A win-win agreement was reached on April 24th by Friends of the Verde RIver (FVR) and the Verde Village Property Owners Association (VVPOA), DBA Verde Village Community Connection (VVCC). Following their motto, “Connecting Neighbors with Neighbors,” the VVCC is connecting with Friends who care about their neighborhood on the Verde River. And the FVR has found a new home for the River Center Concept.
Verde Village President Aislinn Maldonado says, “This is a wonderful opportunity for Friends of the Verde River, but it’s also a sustainable revenue stream for our organization which allows us to not rely on memberships for our success. This provides VVCC financial stability while we address some of the remaining issues in our unique community, such as the future of the Del Rio Pond and the remaining open parcels designated for parks. Now the real work begins!”
FVR has agreed to a long-term lease agreement for the Community Center property at 4855 E Broken Saddle Drive. They will begin by moving their offices to the historic Ranch House while the VVCC will continue to rent out the Community Hall for events, classes, and celebrations. This property will be their new base of operations. The opportunities are endless for their creative ways to help sustain the very river they are passionate to protect.
In addition, VVPOA is gifting their 33.66-acre Nature Preserve on Comanche Drive to the Friends of the Verde River as part of the agreement to assume this property because they are undoubtedly the best stewards to best maintain this important Verde River greenway.
“Friends of the Verde River is proud and excited to partner with the Verde Village Community Connection on this meaningful effort.” said David Gressly, Friends of the Verde River Executive Director. “We are deeply grateful for the generous donation of the 33.66-acre natural preserve along the Verde River, and we look forward to creating opportunities for community members to connect with this special place. Through classes, events, and hands-on experiences, we hope to share the rich history of the Verde River and inspire stewardship that will protect this vital resource for generations to come.”
FRIENDS OF THE VERDE RIVER GET A NEW HOME
by Vyto Starinskas, The Verde Independent
After 15 years in existence, the Friends of the Verde River finally has a home along the Verde River.
“This is like a big step forward for the organization,” Executive Director David Gressly explained on Monday, May 4. “It gives us a place, it gives us identity, it gives us an opportunity to provide a solid presence for the community to work with us.”
The river has always brought the Verde Valley community together, he pointed out. Now the community is will be coming to the river, as they visit the center and the Friend’s 33.66 acre nature preserve that runs for over a mile along the Verde River.
The former VVPOA clubhouse agreement includes the main room, community room and 4-acre plot. He said he wants to hold trainings, educational opportunities, and have fun events for kids, since they are the future of the last remaining free-flowing rivers in Arizona.
Over time, Friends hopes to develop opportunities to use this facility for lectures about the river, general demonstration gardens, pollinator gardens, rain harvesting, and “all the things that we preach on how to conserve water.”
“This is a great place to take kids to give them opportunities to learn more about the river and ecology and how all the things work together,” he said.
He envisioned educational opportunities for young people but also for older adults for adults as well. And this will improve the quality of access to the Verde River.
In the agreement, the Friends agreed to a long-term lease agreement for the Community center, and the VVPOA is gifting the Nature Preserve at the end of Comanche Drive.
The VVPOA clubhouse [correction: Ranch House] will be their new base of operations. Friends had offices in Cottonwood and utilized Dead Horse State Park and libraries for training and education.
Now they can do it at the center, he pointed out. They can train residents in water quality monitoring, invasive species eradication, the otter and beaver spotter program, and other educational topics, he said.
“We look forward to creating opportunities for community members to connect with this special place,” Gressly said. “Through classes, events, and hands-on experiences, we hope to share the rich history of the Verde River and inspire stewardship that will protect this vital resource for generations to come.”