Call to Action: Clean Up the AZ State Hospital Grounds

As I passed by the Arizona State Hospital this week, I again observed acres & acres of dead trees on the Hospital grounds. Hospital leadership apparently elected to stop watering the vegetation on the entire southern part of the hospital grounds some time ago, a reasonable decision.

But… leaving acres and acres of very large dead trees, some falling over & creating a community eyesore is disrespectful to patients, families and the community. It sends a message that they simply don’t care about the property, community or their patients. The Cemetary at the North end of the Hospital grounds also has many dead trees. Not very respectful to the families of the more than 2000 families with family members buried there.

See: Raising Phoenix: Buried Secrets at the Arizona State Hospital

History of ASH Cemetary Records by Paul Strickland March 1960

I urge ADHS & Arizona State Hospital leadership to clean up the property. Failure to do so reinforces a message that they simply don’t care about the hospital grounds or their patients.

Below are photos of the southern end of the property – which is located between 24th & 28th Streets along Van Buren – and the cemetery.

ASH: Several Dead Trees

ASH: Dead Large Tree Canopy

ASH: Dead Tree Falling Over

ASH Dead Trees in the Cemetary

ASH Cemetary Debris & Trash

PS: It shouldn’t take me to point this blight out & intervene – that’s the job of agency leadership

Note: City of Phoenix Neighborhood Preservation Ordinances require property owners to maintain their property free from dead vegetation which presents a blight upon the area. [Sec. 39-7(D): Exterior Premises and Vacant Land] See the Code Here: Chapter 39 Art. II Maintenance Standards | Phoenix City Code

Sec. 39-7(D): Weeds, Bushes, Trees and Other Vegetation

All exterior property areas shall be kept free from dry vegetation, tumbleweeds, weeds, bushes and tall grass and trees which present a visual blight upon the area, which may harbor insect or rodent infestations and dry vegetation, or which may likely become a fire hazard or result in a condition which may threaten the health and safety or the economic welfare of adjacent property owners or occupants.

The premises shall be free from visual blight; potential fire hazards; dead trees and branches; dead palm fronds within ten feet of the ground, a structure, a fence or wall, or of any combustible other than the tree from which the fronds have grown; lawn grass higher than six inches; tumbleweeds; or weeds higher than six inches tall.

Complaints can be filed with the City of Phoenix at: City of Phoenix Customer Service