Desert Palms Park, Tucson
Encyclopedia
Desert Palms Park is a neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona
. It is located in the east side of the city, between 8900-9100 east and 1300-1800 north. It is bordered by Speedway Boulevard to the South and Wrightstown Road to the North. The Catalina Mountains can be seen to the north and the Rincon Mountains
to the east.
named Otto Small, born in Poland in 1910, designed Desert Palms Park in 1959. His purpose was to build quality housing in an enjoyable environment. The first home was completed in 1961. He named several of the streets after many of the places in Colombia, South America where he lived for many years before coming to Tucson.
In 1962 and in 1963, Tucson's builders selected Desert Palms Park for the annual Parade of Homes. Sadly, Otto Small died in a car accident
in 1964. Gaylen Klein assumed the responsibility of completing the huge project in 1968.
-lined wash or arroyo
. Medians on each side are lined with nearly 80 date palm
s. Along each side of the medians are two way streets both called Avenida Ricardo Small for Otto's son. Cul-de-sacs and loops are entered from this avenue
. Many of these use the Spanish term "calle
" instead of "street". There is also a cul-de-sac
from Wrightstown Road that is included in the neighborhood. All utilities are underground along city easement
s behind the homes. All but one home are single level as was common in this SW desert area. There are 183 homes with approximately 750 residents. Back allies allow for easy access to the utilities, all buried, including power-lines.
All the houses in DPP have a similar price but differently from most planned neighborhood each of them has a distinctive design. This variety invites people to walk around its streets to discover all the different features.
DPP sits on a gradual downward slope to the Tanque Verde wash. This provides most residents a view of the Catalina Mountains. The nearest elementary school is within the neighborhood boundaries allowing children to walk to school without crossing a busy street.
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. It is located in the east side of the city, between 8900-9100 east and 1300-1800 north. It is bordered by Speedway Boulevard to the South and Wrightstown Road to the North. The Catalina Mountains can be seen to the north and the Rincon Mountains
Rincon Mountains
The Rincon Mountains are a significant mountain range east of Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, in the United States. The Rincon Mountains are one of five mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley...
to the east.
History
A civil engineerCivil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
named Otto Small, born in Poland in 1910, designed Desert Palms Park in 1959. His purpose was to build quality housing in an enjoyable environment. The first home was completed in 1961. He named several of the streets after many of the places in Colombia, South America where he lived for many years before coming to Tucson.
In 1962 and in 1963, Tucson's builders selected Desert Palms Park for the annual Parade of Homes. Sadly, Otto Small died in a car accident
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
in 1964. Gaylen Klein assumed the responsibility of completing the huge project in 1968.
Features
DPP has a symmetrical plan. It is crossed in the center from north to south by a concreteConcrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
-lined wash or arroyo
Arroyo (creek)
An arroyo , a Spanish word translated as brook, and also called a wash is usually a dry creek or stream bed—gulch that temporarily or seasonally fills and flows after sufficient rain. Wadi is a similar term in Africa. In Spain, a rambla has a similar meaning to arroyo.-Types and processes:Arroyos...
. Medians on each side are lined with nearly 80 date palm
Date Palm
The date palm is a palm in the genus Phoenix, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. Although its place of origin is unknown because of long cultivation, it probably originated from lands around the Persian Gulf. It is a medium-sized plant, 15–25 m tall, growing singly or forming a clump with...
s. Along each side of the medians are two way streets both called Avenida Ricardo Small for Otto's son. Cul-de-sacs and loops are entered from this avenue
Street name
A street name or odonym is an identifying name given to a street. The street name usually forms part of the address...
. Many of these use the Spanish term "calle
Calle
Calle means "street" in Spanish.Street soccer is also commonly referred to as "Calle".Calle can also refer to the following items:-People:*Humberto De la Calle*Calle Johansson*Calle Jularbo*Andres Garcia La Calle*Sophie Calle-Music and media:...
" instead of "street". There is also a cul-de-sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
from Wrightstown Road that is included in the neighborhood. All utilities are underground along city easement
Easement
An easement is a certain right to use the real property of another without possessing it.Easements are helpful for providing pathways across two or more pieces of property or allowing an individual to fish in a privately owned pond...
s behind the homes. All but one home are single level as was common in this SW desert area. There are 183 homes with approximately 750 residents. Back allies allow for easy access to the utilities, all buried, including power-lines.
All the houses in DPP have a similar price but differently from most planned neighborhood each of them has a distinctive design. This variety invites people to walk around its streets to discover all the different features.
DPP sits on a gradual downward slope to the Tanque Verde wash. This provides most residents a view of the Catalina Mountains. The nearest elementary school is within the neighborhood boundaries allowing children to walk to school without crossing a busy street.