Robert Dolson Email & Phone Number

I have always been fascinated with the built environment. As a youth I dreamed of being an Architect while my father encouraged me to be an Engineer, after high school I joined the military. This proved to be an important experience as I traveled the country, world and was exposed to varying cultures and environments. The contrast in built environment can be stark, better or worse depending on ones perspective. After the Military I went to college and was again inspired by the built environment, specifically a movement known as Smart Growth. I started working for a local municipality experiencing hyper growth in 2006. The City known as Maricopa grew from 1,000 residents recorded in the 2000 US Census and recently recorded 48,000 in a mid decade census. The City of Maricopa, incorporated in 2003, currently has just over 18,000 single family homes. While Cities and Towns typically receive population growth over many decades, 75% of Maricopa's single family homes were built in a three year period between 2004 and 2007. There was really no way for the County or City to plan for the tremendous growth which created many challenges for today's Council, Staff and partnering agencies. As I reflect on the many sites I visited in my travels I better understand some the drivers influencing those built environments. Part of me wishes we could hit the reset button on the City of Maricopa while the rest of me loves the opportunity to face its many challenges.