Hayden Sound, a region by Swamper77

[bat]

WELCOME TO PAGE 2!!!!!!

wonderful region pictures and fantastic development!

[Swamper77]

@Pat: If I need a fire marshall in the future, you will be my first pick

@Old Rogue: It's nice to see a new visitor to my region. Don't worry about keeping an eye on this MD, it will be here when you get back

@Thundercrack: I hope it didn't take you too long to catch up Today, you can have a look at the start of the Coastal Heights township.

@Elektra: Thanks, and the next update is here, below these replies.

@Emilin: Welcome back! I have quite a few houses from all the custom content I have installed. If you are interested in any particular one(s), just let me know and I will track down their source.

@Nik-Nik: I agree with your statement about the start of a city. There are very few CJ's/MD's that follow cities from their very beginnings. I'm looking forward to seeing you around here.

@Bat: Thanks.
Last time, I showed previews of the next township called Coastal Heights. The name is only for this section of the island. Currently,I am developing a small town called Pinewood in this new township. Let's have a closer look:


Street layout for the first housing of Pinewood. Pine Way is the main road into this neighborhood. The two cross streets are Maple Lane (closest to you) and Elm Street. This area used to be a grove of Oak, Maple, and Elm Forest with a mix of Shore Pines. In the hills to the south, there are many more types of Cycledoggian tree species. We're currently looking north.


New homes under construction. Most of the homes are modular homes with a few mobile homes being built onsite. Debussyman, Jen_P, and SimGoober are overseeing construction of the new homes.


The air was rather still for a few days after construction started. I waited until the dust cleared before I took this picture. During those still days, the area had a tan "fog" hovering over this area.

Let's take a closer look at some of the new houses:

Debussyman's new Spanish/Latin American homes. How his crews build these houses from inside of 1 square meter, I don't know.


One of Jen_P's Art Deco houses. This house sits at the end of Pine Way, at the intersection of Pine Way and Maple Lane.


Onlyplace4 has constructed several of these community plots across the neighborhood. I'm working with some firms to have a better community plot designed and to have a place to dump various yard wastes and garbage.

To pay for the power that is purchased from Independence and other maintenance costs, I have allowed two billboards to be installed near Pinewood:

"Simply Pets", Simgoober's real-world business. Logo was designed by Gascooker. (And yes, the web address is real)


A fitting billboard to have installed near a busy roadway. This ad was provided by SimCop from here at PEG's site. It was his sig pic here in PEG's forums.
Notice the line of cars. The main roadway has been widened from a street to a road, after this picture was taken. The main roadway is Industrial Drive up to this intersection. Heading east (top of the picture), it is un-named until the bend that leads to the neighborhood. At the curve in the previous picture, it becomes Pine Way. The intersecting street in this picture is Pinesdale Road, which connects to the stub of the Inter-Island Highway that comes in from the south (a ways off to the right of this picture).

During the evening commute, I witnessed the start of the British Invasion of Pinewood:

This picture was taken on Pine Way, at the edge of the neighborhood. (looking northwards)

As the area develops, I will probably add some zoning for stores/small offices. I'm trying to hold off on zoning industrial in this township, as I don't want to spoil the scenery too much. I may add some farms near the coast, but that will probably be the only industrial development I will allow.

I look forward to meeting with you again.
-Jan

[Frankie]

Woah great CJ! I was just browsing around, thought i would stop by  btw, that's a very interesting road mod you have..dirt in unzoned and sidewalks in developed areas? very cool.

[Heinz]

i feel so calm just following your cj.. nothing too much.  i get the feel of every nook and cranny of your towns that i can almost hear the mixer trucks and construction workers toiling away.  with our Harbor Master emilin having me hooked into ports and your new towns being on an island, will i hear the airhorns of ships in a new harbor, too? 

[thundercrack83]

It didn't take too long to catch up, and it was definitely worth it! Pinwood is looking good so far, too. I love the Latin American houses. Keep up the good work!

