Vultures are circling over Twelve Oaks

So let me see if I’ve got this right.

The generous donation of Twelve Oaks by early settlers James and Effie Fifield is now deemed “more difficult to traverse” according to the vice president of marketing and communications for the be.group. I scratch my head and wonder how its residents have managed to survive at Twelve Oaks for the past 80 years. The Fifields donated the property for the express purpose of caring for the elderly. If the be.group now finds the grounds too difficult to manage, they should return it to the trust that first granted them operational control, for which they apparently paid zero, and gracefully exit the stage.

We’ve shared a backyard fence with this idyllic property for nearly 30 years. Most mornings and evenings the residents of Twelve Oaks stroll through the neighborhood and wave hello as they pass our home. That is until recently, when they were unceremoniously booted from the very place they’d hope to live out their days. Thankfully, many folks are living longer, healthier lives. I guess their longevity doesn’t bode well for the vultures that see an opportunity to make a sizable chunk of change no matter what the human cost.

Soon Twelve Oaks may be but a memory. Given the city’s propensity for granting permits for ostentatious home remodels and overdevelopment in general, I don’t hold out much hope for this beautiful landmark. But I’ll be watching. And I vote.

Kathy Dorsey
Glendale