Greetings from the Board – July 2022

This month’s article is written by Dan Sturmon, the Vistoso Community Association (VCA) Secretary and Architectural Landscape Review Committee (ALRC) Chair. 

The Architectural Landscape Review Committee (ALRC) is responsible for recommending and monitoring common area maintenance and improvement issues that support the mission, values, and strategic goals of VCA. These recommendations are aligned with and support enforcement of the Conditions, Covenants, and Rights (CC&Rs) and Design Guidelines, along with the adopted paint colors and plant list of the Vistoso Community Association (VCA). The committee helps keep our neighborhoods looking the way they were intended and why many people purchase property in Rancho Vistoso.

The role of the ALRC is so vital to maintaining our neighborhoods, that it is the only committee mandated by Arizona law and must be chaired by a member of the board of directors (BOD). This committee advises the BOD how to invest in infrastructure such as landscaping, park amenities, painting of common area walls, etc. A major objective of the BOD this year is to invest more in aging infrastructure and the ALRC’s recommendations are vital when dealing with a community approaching 30 years of age.

In addition to overseeing maintenance of community infrastructure, the ALRC also oversees homeowner and commercial member property improvements. Since January 2022, the ALRC has reviewed (approved or denied) over 258 homeowner improvement requests covering an array of projects from backyard pool construction to needed exterior residential /business painting.

The ALRC is currently updating the Association’s Architectural and Landscape Design Guidelines to make it more user-friendly, and comply with current state and federal regulations. The landscaping criteria for residential/common areas are being clarified, along with more accurate description of approved community desert plantings.

In mid-2021, the ALRC created a Parks and Landscape (P&L) sub-committee. The purpose was to provide additional focus on parks and common areas, allowing the balance of the ALRC committee to focus on residential and commercial properties.

While the VCA Reserve Study leads the association in determining when to replace park amenities, the P&L committee is actively engaged in reviewing and recommending to the BOD the type of playground equipment and furniture that should be purchased. The VCA is investing $170,000 this year in new equipment and furniture at six park locations: Big Wash, Sunset Ridge, Wildlife Ridge, Woodshade Trail, Vistoso Heights Lost Coyote Trail, and Mesquite Crest Lost Coyote Trail.

Another P&L committee priority is to complete design plans to renovate the Rancho Vistoso Boulevard four entry monuments with an emphasis in implementing water conservation measures.

The ALRC consists of volunteers from the community and are seated annually by the BOD. It meets the second Wednesday of the month at 3 PM. The P&L sub-committee meets the first Thursday of the month at 3 PM. Please join one of our meetings to learn more about how we support the Rancho Vistoso community.

Did You Know? July 2022

How well do you know where you live?

1) The area now known as the Town of Oro Valley was home to the Hohokam people. Which of the following are true?

A. The Hohokam people lived in the Honey Bee Canyon area for over 800 years starting around 450AD.
B. Petroglyphs made by the Hohokam people can be found in Honey Bee Canyon and on hole #5 of the former Vistoso Golf Club (now Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve).
C. They are known for creating complex and extensive irrigation canals along the Colorado river.
D. The Pima and Tohono O’odham (Papago) people are thought to be direct descendants of the Hohokam people.
E. The Honey Bee Village Archaeological Preserve is a 13-acre site of an important O’odham village located off of Moore Loop.

2) How much do you know about Steam Pump Ranch? Which of the following are true?

A. In 1874 George Pusch, a German immigrant, and John Zellweger, a friend, hand dug a well and used a steam pump to move the water into holding tanks
B. Pusch turned Steam Pump Ranch into a key stopover for travelers and a place to rest cattle on the road between Tucson and the Feldman Ranch in Oracle.
C. They charged ranchers 1 penny a head to water their cattle.
D. Apache hunting parties camped in the foothills above the Steam Pump Ranch.
E. The Town of Oro Valley purchased the 16-acre Steam Pump Ranch in 2008 and it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

3) To ensure easy access to our streets Rancho Vistoso regulates parking. Which of the following are true?

