From Blight to Bright: How One Fair Oaks Resident Reimagined the "No Barking" Wall

Thousands of motorists fly past the northwest corner of Sunrise and Fair Oaks boulevards every day, many of them oblivious to the quaint village that lies just a stone’s throw to the east. For decades, what greeted them was an empty lot overrun with weeds—a spot that was more eyesore than community gateway.

Today, that same patch of ground is one of the most intriguing landmarks in Fair Oaks. Dubbed the “No Barking Lot,” the site is now a community art hub, featuring rotating murals coupled with a “permaculture” garden of fruit trees, planting beds and native landscaping.

The transformation is the work of Fair Oaks resident Tom Beauchamp, founder of The Weekender magazine and owner of Monster Design Co. Beauchamp said the idea behind the beautification was to send a message about the essence of Fair Oaks, and create a visual treat for passersby.

"People ask, ‘What kind of place is Fair Oaks?’ " he said, "And I think what we’ve created shows that it's a dynamic, creative, vibrant community."

Although raised in El Dorado Hills, Beauchamp spent much of his childhood in Fair Oaks, attending the Waldorf School and building friendships that have endured into adulthood. After years living in the Bay Area, he returned to Fair Oaks, drawn by what he describes as the town's distinctive character and strong sense of community.

The idea for the corner upgrade grew organically from an old piece of Fair Oaks folklore. Years ago, the county asked lot owners Dave and Madonna Polley to put up no parking signs on the property. They painted “No Parking” on an existing wall, but a clever graffiti artist replaced the “P” in parking with a “B.” The county restored the P, but someone switched it back to B, perpetuating a duel that apparently ended with the county conceding defeat.

Beauchamp has improved and reimagined the No Barking wall with the help of donations from residents and owners of local businesses, whose names are featured. He also added a Hollywood-style Fair Oaks sign on the hillside, and commissioned an eye-grabbing mural from a local artist with the help of Wide Open Walls, a Sacramento nonprofit seeking to better integrate art into daily life.

The debut piece, featuring a colorful chicken clucking out the word “Woof,” was produced by muralist Tim Lindsay. It’s so popular, Beauchamp says, that it will be preserved, with future murals-up to three a year-painted on canvas stretched over top of the original iconic work, which will occasionally reemerge.

Next up for mural production: local artist Jake CREEP Crawley, with students from Meristem school on deck to produce what may be a multi-media installation.

In the meantime, Beauchamp has partnered with Eric Seider of Permaculture Fair Oaks to establish a demonstration garden on the property. Volunteers gather weekly for work days, and new additions, including lighting, may arrive soon.

With the corner’s high traffic volume, Beauchamp hopes the project not only delights those motoring by, but encourages them to discover Fair Oaks Village and support its businesses. The reaction, he says, has been “99% positive.

"We get honks all the time," he said. "People yell, 'No Barking!' as they drive by. I think it’s the surprise that hits people, and it's fun because for so long it was just an empty lot. Now it's come alive."

To help out with the beautification, email Beauchamp at tom@weekendermag.com or go to permaculturefairoaks.org.

-Jenifer Warren