The site is situated on a vacant lot owned by the University of Redlands that is adjacent to a historic irrigation canal called the Zanga, which has been clocked by the city as one of ten potential “Green Initiative” sites for effective ground water recharge in its 2014 Drainage Master Plan. From the outset the general goal was to dig some sort of big hole to capture water and let it percolate into the aquifers below. This aim was balanced by another mission: to bridge a gap in a broken segment of the city’s best pedestrian corridor: the Orange Blossom trail. On site is also an amazing little stand of young, native California oaks that I hope are transplanted well if (or, when?) the site actually gets developed: into a park, a big hole, or maybe just some more dorms.