Tempe lakeside subdivision is celebrated

In 1972, Connie and Lloyd Snook built their house in the central Valley's first major artificial lakeside development on a plot attached to a miniature island that was just big enough for Lloyd to plant two trees.

Their children imagined the island a seaside enchanted forest for sleepovers and treasure hunts. The Lakes, in a central Tempe community near Rural and Baseline roads, was a novelty. The neighborhood attracted residents who longed to enjoy lakeside living in the parched desert, even if their lake was fake.

"We all had boats, and we'd all go around in the evening, maybe here for a cocktail and then maybe to somebody else's next for a cocktail," Connie, 85, said, chuckling at the memory.

On Saturday, the Lakes celebrated its 40th anniversary with a waterfront bash. Many of the original homeowners who still live there, like Connie, were celebrating the landmark. A boat parade, fishing for prizes and a carnival were among the water-centered festivities.

Connie's husband, Lloyd, who died three years ago, was the project's designing manager and visionary for the development built in 1971. The Snooks' house was one of the first in the subdivision.

Despite drought conditions and a 1987 state law to restrict water developments, lake subdivisions thrived. Other Valley cities recognized that artificial waterways lured tourism and development dollars, and they followed in Tempe's steps. There are at least 264 artificial lakes in the Valley, according to the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

At Val Vista Lakes in Gilbert, homeowners can dig their toes in the community's sandy beach or man a kayak on one of the four lakes. At Garden Lakes in Avondale, boating is a favorite pastime. And at a handful of properties, lakes that allow waterskiing are within a stone's skip from families' backyards.

Connie Snook recalls the Lakes being so imaginative that Barry Goldwater, the U.S. senator, was hopeful waterfront projects would create a new era in Valley development.

"Barry Goldwater was so taken by this place, so he would come around and Lloyd would take him around in our boat," she said. "There hadn't been any water properties like this. (Goldwater) thought this was going to make a number of people stay in Phoenix in the summer enjoying the water."

During the 1970s and '80s, massive housing developments were built that weaved around man-made lakes. Cities built sprawling parks alongside them.

The artificial lakes were not without controversy. Concerns over water usage and evaporation drew critics. It wasn't until the late 1980s that lawmakers tried to limit private lake development.

Citing a concern over the state's water resources, lawmakers approved what was referred to as the "Lakes Bill," designed to prohibit the construction of most new lake communities. But the law had so many exceptions that water developments, including Tempe Town Lake, continued to appear in the desert.

by Dianna M. Náñez The Arizona Republic Apr. 14, 2011 12:00 AM




Tempe lakeside subdivision is celebrated