[emilin]

More interesting development around here, I see.

Since you opened for requests... the house I am most interested in and haven't seen before would be this one:

[kwakelaar]

This is such a nice MD Jan, I really like the amount of detail you are putting into your story and in planning and preparing this.
This is a  from me.

[rooker1]

I had not noticed that you had started a MD.  I just went through the two pages and everything looks great.  Very nice small town and the little story to go with it is nice.  I really like the signs on the side of the roads.  Great work.


Robin   

[bat]

Great new update! also a great work!

[Swamper77]

@Frankie: Once I get all the bugs out, I will make the mod available on the LEX.

@Heinz: I might have a harbor in the distant future. I haven't decided where I want to put one yet. There may be a possibility of ferries sooner than that though.

@Thundercrack: Thanks.

@Emilin: That is one of Colyn's slope-friendly farms that is currently exclusive to BSC members only. It will hopefully be released as part of the new farming content that has been discussed on this site.

@Kwakelaar: Thanks for stopping by. I'm glad you like the details. Being detail-oriented is a double-edged sword with me. In some places, it is a good thing and in others, it's not. At least it is being put to good use here.

@Robin: I may release the signs someday. They are leftovers from a project I started and never finished.

@Bat: Thanks.
To start off this new update, I placed orders for some new high tension power poles a week ago to replace the corroded ones. Sea air is not very kind to metals. Fuduka Technologies came up with a new breakthough technology that repels the salt from the sea air. Last week, the new poles were installed between Independence and the little village of Pinewood in Coastal Heights. Below are two pictures of the new poles:



They also look a little more natural and don't stand out like those red and white ones I originally purchased from Maxis Industries. The red and white might be fine near airports and waterways, but certainly not across land. The remaining poles in Indenpendence will be replaced next week.


New houses are being constructed in Pinewood again. This one appears as a box. I'm still trying to locate the architect or the firm that is building this structure. I just hope it will stand up to the moist air that comes from the water to the east.


The next day, I received a letter on my desk in Independence:

Dear Jan Haskins,

We are building some low cost housing for those with little or no income. Please look after the residents of these places. We will provide additional funds and assistance as needed.

Sincerely,

Barby and Randy

I sent a letter back saying I would most certainly help these folks out. I'm now looking for locations to have facilities to meet their needs built. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go meet the newcomers....


A short while later....

Too much construction traffic during morning rush hour is not a good thing. Several hundread thousand dollars of damage was done to vehicles and property. Thankfully, not one person or pet was injured during the incident. However, many people were late getting to work. They didn't get fired. Instead, they were given a Mayoral escort to Independence (similar to a police escort for a group of vehicles).

Some of the other houses that were built during the construction boom:


A shingle-clad house built by Onlyplace4.


One of several shotgun houses in Pinewood, also built by OnlyPlace4.


A timberframe house with guest house built by RP2005 and a small wooden house built by Yticmic.


Two sets of small houses by Emma LB.

Other construction projects:

Southeast of Pinewood, I've okayed the clearing of a portion of the forest for a church. Pegadyne Industries sent their best loggers to do the job. They also cleared some of the trees that were at risk of toppling in high winds.


A few months later, the St Bartholemew's Church opened its doors to the public. The pathway on the side is access to the parking lot on site. Pegadyne Industries designed the pathway according to their Trail Park II specifications. Looks like the caretaker is working tonight. I see his SMART car in the parking lot.


An overview of the church and the extension of Maple Lane, which now ends at the church. Maple Lane is nicely shaded by the forest along this diagonal section. The caretakers at the chruch work in shifts. The next one is just starting to travel through the forest here.


Seen here is the daily morning exodus of commuters heading to Independence to work in the industries or the Hardun Power Plant.

There are only one of the low income houses left in Pinewood. I was unable to stop some "land-grabby" developers from evicting the residents of the one on Maple Lane and redeveloping the property. They are expected in SimNational Court soon, facing charges for their actions.

