the story of our unique neighborhood
The History of Mountain View East
Back in the late 1970's, cattle were still grazing on the 25-acre portion of McCormick Ranch that soon would be developed into community of 51 unique homes - Mountain View East.
But before construction of the first home would start in 1978, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation architects were called in for planning and design. Since the Foundation had conceived the successful "Mountain View Estates" near Tatum and Shea Boulevards a few years prior, they were a logical choice for the developer.
Because the new development would be similar in concept to its "sister" community, it was anticipated that it would also reflect Mr. Wright's influence. Mr. Wright felt that homes should have a timeless quality; a sense of shelter; should have open plans to ensure "destruction of the box", and that they should be in harmony with the local environment and climate - such as the desert and southwestern heritage.
And so it was to be for Mountain View East - with innovations in its time that were to anticipate current advances in design and community planning. By its exclusive arrangement of Riggs Construction with the Foundation, both variety and harmony for the development were assured; the Foundation's architects would be responsible not only for designing the individual homes, but for landscaping, garden walls, and a myriad of other community features as well.
One of architect Rattenbury's first considerations, since he'd lived at Taliesin West and worked alongside Mr. Wright for more than nine years, was to ensure use of the spatial concepts and architectural details long associated with Mr. Wright's influence and philosophy.
The story above was provided by Bernard Tolk, who passed away in 1996 but at one time lived at 8010 E. Del Timbre. To write this history, Mr. Tolk consulted with John Rattenbury, the principal planner and architect of the neighborhood, as well as E. Russell Riggs, whose Riggs Construction developed and built almost all of the homes in the neighborhood.