Along about the mid 1980s, a local developer decided to build a world-class resort in the foothills. That resort became La Paloma, but the developers George Mehl and his brother David, ran into some stout opposition. For one thing, the Mehls proposed to build a Jack Nichlaus 27-hole golf course with lots of grass and ponds, pretty as you please and needing a ton of water.
In those days, Tucson was a serious tree-hugging community. The outrage swelled not only over the amount of water to be spilled for this play land of the rich, but for all the beautiful flora that would be destroyed as well. But then some very smart people suggested Mehl could irrigate his golf course with reclaimed water. He need only build a pipeline from the city’s resources to the La Paloma site. Mehl quickly agreed and paid for it. There wasn’t much argument.
The Mehls also agreed to hire an outfit to map and preserve all the flora on the development site (not in the golf course area). After the development was in place, the flora was put back.
The La Paloma course was the first private course to use reclaimed water. Today about half the courses in the county use reclaimed water.
George Mehl did the right thing for his community. And the community reciprocated, sort of. The county changed the name of the Foothills Park off River Road just east of the Tucson Jewish Community Center to the George Mehl Family park. It was to honor Mehl and the four other members of his family. All five died in 1991 when the private plane he was piloting crashed near Cortez, Colorado. Mehl was 41. I don’t have an age for his wife, Deborah. His daughters were Natalie, 12, Laura, 8 and Jenna,3.
While the park is named for the George Mehl family, there’s no plaque or other explanation saying who he was,what he did or how he died. Sooner or later, I’m sure, that will change. He did far more than build a beautiful resort.
I just happened to come across this, of course I had to check it out because my dads name was also George Mehl.
We are from Minnesota.
Hi Kay – this George Mehl is my mother’s cousin. I have been doing some family research, and their Grandfather was also George Mehl, in OH. I wonder if there is any connection? So glad that this was posted, and proud of this George Mehl’s pioneering use of reclaimed water!
George Mehl and I were friends and fraternity brothers at the University of Arizona starting in September 1967 (Alpha Tau Omega). We used to drive up and down Speedway Boulevard in his red Pontiac GTO convertible. George was an all around good guy. Smart, a good student and a great friend. Occasionally we would go hiking along the Rillito River near Swan Road, a place we called “The Cottonwoods” because of the large cottonwood trees that grew along the banks of the river. I suspect this place was the inspiration for the name of his company, “Cottonwood Properties”. In 1969 I left Tucson for California and then New York before returning in 1973. Meanwhile George completed his business degree at the UofA , acquired a contractors license and starting buying and remodeling homes. This was followed by building homes, then building strip malls and commercial buildings. He is most well known for the La Paloma development. The news of the tragic plane crash that killed George and his family in 1991 was devastating. He was a great guy and his death was a terrible loss for the Tucson community. I have lived in Phoenix since 1977.