Later in the afternoon....


Reverend Allan Smith is arriving at the church to prepare for the evening's sermon. His sermons are so good, the audience is focused on his sermon, and not trying to fall asleep. Attendance has been steadily increasing, with many members coming from Independence to hear his sermons.

Random Picture:

At 2am, these kids are outdoors and still playing games. I hope their parents don't mind them playing around their car. The neighbors have been awakened by the kids, as indicated by the lights on the first floor.

Regional Statistics:
Here are the Stats for my region at the moment, thanks to Daeley's Region Tracker:




Next time, I should have some more interesting developments to share....

-Jan

[threestooges]

I like how you take the time to highlight particular architects in your showcase. It gives it a sense of depth (and must make the architects themselves feel pretty good too). I keep seeing those power poles in more and more MDs... I may have to pick them up myself. The accident shot was very well done. Did you just stumble across that, or had you seen it earlier and were waiting for it again? Whatever the reason, it's one of the biggest I've personally seen. Congratulations on another great update.

[thundercrack83]

It's quite funny, but I found those early pictures of the pwoer line towers very beautiful. They were simple, but very picturesque, especially the second one with the road running next to it. And I love the small-town feel you've presented with all the houses and residential areas. Great update, my friend!

[kwakelaar]

Ah yes, I know it can work both ways, but indeed for this MD it is a good selling point.

Liked the new update, the church is such a beauty (always thought it was from GC?).

[Flipside]

I love your style, Swamper. I feel so small-town American - I need some apple pie stat. And baseball. 

I can't wait for more.

[dedgren]

Swamper77, congrats!  A small-town specialist... and more!

[Swamper77]

@Three Stooges: Any accident shot I take is after I stumble upon them. I do hear the tell-tale sounds of the accident starting, which is my queue to go look.

@Thundercrack: Thanks for your views on my pictures

@Kwakelaar: Yes, that is Gascooker's church.

@Flipside: I'm afraid you will have to look elsewhere for the pie. I'm not very good at preparing food

@David: Thanks for the award, but don't lock me out of my thread next time. I had to have Wouanagaine unlock it.
More developments have occurred since our last visit. They are located along the future Jade Mountain Loop Highway. The highway is far from being finished and it will be many more years before the roads make a complete loop around Jade Mountain. In the meantime, let's take a look at these new developments.....

New Roads/Highways

Pinewood Highway

The un-named roadway that lead to Pinewood in the previous update finally has a name. Pinewood Highway has been extended to the east to connect with a section of the future Inter Island Highway System (IIHS). The Pinewood Highway cuts diagonally through a forest of Cycledoggian oak, maple, and elm trees while traveling slightly uphill. The roadway has been carefully graded to make the ride as smooth as possible for traffic.

Shoreline Drive

This section of roadway will also be part of the IIHS. Shoreline Drive connects Pinewood Highway to Coastal Crossing. This roadway is also slightly uphill along the diagonal section.

New Town
Coastal Crossing

Coastal Crossing is at the site of a future intersection between the Jade Mountain Loop Highway and Shoreline Drive. The first two businesses are a used car dealership and a small outdoor bar. The planned intersection is just to southwest of the car dealership. Power from Independence comes in via high tension power poles to the northside of the village. You can see the base of the line terminus at the top of the picture.


Early the next morning, the woods across the street were cleared to make room for housing developments. Most of the workers will work within this village. The car dealership doubles as a car rental place for the people that need to travel outside of Coastal Crossing.

A few days later....


The houses of Coastal Crossing are complete and a community plot is being constructed among them. Across the street, PosCom Industries is building a pub. The name of this new pub is "The Grinning Hog". I just hope I don't have problems with drunk and disorderly citizens with all these liquor extablishments.


