Black Mountain Conservancy A Moutain Worth Saving in Arizona: Build Responsibly

BUILDING RESPONSIBLY

"No house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill. Belonging to it. Hill and house should live together each the happier for the other." – Frank Lloyd Wright

Black Mountain and its surrounding Desert Foothills are indisputably beautiful, and no one can be faulted for wanting to live here, among some of the most magnificent landscapes and vistas in the world.

But with each new structure that goes up we slice away a piece of our desert’s beauty, and we snuff out some of her life. Building responsibly will mitigate the damage we do to our desert’s precious ecosystem and it will preserve her beauty for generations to come.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

♦	Build with the slope, not into it. Avoid plans that are designed for a flat pad, because cutting into the mountain creates irreparable damage.

♦	Situate your home where it will be concealed as much as possible by natural vegetation and rock outcrops. Blend your home into the landscape by painting it a compatible color and keeping it to one story.

♦	Integrate your home and landscaping design with your land’s natural contours, slopes, washes and outcrops.

♦	Disturb as little land as possible to avoid soil erosion and heat reflection. Erect a chain link fence around trees and areas that you do not want construction workers to disturb.

♦	Don’t let your builder blade a "pad." Prepare the site by only removing the vegetation and outcrops that are absolutely necessary.

♦	Salvage as many plants as possible, and do not disturb the riparian areas and washes. Reuse the dirt and stones that you disturb.

♦	In the areas that are exposed to other people’s views, plant only vegetation that is native to Black Mountain. (See your town’s ordinances regarding approved plant lists.)

♦	Do not cut unnecessary roads. Require all of your contractors to work off of one road.

♦	Do not cut roads across your neighbors’ land.

♦	Hire an architect whose philosophy echoes that of Frank Lloyd Wright: "No house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill. Belonging to it. Hill and house should live together each the happier for the other."

FOR FURTHER READING:
"The Fragile Desert: Handle with Care," Desert Awareness Committee CCIA, Third Edition – Revised 1994

BUILDING RESPONSIBLY ON BLACK MOUNTAIN

When you build on a mountain, keep in mind that the potential for visible and lasting damage is greater than when you build on lowlands. Unless slopes are cut and retained properly, heavy rains will erode them, vegetation will wash off, and mudslides will follow. Road scars are especially difficult to hide.

Re-vegetation does not provide the simple solution you might think. The desert grows at a pace that’s nearly incomprehensible in our fast-paced world. A saguaro seed takes nine years to grow six inches. It takes another 100 years for the plant to reach maturity. Any plants you use for re-vegetation will take many years to reach substantial proportions in our desert climate.

When you build a home on a mountain, everyone looks up to you. Please preserve the natural beauty of Black Mountain, and set a conscientious example for the home builders who follow you. Someday you will be looking at their homes, too.

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Call Us: (480) 575-5835
Email: info@blackmountainconservancy.org