Alley Beautification
GREAT JOB last Saturday cleaning up the alleys! There were some areas that were truly transformed by your hard work (photos of the alley between Laurel and 16th, south of Palm Lane).
A huge “thank you” to all who participated. 45 neighbors signed the sign-in sheet generating $2695 worth of “matching funds” we can claim when we write grants – each volunteer hour is worth $29.95. Showing participation in our events helps us win even more grant funding!
A big shout out to Tim and Michele Smith, Del Norte’s President and Secretary, who came down to lend a hand.
If you missed the Spring Cleanup, we’ll be hosting a Fall Cleanup on October 21st.
Since posting those photos on Nextdoor, I’ve been contacted several times by other neighborhoods wanting to do the same thing and asking for tips. The secret? AMAZING NEIGHBORS who take pride in their neighborhood.
Climate Resiliency
The summer of 2023 was the hottest on record for both the world and in Phoenix. However, Phoenix was already the hottest major metropolitan area in the US. Over the past 25 years, Phoenix went from having an average of 5 days of 110+ degree days, to 31 consecutive days of 110+ degree days in June/July, 2023.
Exacerbating the effect of rising temperatures, Fairview has been designated “shade disadvantaged” by the City of Phoenix. This means that we have less tree canopy coverage than other neighborhoods. This is due mostly to trees that died and were never replaced. Because of this lack of tree canopy, Phoenix City Council identified Fairview Place as the District 4 recipient of a “solar pave” overlay on neighborhood streets to reflect heat and cool nighttime temperatures.
Phoenix also receives most of its rainfall during powerful storms. In Fairview, these rains cause flooding in the lower half of the neighborhood below Palm Lane. Fairview residents are looking at “green infrastructure” projects to mitigate flooding and help water native trees which will increase our tree canopy coverage.
Tree Planting
Fairview Place, already designated as “shade disadvantaged by the City of Phoenix, suffered the loss of many mature trees during the 2023 “hottest summer on record”. The Neighborhood Association is currently exploring funding opportunities to host an educational event and tree planting in 2024, partnered with ongoing education on watering and pruning in the future. The goal is to reach 15% minimum tree canopy coverage by 2030 by planting 50-100 new trees each year and continually holding maintenance training and events. Our progress will be monitored on this website, and at the Fairview Neighborhood Nook on a “Tree Scorecard”.
Trees For Fairview
Increasing the tree canopy coverage in Fairview would cool our neighborhood, filter air pollution, and increase our home values. Trees would also help shade our sidewalks and streets, cooling our daytime summer temperatures by 4 to 9 degrees and making our neighborhood much more walkable.
How do we get trees for Fairview Place?
APS has a tree grant program. In order to apply, we must include a list of names and addresses of the neighbors receiving trees with the grant application. Neighbors are limited to two trees per household. We can apply for up to $10,000 in funding each year which will cover approximately 65 15-gallon trees, tree stakes and ties. Neighbors would be expected to plant, water and care for the trees themselves. APS provides a list of acceptable native tree species that can be purchased with grant funds.
If you would like to participate in the 2024 APS tree grant, email FairviewPlaceAZ@gmail.com with “Trees” in the subject line by March 31st and include the following:
- If you can help with the tree distribution event in the Fall.
- Full name, address and phone number.
- If you would like 1 or 2 desert trees.
- If you can commit to planting, watering and caring for your tree(s).
- If you can help an older or disabled neighbor plant a tree OR if you need help planting a tree.
Fairview Neighborhood Nook
In early 2023, Fairview Place worked with the Arizona Exposition and State Fairgrounds to design a demonstration parklet on an empty lot owned by the State Fairgrounds in Fairview Place. The parklet, named the “Fairview Neighborhood Nook”, would demonstrate how to harvest nuisance stormwater from a nearby street and channel the water into the parklet to water native trees and shrubs. The project beautifies this property that Fairview regularly uses as a staging area for events. Letters of support for this project were received from City of Phoenix departments and nonprofit organizations, including:
- Arizona Exposition and State Fair
- Watershed Management Group
- City of Phoenix, Office of Environmental Programs
- City of Phoenix, Office of Heat Response and Mitigation
- City of Phoenix, Street Transportation
We are currently exploring funding options to install this project.
2022 Flooding – Encanto, 16th Ave
Community Building
Community building forms the base of a connected, vibrant community. Communications, both online and on paper, keep Fairview neighbors informed while a variety of events bring neighbors together in person.
Fairview Place hosts a number of events designed to include all sectors of our community.
Neighborhood Meetings
Neighborhood meetings are held 4 times a year in January, March, September and November. These meetings include representatives from City of Phoenix departments, Council members and others who offer services and benefits to neighborhood groups as well as information on events and updates on projects and funding.
Neighborhood Cleanups
Neighborhood Cleanups happen twice a year in April and October and are by far our most well attended events! During these events, neighbors band together to clean up our alleys and assist older residents with landscape cleanup. It’s hard work but there’s an immense amount of Fairview pride involved. Coffee and donuts are provided for people as they check in at the staging area at 7 AM and breakfast is served around 9 AM. Anyone who signs in is eligible to win free door prizes donated by local businesses.