Preparing for future tourists, a PhotoMat is being constructed in Coastal Crossing. They have the fastest photo developement system in the region. You can have your pictures developed in 15 minutes or less! (Developement time depends on the number of pictures to be developed)

A few weeks later....


Sadly, the car dealership has been bought out by the Dolomite's Diner chain. Just before the business closed its doors, the owner donated the cars to the community.


Two days after the diner opened, a new outdoor bar opened for business. I see that some crowd control is going to be necessary in the area, due to all the local bars.


A first for the region of Hayden Sound, a Waffle House Restaurant! Many of the locals can be found ordering their breakfasts here in the morning.


Here is an overview of the finished village of Coastal Crossing. It may expand in the future, but it is finished for now.

New Roadways
Jade Tunnel

To better connect Coastal Crossing with Independence, a tunnel will be constructed Cedar Hill at the base of Jade Mountain. The tunnel is a capital improvement project that will help bring communities together. Several workers travel to Independence for work in the Independence Industrial Park. It takes them over an hour to travel to work, due to the low speed limits. To speed up their commute and the progress of the Jade Mountain Loop Highway, the tunnel will have to be built.


After months of construction, the Jade Tunnel has been completed. The roadways leading up to it still need to be upgraded as they are still narrow as streets. The entire project is very expensive. The initial budget for the project was $10K. The majority of the money was used on the tunnel alone. The expensive part of it was the tunneling and supporting of the hillside while the crews were working. The rest was used to pay for materials and labor. There is no money left. Phase I is almost done, but there are 2 other Phases of the project and no money to complete any of them.

Coastal Highway

Another leg to the Jade Mountain Loop Highway and the IIHS is Coastal Highway. This section runs ontop of the coastal range in one area and up to the base of Jade Mountain to the south. It connects the Coastal Heights Township to the yet un-named township to the south. A new town is planned for the forest on the inside of the coastal section of the highway.

New Town
Terra Crossing


Out along the rugged east coast of the Coastal Heights Township, the hamlet of Terra Crossing has recently come into existance. Terra Crossing is all residential development at this time with about 160 residents. The workers travel to either Coastal Crossing or Independence for work. The land value is considerably higher here due to the proximity to the coast.


With about 80 cars heading out to work each morning, this was bound to happen. Traffic was snarled for about an hour starting at 6 am, as people were heading off to work. No more accidents have occured since then as they have started carpooling to reduce the traffic load on their local intersection.


Here you can see the workers from Terra Crossing traveling on their way to work. About 75% of the workers turn left and go through Jade Tunnel to Independence. The others work in Coastal Crossing. Sorry about the powerlines ruining the scenery, but they are necessary to get power to Terra Crossing. The SFBT power poles are better looking, but they have to sit on level terrain and it would cost a lot of money to level the terrain along the powerline right-of-way.

Close-ups

Jade Tunnel during the morning commute. The roadway will be widened once I acquire more funds. I am currently working with the SimNational Government to see if I can get a grant to finish Phase I.


This is the only remaining picture of the community lot that was under constructed earlier. It has been replaced with a residential property since the time this picture was taken.


A local sim couple got married recently. Jake Kingsley and Rachael Ulysses exchanged vows before both of their extended families. There were so many guests that cars lined the street up to the church from the neighborhood. It was a very happy wedding and they chose me to lead the ceremony.

Hopefully, I will have more interesting developments for the next time we meet. Until then, enjoy your visit.

-Jan

[Heinz]

jan my man. your developments come at near break neck speed! incredible governing, my friend. very interesting touch to small towns and congrats with the award. see you around

[kimcar]

  Great update , even if i miss some but still like it. Nice biilbord you done and congrats for the award.

[oldrogue]

Wonderful thread and developement......I live in a small town myself and your reporting is very much like our regional newspaper, with a little more personality ,thanks so much for sharing.

[thundercrack83]

Great update! I love the focus on the new highway system that your putting in, and the new towns look great, too! Also, congratulations on being "Of Special Interest this Month!"