Slowly, the Nor’wood Development Group is transforming Kansas native Fred Wolf’s old cattle ranch into a new 1,982-acre subdivision.

Here’s a story from May 4, 2001, by The Gazette’s Rich Laden about the project.

Nor’wood wasn’t content to just see 7,000 homes built in its Wolf Ranch project. It wanted to create a community.

 

 The seeds of  this community development were planted by Nor’wood in a series of decisions. The first was to charge a small fee for each house sold in Wolf Ranch and use the money to fund community events.

 Then the developer hosted monthly pot luck dinners and summer concerts in the 3-acre Gateway Park it built in the center of the subdivision. The park includes a large pavilion, a waterfall and pond. They act as a magnet for folks to come and gather.

 Here is a slideshow of Gateway Park from the Wolf Ranch Web site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a look at Wolf Ranch from www.FlashEarth.com:

 Here’s a closer look at the park:

 Neighbors have gotten into the habit of gathering at the park and now have started holding wine and cheese tastings there, Frisbee golf tournaments, barbecues and large Fourth of July celebrations.

That’s what is planned this weekend. Neighbors have planned, arranged for sponsors, hired catering and scheduled a long list of events for an Independence Day celebration. Games and contests with prizes. Food. Music. Even stand-up comedy! All for just $6 to Wolf Ranch residents.

Here’s a look at the parade from a past Wolf Ranch July 4th celebration:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the organizers is Jon Hart and he is proud of the work the neighbors have done to organize a really big party. It will all have a definite neighborhood flavor, down to the song parodies like “Pick Up Your Dog Poo” sung to the tune of U2’s song “With or Without You.”

It’s exactly the kind of thing Nor’wood hoped would occur as it turned over the subdivision to neighborhood control.

Luckily for me, there aren’t many neighborhoods like Wolf Ranch.

Or there would be no need for Side Streets!

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