PROJECTS

Wastewater, Water, Transportation, Educational, Marketing, Private, and Landscape Projects

OCOTILLO DISTRICT LANDSCAPE ENHANCEMENTS LANDSCAPE

IRRIGATION | LANDSCAPE | PLANTS

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Residents deserve to know when construction will impact their homes and businesses, and YPMO helps municipalities communicate clearly so they don’t lose the trust of their citizens.

As part of the city’s landscape enhancement project, properties in Glendale’s historic and residential Ocotillo District were targeted for new irrigation, water meter installation, landscape gravel, drought-tolerant plants, and decomposed granite. Many of the homes were built in the 1930s and 1940s; while the City was responsible for maintenance, some easements were taken care of by residents and others were in disrepair. Despite citizens having a choice to opt out for City-provided enhancements, the project progressed through the neighborhoods for large-scale beautification.

Throughout Phase 1, YPMO was responsible for managing outreach efforts to inform residents when construction crews would be excavating and preparing for irrigation, and then planting plants and shrubs in Phase 2. The team created postcard mailers, door hangers, and ‘No Parking’ signs, and 20 two-sided sandwich-board frames featuring key construction information were placed at both ends of the streets to alert residents of the work. Messaging was developed in both English and Spanish.

YPMO notified a Glendale Council Member of construction schedules so they would be aware of activities in their district. There was a construction hotline to track calls from residents, which included answering questions and noting when homeowners wanted to opt out of the enhancements. Project updates were posted on the City’s website, at Council meetings, and in City social media posts.

What started as a well-planned, predictable schedule shifted with significant challenges in 2020. Phases 1 and 2 were originally planned for three months each, but COVID-19 extended the project to nearly a year.

Phase 2 occurred in mid- to late-2020 and the COVID-19 Pandemic caused delays when workers testing positive had to be quarantined. A second construction team was added to shore up progress. The construction and YPMO teams adjusted, communicated, and made the best of a difficult situation, ever mindful to keep residents informed so they would trust the City of Glendale effort to enhance their neighborhoods.

“Many of the residents in this neighborhood are older,” says Andre Salais, project manager. “They can’t do much to maintain their street, so this is a nice boost. Being on the [responsive] side, we would receive calls regarding resident’s complaints and concerns. When we had an opportunity to explain a bit more about the impacts, what it’s going to look like, and the fact that they are no longer responsible for the maintenance, it changed their minds from ‘I’m concerned’ to ‘Oh, that sounds great!’ and ‘When can I expect it to be done?’”

OWNER

City of Glendale

PROJECT LOCATION

Ocotillo District

SERVICES

• Project Hotline

• Construction Notices

• Business Walks

• PI Coordination

PROJECT TEAM

-Yellowstone Landscaping

-United Right-of-Way

DESIGN

N/A

CONSTRUCTION

N/A

THE CHALLENGE

When residents’ homes were impacted by construction, YPMO’s team responded with helpful, quick-response activities to reduce homeowner frustrations.

Because many residents were accustomed to parking in the street easements, YPMO’s main focus was to provide ample notification, giving resident’s time to move their vehicles and keep the project on track.

Phase 2 presented its own challenges when crew members tested positive for COVID-19. Quarantine forced delays and made it difficult to proceed, and the residential outreach effort was put to the test. The YPMO team adjusted notification information, apologized for altering the schedule, and delivered additional door hangers prior to construction continuing. YPMO’s nimble responsiveness kept residents in the know, many not realizing the schedule slippage.

Construction teams later determined that some driveways would require saw cutting. This unanticipated work warranted additional inconvenience to homeowners, but YPMO acted quickly and ensured that all residents were notified of the disruption. The team visited properties, provided notifications and door hangers, and helped in suggesting alternatives for street parking.

No matter the circumstance, the YPMO team handled resident calls and concerns with a friendly, helpful attitude. Andre Salais, project manager, looks back at lessons learned and explains, “On the front side of this, when we overexplain [the matter], we receive fewer calls from residents.”