Design in Birmingham, Alabama.
Typically, I look for pieces that are over 120 years old and have a unique history, Rhone said. Im not as concerned about the price because Im usually looking for a specific item for my gardens.
Rhone studies each piece to determine if there are markings to determine who made it, signs of wear and tear, and areas that might deteriorate quickly.
Not many pieces can stand the test of time when exposed to weather, so using pieces that have proved their sustainability is something most people are drawn toward, Rhone said.
Many people shape their garden antique collections around a theme. Some may want to match a Victorian-era setting, highlighting the looks of their home and neighborhood. Others simply want practical antiques spotted tastefully around their landscape.
Collectors do collect pieces based on forms such as antique hitching posts or interesting sculpture, Minor said. But more often they are looking to find unusual pieces such as a fountain for a focal point in a garden, or are looking for an attractive antique or vintage bench or settee for seating in their garden.
Estate sales, auctions and antique dealers are good places to look, Rhone said. They can be a great resource when searching for a specific item. Most of the time its pretty easy to have shipping arranged.
Living at a time when so much is mass-produced, its nice to have something that no one else has, Rhone said.
That is easily accomplished with an antique that was handmade, he said. No one else is likely to have that exact piece so it allows a space to have individuality, which is what makes one garden stand out from the rest.
Secure them, though. High-end antique pieces are prime targets for thievery.
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Antiques can add personality, focal point to a garden - San Mateo Daily Journal
5.4m Gazebo - Painted Finish, Sandpit, Deck Entry
5.4m Gazebo - Painted Finish, 4 Handrails, 4 seats
5.4m Gazebo - Painted Finish, 3 Shutter Walls, Floor -internal
5.4m Gazebo - Painted Finish, 3 Shutte Walls, Floor
4.1m Gazebo - Painted Finish, Custom Deck-Floor
4.1m Gazebo - Painted Finish, 5 Handrails, Floor - 2
4.1m Gazebo - Painted Finish, 3 Handrails, Floor - 2
4.1m Gazebo - Natural Finish, 5 Handrails, Floor
4.1m Gazebo - Natural Finish, 4 Handrails, Poolside
3.6m Gazebo - Painted Finish
Whatever style you like, youll find it here. Check out our photos to the left and learn more about our gazebos below.
Not sure what the difference is between our gazebos and other products, like daybed houses, pavilions etc? Then checkout our online showroom and see the all the photos side by side. Any questions, contact us anytime.
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Our gazebos (soon to be your gazebo) are a place of sanctuary from which to gaze upon your estate or to create a focal point in your landscape.
Choose from 4 different sizes, with the option of handrails, bench seats, solid or shuttered walls and decorative corner brackets and floors.
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Perfect for a long rectangular table setting, this gazebo is very different. Place one where you can soak up the view!
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Gazebo Kits, DIY or Installed & Stretched Gazebos
Hampshire Regency Dancers graced Chawton fete
A VIOLENT hail storm did nothing to dampen the spirits at Chawtons annual fete and horticultural show which raised a thundering 3,537.38 for village organisations.
Held on Saturday, August 5, in the grounds of Prowtings, by kind permission of Tom and Jenny Perring the event has been hailed another great day and a great success.
The Chawton Fete Committee thanked the Old Man Friday Gang (and one lady) who set up the gazebos and tent and to the stall holders and volunteers who helped to organise, set up and run the fete and clear up at the end, including Richard Pink and Simon Hadley for the transport, and Simon for supplying the gazebos.
Thanks go also to Fran and Trevor Jones of The Greyfriar for the beer tent, Nick Benham and his team for the barbecue, and to everyone who donated prizes and equipment, needed to make the fete go with a swing.
Also mentioned were Peter Holland for his NG TF classic car, Peter Stevens for his classic Land Rovers, Solent MG owners club, Martin Kitching parking cones and Target Football, Mary Knight for her Safecracker game, and the McKells for the crockery smashing stall.
Sponsors including Redemptorists Publications for printing advertising posters, Jone and Jones landscape gardeners of Four Marks and A&G Engineering, Alton, and the sponsoring of the Hampshire Regency Dancers by Anthony (Jumbo) Fuller.
