Mountainview Lakes
Mountainview Lakes, located in the northeast corner of Fairview, is the largest city by land area. A mjor portion of Mountainview Lakes, however, is mountainous and some land is within Capp Mountains National Park, so developable land is limited. What has been built is a sprawling city below the Capp Mountains and a large industrial district across Ambassador Lake, actually an arm of the Fairview Bays. Military bases and the Fairview State Penitentary are located around the industrial area. Lake Minot occupies the northeast corner of the city.
The Mayor of Mountainview Lakes is Sarah Rosenthal, who at age 19, is the youngest mayor in the city's history and the youngest mayor in the Fairview region. Sarah is also the first Jewish mayor of a city which a large portion of the population is Christian. Sarah Rosenthal is also a student at Two Lakes University.
Above is the heart of Mountainview Lakes a few years back. Saints Barbara and Michael Churches dominate the city view here. Several mid-rise buildings have since risen in the area but the churches' steeples still dominate the skyline. The avenue roundabout has also since been landscaped.
The Capp Mountains are the largest natural feature of Mountainview Lakes. Much of the mountain range is within Capp Mountains National Park, which its resort hotel can be seen at bottom center. Most of the mountains' forests were cut down but have been growing back. Plans are for more recreational development, including hiking trails to the mountains' summits.
At another end of Capp Mountains National Park is Camp Monty. Camp Monty is a recreational campground that also contains a summer camp for children. Since Camp Monty is on the edge of the national park, residential development has occurred across the street.
Cutting through the Capp Mountains is a valley named Bella Gulch. Bella Gulch has long been a center for the logging industry, and some of it is still active. A small community has grown around the sawmill. Above is the sawmill along with the Bella Gulch community and its train station.
Above, a view of maintenance shops and timber loading yard in Bella Gulch. This is up the valley from the sawmill.
Oil field at the edge of Bella Gulch. A small oil field operates by the entrance to the valley. A larger oil field is in the industrial district.
Houses on Hanker Ridge, overlooking Camp Monty. Development has reached the foothills of the Capp Mountains. Fortunately strict zoning has kept residential development on a low scale, requiring trees to be preserved and some lots to remain undeveloped. This can result in some interesting encounters (below).
Wildlife at the edge of a residential neighborhood. Wildlife sometimes stream out of the mountains and into the residential neighborhoods in the foothills. The animals generally stay in the undeveloped lots but have been known to stray into yards. Llamas seem to predominate in this view. When was the last time a llama strolled into your back yard?
Two Lakes University. The university is situated near the north end of Mountainview Lakes, between Ambassador and Minot Lakes. The building at right is one of the university's buildings, containing classrooms but it also functions as a train station.
The industrial district occupies a large portion of northwest Mountainview Lakes, across Ambassador Lake from the rest of the city. Two road and one railroad bridges and a couple of ferryboat lines link the industrial district to the rest of the city. This has the benefit of keeping industrial pollution far away from the residents.
Oil well in the industrial district. The larger of Mountainview Lakes' two oil fields is here.
Power lines in the industrial area. Power lines fit in the industrial districts, added a more realistic look to them. Just do not zone in the lines' paths.
Camp Grunt. Camp Grunt is an army base at the north end of the industrial district. Camp Grunt is one of three military bases in Mountainview Lakes, representing all three major branches of the armed forces.
The Navy pier with the battleship SNS Incredible. The Navy pier is on the western shore of Ambassador Lake, by the industrial district.
The Mountainview Lakes Air Force Base. The air base is at the northwest corner of Mountainview Lakes. The land above the base is the proposed site of an international airport.
Fairview State Penitentary. The prison is just north of the industrial district, surrounded by land reserved for expansion of the district.
A fighter jet squadron from the air force base passes over the bridges on Ambassador Lake. This concludes this tour of Mountainview Lakes.
Next: Wildwood Island.
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