Flaneaur Master Planned Community

In the lovely community known as Marley Park today, there existed a landscape of crops owned by the city. Marley Park planners purchased the land to create a planned community with an agriculture theme, a community completely built by the developer. The plans for the community began in 2004 where the planners were approved for 3,400, but currently Marley Park has only completed two phases and have filled 1,200 lots with homes. The interesting thing is the land that the community is built on use to be a part of El Mirage. I spoke with some friends who use to live around the area and according to them, many things has changed such as, services (city garbage, banks, grocery stores) have moved closer to the new community since the land usage. In El Mirage nicknamed “Little Mexico” there lies family owned businesses unlike most communities in Arizona there is a mixture of family owned businesses and transnational businesses. What I find most disturbing is the distance between homes and the needed services EL Mirage use to have. This planned community great at first sight required a great sacrifice of homes and possible services that are needed within the community. This transition has turned El Mirage into a ghost town, homes unfinished, boarded up as if the city has given up on the people residing in EL Mirage. Where are the normality’s such children playing (Playgrounds, boy and girls clubs) and family walking through the community.  Those functions are absent within the community and unfortunately crime rates and negative connotations follow. In Marley Park there are amenities such as 1,600-seat open-air amphitheater, lighted baseball and soccer fields, Community rose garden, Adventure play areas and a Community pool all of which are in a program called the heritage club. In the heritage a variety activities for children and families take place, a sickening contrast. In Marley Park there are currently two phase, the first phase is located on the outer edges of the school, and the second is located in a circle shape around Marley Park elementary. The price range varies depending on how close you are to the school, if you are on the outer edge its one hundred thousand less than if the property is located near a public service or the school. The developer and advertisement of the community take on an agriculture theme style, to the developer it is considered unique, unlike any other community.  The developers pitch is “Parks, Playgrounds and Beautiful open spaces” very odd indeed seeing how five miles away the community of EL Mirage resembles that of a third world country. In the community there are different styled homes but built by the same developer, houses built closer together are cheaper than houses spread apart in correlation location of phase the resident is living in. Although I live a house away from the community Marley Park I find it interesting that any children living within a half a mile of the community are qualified to go to Marley Park elementary but are excluded from the heritage club and pool amenities. Activities that could benefit many within a half mile radius of community are cut off only to drive their children through a candy land everyday without access to enjoy.