A quiz at The Greyfriar compiled Richard Duval and the auctioning of a Mick Williams painting, contributed 225 to the fetes coffers.
St Nicholas Church, Chawton Pre-School, Chawton Cricket Club, Chawton WI, Chawton Village Hall, the Mother and Toddler Group, Chawton School Support, and the childrens Christmas party will share the profits of 393.04. Chawton Horticultural Society its shar.
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Hail the fete that went went down a real storm! | News | Alton Herald - Alton Herald
On Tuesday, Owasso City Council approved a major new mixed-use planned unit development (PUD) for the area.
The project, named Emery Village, will feature both commercial and residential properties stretching across 55 acres of land near 106th St. N. and Garnett Rd.
In the planning stages for several months, the PUD will be constructed in five separate phases and consist of retail and shopping, offices and self-storage and private homes.
Owasso Community Development Director Bronce Stephenson said the City developed the new property to continue its expansion efforts in the area of 106th and Garnett, which comprises several hundred acres of available land.
As we had the intersection redone a couple years ago, weve expected that this area, in all directions from the intersection, would start to grow and to take off, he said. (Were) happy to see this area starting to develop a little bit.
The new PUD will feature 495 high-end dwelling units, including 300 multi-family, 85 attached single-family (condos, duplexes, condos, etc.) and 110 traditional detached single-family, according to the site plan.
It states Emery Village will be endowed with ample open spaces and possible amenities such as pools, clubhouses, playgrounds, sports courts, fountain ponds, picnic areas, trails and walkways, gazebos and more.
(Were) trying to put together a product that we thought would be a good fit for Owasso that blends as well as it can with the surrounding properties and provides new housing and commercial opportunities, Stephenson said.
The project, annexed under Ordinances 952 and 1098 and approved with Ordinance 1037, was developed as part of the Owasso 2030 Land Use Master Plan.
Bill and Brian Emery of BAK Development LLC, who own Mingo Manufacturing and Mingo Aerospace in Owasso, have owned the land for around three years and recently partnered with the City of Owasso to develop Emery Village.
Our goal is just to come up with the best use of the land that would work in harmony with the City of Owassos Master Development Plan, Brian said. Were just really excited to develop a new area of community for the people of Owasso.
In addition to BAK Development, other partnering companies for the project include Tanner Consulting LLC and DRM Design Group out of Tulsa.
Stephenson said Emery Village is one of around 18 residential projects comprising more than 1,800 lots or units currently in various stages of development across Owasso.
(Thats) just a really, really significant number of lots and units available, which shows that Owasso continues to be a place where people want to be, Stephenson said.
The projected timeframe of completion for the Emery Village PUD would be within the next couple years, with a pending starting date.
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Owasso City Council approves major mixed-use planned unit development project - Tulsa World
Laying out by the water, listening to cool tunes and maybe indulging in some evening music under the stars thats Centennial Terrace. Owned by the City of Sylvania, the concert venue and quarry plays host to popular summer events such as the Pizzapalooza, an annual Disco Party, and a slew of varied musical acts. Its the destination for fun in Sylvania when school is out while the sun is shining, or after it sets.
James Chinni, event manager at Centennial Terrace, comes from a background as tour manager for rock bands over the last 20 years. Working with the likes of Stone Sour, Anthrax, Poison (where he was also Bret Michaels manager), and as a tour carpenter for The Rolling Stones, hes the perfect person to ensure that the summer music scene in Toledo stays hot.
When you come off a tour, its hard to get a job doing what you do on the road. Its a special skill set, managing a venue. Usually the people who have these positions keep them. When this position became available, I took it, Chinni says of his decision to get involved with Centennial Terrace.
Recent Centennial Terrace concerts include the 80s Explosion Costume and Dance Party, Tesla and Rob Zombie. The Make America Rock Again festival, featuring Scott Stapp and others, hits Centennial Terrace on Thursday, August 24.