Happy Hours
Happy Hours are held at neighbors’ homes or at one of the many local breweries in the surrounding area, including the Grand Avenue Arts District which is within easy biking distance.
Community Coffees
For those of you who like to mingle over coffee, Fairview’s Community Coffees are for you! Community Coffees are hosted by various neighbors in their front or backyards. Enjoy coffee and pastries while you catch up on neighborhood news and watch as neighbors and their dogs pass by.
Ice Cream Socials
Ice cream socials are usually held twice a year, once as we head into summer in May and then as we bid adieu to the triple digits in September. This is a favorite event for Fairview kids!
Donation Drives
In Fairview, we like to give back where we can. This often takes the form of donation drives for various causes. Our latest donation drive for Treasures 4 Teachers netted a windfall of items local teachers can use for enrichment activities for their students.
Newsletters
Newsletters are printed monthly, except during the summer. They contain neighborhood news, project reports, restaurant reviews and upcoming events. You can see past and present newsletters on our Archives Tab.
Neighborhood Emails
Fairview Place maintains an email list of neighbors who receive 2-4 emails a month. Emails include event reminders and late breaking news and updates. Not on the list? Send your full name, Fairview address and phone (optional) to: FairviewPlaceAZ@gmail.com. You can see examples of past Fairview emails on our Archives Tab.
The Tiny Orange Sock Award Origin Story
Towards the end of our last neighborhood happy hour, things were winding socially but I wasn’t ready to go home yet. It was really nice to get to know the faces of the people I lived near, and my stomach was full of buttery cheesy baked potato. I was cupping my beer in my hands staring into space when I noticed a bright color out of the corner of my eye. A single, tiny, baby-sized orange sock sitting alone under a display keg in the corner.
Oh no I thought, dryers already claim their large percentage of stray socks, and I didn’t want the owner of this sock or their parents to be sad the next time they were putting together a peach-themed outfit. I emailed FairviewPlaceAZ@gmail.com, and after a little back and forth, we found the owning family and the sock was reunited. I ended up dropping it in their mailbox on a walk with my dog one random weekday morning.
One of my neighbors joked that they loved the idea of receiving a tiny orange sock in their mail, and they were slightly jealous of the family who got that experience. So, I sat down at my craft desk, stuck two sticky notes back to back and did my best to cut them into a tiny baby sock shape. I colored it orange with a highlighter I found in my junk drawer and wrote “Fairview Place’s Orange Sock” on the front. The next time I was walking my dog I made sure to stop by my neighbor’s house and dropped her homemade present in her mailbox. I was slightly embarrassed about the drawing’s quality, and I noticed some of the lines weren’t quite straight. But my neighbor was tickled pink that I followed through on her joke. And thus, the Fairview Place Orange Sock award was born.
Have you seen any of your neighbors helping out or building a sense of community? Let us know! Submit their story to FairviewPlaceAZ@gmail.com and we’ll send them a customized thank you postcard! Submissions have an option to be kept anonymous.
Thank you so much for lifting each other up and helping to better our community!
-Jennifer D.
Feral Cat Population (TNR)
You may have noticed some outdoor cats roaming our neighborhood. We want to make their lives as safe and comfortable as possible. That is why we are committed to ‘fixing’ as many cats as we can to prevent cat population explosion. Controlled local cat numbers mean less territory disputes, more resources to go around, and controlling cat population numbers helps reduce disease that can spread to local pets and residents. Have you seen a cat around our neighborhood who is not on our list? Particularly a cat who you think might need to be trapped, neutered and then released? Please email us at FairviewPlaceTNR@gmail.com. A photo and location would also be helpful, but any information you have we would be glad to hear!
The TNR Process
First a cat must be identified as a good target for TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release). This means they do not already have a tipped ear (a sign of a previous neutering), and they eat food left out for them. Once you have notified FairviewPlaceTNR@gmail.com of your target, you can start leaving food out for them at the same time every day, for example at 6pm. Continue this for two weeks or so, long enough to get the cat to prefer eating your food over hunting (since your food is easier to get). Then, withhold that daily food for two to three days. Fairview Place AZ will stake out the location with a trap filled with extra tasty extra smelly food (usually tunafish). Once the cat is in the trap, the cat will be transported off site to our partner spay and neuter clinic. Please let Fairview Place TNR know if you can help care for the cat in your home after their operation. After the cat has recovered, they are released back where we trapped them, allowing them to return to their kitty friends, and tell them how much wet food they got in exchange for their adventure.
How To Donate to Fairview Place TNR
- By check: Put “TNR” in the memo field.
- By Zelle: to FairviewPlaceAZ@gmail.com. Put “TNR” in the memo field.
- Buy us a present off of our TNR Amazon Wishlist.
Monies marked “FOSTER” will only be used for costs associated with animal foster care.