A. Cars that are parked in the driveway may not overhang sidewalks.
B. Overnight street parking is not allowed.
C. Motor homes, trailers and boats may be parked for 48 hours for loading/unloading.
D. Inoperable vehicles must be parked in a garage.
E. The VCA has hired a security company to patrol neighborhoods to ensure parking regulations are followed. Fines are issued to those in violation.

4) The VCA is responsible for landscaping the many common areas in Rancho Vistoso. Which of the following are true?

A. Landscaping is part of the Operating Budget for the VCA.
B. The annual budget for landscaping is approximately $1.2 million dollars.
C. The VCA is responsible for landscaping over 6 acres of grass turf and over 100 acres of land containing over 5000 trees, tens of thousands of shrubs, cacti, groundcovers, and native paintings in our parks, along our parkways, roads, and other common areas.
D. The VCA is responsible for landscaping Naranja Park.
E. Replenishing of landscape granite is part of the 2022 Reserve Fund Budget and is approximately $78,000.

5) The VCA contracts with AAA Landscaping to provide landscaping services for the community. Some of the tasks they are responsible for include which of the following?

A. Keep sidewalk areas clear of encroaching plants.
B. Repair irrigation lines and equipment and adjust for season and plants.
C. Removing dead Saguaro trees in a resident’s yard.
D. Trim trees, monitor plant health and replace plants as needed, fertilize and spray weed control in common areas serviced by the VCA.
E. Perform, manage and complete erosion control projects authorized by the VCA.

Answers:

1) A, B, D, and E are true. C is false – The Hohokam people created complex irrigation systems along the Salt and Gila River Valleys. For more information on the Hohokam people click here.
2) A, B, D, and E are true. C is false – Pusch charged 15 cents a head to water cattle. For more information on Steam Pump Ranch click here
3) A, B, C, D and E are all true. Not blocking the driveway is an Arizona law. View the Resident Information Packet to see specifics on residential parking in the VCA.
4) A, B, C and E are true. D is false – Naranja Park is owned and managed by the Town of Oro Valley.
5) A, B, D and E are true. C is false – Residents are responsible for all trees and plants in their own yards.

Meet your neighbor – Gayle Mateer

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If the name Gayle Mateer sounds familiar to you it’s probably because of her work with Preserve Vistoso. As Preserve Vistoso’s President, Gayle and her board members were instrumental in helping our community come together to protect the property formerly known as Vistoso Golf Course.

Gayle and her husband Tom have resided in Rancho Vistoso for 6 years. Before moving to Tucson, Gayle lived outside the Seattle area and worked in human resources systems IT. She first heard about the efforts to save the Vistoso golf course property from a neighbor and immediately got involved. After about a year of helping with board activities, Gayle was nominated to the Vice President position and then elected President when the prior President stepped down.

Gayle’s work with Preserve Vistoso isn’t her only gig. Gayle is also a docent for Tohono Chul. Gayle’s work at the garden includes giving tours and providing education about the desert, “I love being a docent. Not only do I get to talk to people from all over, but I can be outside, surrounded by all this beautiful nature”.

When she’s not at Tohono Chul or working with Preserve Vistoso, Gayle, her husband, and their one-year-old dog Winston take their RV to national parks throughout the west. They eventually plan to visit all of the national parks.

Gayle loves living in Rancho Vistoso for its aesthetic beauty, mountain views, and well-planned communities. She encourages the community to come out for the grand opening and official transfer of the Vistoso Trail Nature Preserve to the Town of Oro Valley, Friday, July 15th at 8:30 am in front of the former golf clubhouse on Vistoso Highlands Drive.

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Do you have a neighbor we should meet? Please tell us at [email protected] why you think they would be good to meet and supply the neighbor’s phone number and email address. Also, be sure to let your neighbor know that you referred them to us.

Around Rancho Vistoso – July 2022

Check out what Oro Valley has going on.  Events and Meetings Calendar – Oro Valley | it’s in our nature (orovalleyaz.gov)

To find out what’s up in the greater Tucson area – https://thisistucson.com/

AAA Landscape – Tips and Tasks for July

Click Here to Download the Flyer

07-88677-AAA-Flyer-July