The new Centennial, with this stage, has been here around seven years. But its been around, historically, for a while, the Toledo native says with a shrug. A venue since 1939, opening as a Dance Under the Stars venue where big band leaders, and their charges, would entertain, the 10,000 sq ft. terrazzo-look, checkerboard dance floor is a holdover from that time. In the recent past, the venue has featured major acts including Rob Zombie, Kenny Loggins, Weird Al, The Doobie Brothers, Sheryl Crow and Alice Cooper.
With capacity for a crowd of 3,000 for concert performances, but able to accommodate up to 4,500 for specialty events (such as the annual 4th of July fireworks party), the look of the venue, which also hosts weddings in its ornate gazebos, is an important facet. I did a show here with Bret Michaels four years before I started working here. So Ive played here with bands. And when we got here, you could just see from the stage, it looks nice. As for the future, Chinni says, We want to keep newer bands that are upcoming, coming to the venue so we can reach out to the younger crowd, too.
Floating equipment, diving platforms and a giant twisting waterslide are just a few of the reasons Centennial Quarry should be your ultimate summer hub.
Centennial Quarry has no problem attracting the younger crowd. A destination spot for teens and younger children, the water-filled quarry, adjacent to the concert venue, boasts a massive twisting slide and several inflatable trampolines, bouncers and floating platforms. A popular recreation spot since 1934, the quarry also has basketball and volleyball courts as well as barbecue areas and rows of beach chairs for tanning. Lifeguards require water-goers to pass a test to swim in the quarry, with an average depth of 22 feet.
There are usually six [lifeguards] here on a daily basis, Brittany Meronk, special events coordinator, assures, so the kids will be well looked after. Open 3-7pm Monday through Friday and Noon-7pm on Saturdays and Sundays, the quarry costs $6 for day use, but you can buy an annual use pass for $90 or a family membership for $165.
Upcoming events at Centennial Terrace include Make America Rock Again, a hard rock concert featuring Scott Stapp, Drowning Pool, Trapt and others, on Thursday, August 24. Centennial Terrace is located at 5773 Centennial Rd., Sylvania. 419-885-7106. centennialterrace.org
The first phase of the reforestation plan at Rollins Park in Concord is set to begin this fall with stump removal, regrading and the construction of walking paths.
Itll continue in the spring, using the remainder of the $160,000 set aside in the current budget to plant a diverse stock of young trees, Parks and Recreation Director David Gill said.
The view of the South End park from Bow Street looks vastly different ever since heavy machinery swept through and removed hundreds of mature trees this winter. The pines there were infested with invasive bugs and had to be removed last winter before they died and became dangerous.
When the weather warmed up, Gill and the citys planning department returned to the park to hold neighborhood meetings and determine what the next step should be for that space. Overwhelmingly, he said, the response was to replant trees and build some walking paths, a natural play area and an educational area.
Another phase of the project about $90,000 is planned in the citys capital improvement program for the following year, Gill said, which could be used to realize another recommendation: gazebos.
If thats approved in next years budget, we will look at installing the gazebos, but first and foremost is to get the area planted, get it presentable, he said.
After the city council approved the first phase this week, Gill said hell send out later this month a request for proposal to do the work.
Depending on pricing, the vision is to remove the stumps this fall, regrade this fall, install the walkways this fall, and next spring we will begin to replant the area, he said.
Hes expecting to have enough money left over to plant 40 to 50 trees roughly 2 to 3 inches in diameter and 6 to 8 feet tall and a mix of species so that theyre more resistant to infections such as the red pine scale that doomed the previous plantation.
Youre not putting baby trees in, he said. Theyre going to notice something right away.
But even still, planners hoped to plant as many as 100 trees, so Gill said hes considering an adopt-a-tree program that would allow people in the neighborhood to round out the total. He said hes heard from the neighborhood meetings that people were interested in this idea.
Folks could, if theyre interested, buy a tree, he said. Thered be various types and various costs for different types of trees, and thered be a plaque somewhere at the park thanking everybody who would adopt a tree.
Gill said hed likely put together the details of that program this fall.
(Nick Reid can be reached at 369-3325, nreid@cmonitor.com or on Twitter at @NickBReid.)
Originally posted here:
Concord's Rollins Park reforestation plan to begin with stump removal this fall - Concord Monitor