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Topic: (OT) Destruction at Rainbow's End (Read 3 times) previous topic - next topic
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(OT) Destruction at Rainbow's End
Yahoo Message Number: 88834
This is way off topic, but I thought it might be of interest to those LDers who are members of the Escapee RV Club.

For those LDers who are familiar with the Escapees Rainbow's End RV Park near Livingston, TX, you may be aware that Escapees, Inc. bought land adjacent to the Rainbow Oaks section of the park.  This adjoins the area that has the ERPU lots.  (The ERPU lots are 5 year renewable leases available only to Escapee members.  We have one, and are here in the park right now.) The intention of this purchase was to add more sites.
 This plot of land is at least as large as the existing section called Rainbow Oaks.  I don't know how many acres it has.  It looked as though it had been pasture at one point years ago, but had grown to become a heavily wooded area.  It`s been timbered off, probably more than once.  After Escapees bought it, they brought in loggers to take out the marketable timber, before going ahead with site preparation.
They also put a huge blue tank on the property, near the road, that will be part of the septic system.

As of Wednesday, 1/23/08, they are in the process of clear-cutting this land with a bulldozer, not doing selective cutting, to prepare for sites, utility installation, and roads.
 When I woke up Wednesday morning, I was shocked to see the bulldozer at work, flattening ALL the vegetation.  I went back inside, called the office, and asked to speak to Bud Carr, who is the Rainbow Parks President.  He was out of the office, but Jim Scott, one of the Rainbow Parks Directors, apparently got the word that I was upset, and came over to talk to me.  He confirmed that, yes, the plan is to clear-cut the acreage, remove all the existing plants, put it in piles, burn it, grade, put in the utilities, roads, sites, then plant "some trees".  The reason that was given for the clear-cutting was to allow for "more sites" and to "make it easier for people with satellite dishes".

I expressed my opinion of clear-cutting as a method of site preparation, and compared it to enriched flour, which has all the nutrients removed during processing, then has a few nutrients added back, and is sold as "enriched".  I explained that in the 21st century, there are more advanced methods of preparing land for building, that are not as destructive, but I was talking to someone who really didn't want to hear what I had to say.  For those not familiar with it, the obvious benefits of clear-cutting are that it is a cheap and fast method of clearing land.  This "slash and burn" method is the way the Amazon rainforests are destroyed, as well, with the same resulting problems.  Oh, yes, and no siltation barriers have been put up to protect the bare soil from washing into the existing creek that borders the property.
 I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but I was.  I expected more from Escapees.  In the Rainbow's End section of the park, there are many mature trees.  In the Rainbow Oaks section, there are still some trees as well, although not as many.  Well, this is, after all, East Texas, and that's how they do things here.  As many of you know, if you're a land owner in Texas, and are not in a protected development or an incorporated city, you can do just about anything you want with your land.  I suppose if you wanted to, you could dump nuclear waste here.  I hope Escapees doesn't think of that!
 Of course, the up-side of this is that now we'll have a clear view of the logging trucks that run up and down RT 146 at 70 miles an hour at all hours of the day and night.  For those of you who enjoy staying over in Wal-Mart parking lots, you'll feel right at home here.  Come on down, all y'all!

Sign me, Disillusioned, Disappointed, and Disgusted

Sharon N.
SKP# 65796
Re: (OT) Destruction at Rainbow's End
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 88841
Sharon, thanks for letting us know what's going on at Rainbow's End.
I'm shocked that the Escapees would clear-cut a plot of wooded land, then replant a few trees. This is backward thinking at the very least.
I only wish I'd known before the deed was done, so I could have expressed my own disapproval to Escapees management.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: (OT) Destruction at Rainbow's End
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 88845
wrote: "I'm shocked that the Escapees would clear-cut a plot of wooded land, then replant a few trees" --- I'm no fan of this "scrape it bald" pre-construction procedure, either, but this is SOP; in my experience, this pre- construction "preparation" is pretty much the same for any and all building projects of whatever nature by most entities, public or private, just about anywhere.

Unless there are local ordinances prohibiting removal of existing trees/plantings, or the developer experiences an attack of conscience (or sees an opportunity for a "pro-green" public relations spin) the bulldozers do their work.  As Sharon pointed out, leveling whatever is standing, then building from the ground up is the cheapest way to go; the bottom line makes the rules. It costs a lot less to throw in a few post-construction plantings than to plan a project around existing vegetation, and, trees/plantings can be placed where the plan dictates instead of where they happened to spring up.
 By literally starting with a "level playing field", the construction company maximizes its profits by keeping its costs as low as possible, and the property developer, in this case, Escapees, manages its overall development budget and provides what they have apparently determined that their "market" wants, i.e., unobstructed satellite access.

I don't know any of the particulars of this deal other than what Sharon reported, but it seems to me that this is business as usual, and therefore hardly surprising.  YMMV.

Joan
2003 TK has a new home
Re: (OT) Destruction at Rainbow's End
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 88849
"it seems to me that this is business as usual, and therefore hardly surprising."

That's probably true. But (perhaps naively) we expect better from Escapees.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: (OT) Destruction at Rainbow's End
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 88850
Well, it would seem to me that we are discussing the question about what do you want vs. what are you willing to pay. One respondant wants Escapee Parks closer to civilization. Another wants natural landscaping. We all want cheap rates. I have been to the parks in Livingston and in Tenn. Although they are not flashy they seem to me to be some of the, best bang for your bucks, RV parks anywhere. The sites are at least as big or bigger than most parks. The staff seems friendly.  You just can't please all the people all the time.

Robbie & Happy the Dog
Re: (OT) Destruction at Rainbow's End
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 88851
"One respondent wants Escapee Parks closer to civilization. Another wants natural landscaping. We all want cheap rates."

You raise good points, Robbie. The Escapee parks are generally good values when considered as commercial parks. Some have deluxe facilities and meticulously maintained grounds, such as the co-op in Benson, Arizona; while others are less attractive, such as the Dream Catcher park in Deming, AZ. One thing I've found at all the Escapee parks I've visited is that the people, including the staff (mostly volunteers), are very friendly.
 You're right in saying that we get what we pay for. But as Escapees, we can tell the club's management that we'd prefer a more thoughtful approach to landscaping (e.g., decide which trees to keep and cut around them), even if it costs more. Personally, I'd prefer it that way.

But then I'll admit that I spend very little time in SKP parks, because even the nicest ones can't compare with state parks when it comes to scenery. :-)

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: (OT) Destruction at Rainbow's End
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 88855
Quote
"it seems to me that this is business as usual, and therefore hardly surprising."

That's probably true. But (perhaps naively) we expect better from Escapees.
Exactly. I realize that Escapees is a privately held, family owned corporation, and can do what it wants.  I do feel, though, that the members of Escapees should know what their membership and campground fees are buying.
 I am happy that there are more enlightened parts of the country, even in East Texas, that prohibit clear-cutting and mandate careful land development.  The Woodlands, an unincorporated town of 87,000 that is just north of Houston, in Montgomery County, is an excellent example of (for the most part) responsible planning.

Sharon N.