Frequently Asked Questions

A Planned Area Development (PAD) is a large-scale residential, commercial, and industrial development focused on lifestyle, convenience, and quality of life. Rancho Vistoso offers a variety of recreational and commercial amenities such as parks, playgrounds, pedestrian trails, bicycle paths, open space, shops, restaurants, and other commercial businesses while preserving the natural Sonoran Desert character of the region.    PADs conform to specific zoning requirements as specified in the Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions (CC&Rs).  PADs are managed by a home owner association (HOA).  Rancho Vistoso is managed by Vistoso Community Association (VCA), an umbrella or “master” HOA responsible for administrating the CC&Rs throughout the 70 (and growing) neighborhoods and 62 commercial parcels in the community.  The VCA owns and maintains common areas/amenities and is accountable for establishing, collecting, disbursing, and enforcing assessment fees to preserve value in the community.  A copy of the VCA Restated CC&Rs (1987) can be obtained here.   

All homeowners and commercial property owners in Rancho Vistoso are members of the Vistoso Community Association (VCA).  As of February 2020, there are 70 residential neighborhoods and 42 commercial members (owning 62 parcels) within the Rancho Vistoso planned area development (PAD).  All residential and commercial members pay assessments to maintain VCA amenities and common areas.  

Twenty-one (21) neighborhoods also have neighborhood specific home owner associations (HOAs), referred to as sub-associations or sub-HOAs.  All gated communities and condominiums in Rancho Vistoso have sub-HOAs and pay additional assessment fees for the maintenance of amenities within their neighborhoods. *  These neighborhood sub-HOAs are subordinate to the VCA, meaning that each neighborhood must comply first with the VCA Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions (CC&Rs) in addition to their neighborhood HOA CC&Rs.  The sub-HOA CC&Rs may be more restrictive than the VCA CC&Rs.  As the “master” HOA, the VCA CC&Rs prevail in the event there is a disparity between the two sets of CC&Rs.  A copy of the VCA CC&Rs (1987) can be obtained here .   

Siena is a gated community that pays additional assessment fees for neighborhood amenities.  It does not have a sub-HOA.  The VCA administers finances and maintenance for the neighborhood.

The on-site office for Vistoso Community Association (VCA) or “master” association is located at:

1171 E Rancho Vistoso Blvd – #103, Oro Valley, AZ 85755

Office hours are 10 AM – 2 PM, Monday-Friday and is closed on holidays. All VCA board and committee meetings are held at this location, unless otherwise posted.  

Neighborhood specific home owner associations (HOAs), known as sub-associations (sub-HOAs), may use the VCA offices for sub-HOA board and annual meetings.  Availability is on a first-come/first-served basis.  To reserve meeting space, please complete reservation form or contact – Barbara Daoust at [email protected] or (520) 354-2729.  Meeting notices on the calendar also include the platform information.

NOTE: Sub-HOAs managed by FirstService should contact their management team at 520-354-2729.

Board meetings for the Vistoso Community Association Master HOA are typically held the 4th Thursday of the month at 5:30 PM at the Vistoso Community Association’s (VCA) office – 1171 E Rancho Vistoso Blvd – #103, Oro Valley, AZ 85755. Most board meetings typically last two hours or less. Please refer to Community Events Calendar to verify the time and location.  Meeting notices on the calendar also include the platform information

There are seven (7) director positions on the Vistoso Community Association (VCA) Board of Directors. One (1) position is designated for commercial property owners, one (1) for other than single-family property owners, and five (5) positions for single family property owners. To be eligible to vote a member must be in good financial standing with the VCA, e.g. current assessments and fines paid in full. 

The Vistoso Community Association (VCA) is a non-profit corporation. The board’s responsibility is to run the business of the corporation and has a fiduciary responsibility to it members. This duty includes timely collection of assessments as well as payments made for services provided to the VCA. Board members are the decision makers for the VCA. The Board of Directors is comprised of other than single-family, single family, and commercial property owners whose home or business is within the boundaries of Vistoso Community Association (VCA). All affairs of your association are governed by the Board of Directors.

Pursuant to the Bylaws: (including, but not limited to)
● Electing officers for the association
● Filling a vacancy on the Board of Directors
● Establishing committees
● Establishing rules and regulations for the association
● Enforcing the CC&R’s
● Preparing the annual budget
● Using and disbursing association funds
● Investing excess funds controlled by the Association
● Setting the Annual Assessment rate
● Contracting for services of the association (management, landscape, maintenance, etc.)
● Insuring the association
Pursuant to the CC&R’s: (including, but not limited to)
● Establishing an Architectural Review Committee
● Collecting assessments
● Establishing the standard of care for the maintenance of the common areas
● Interpreting the wording of all governing documents

There are many opportunities for members to support our community. You can run for the Vistoso Community Association (VCA) Board of Directors. Board terms are two (2) years. You also can volunteer to join a committee or a short term Ad Hoc committee. The committees are where the “heavy lifting” of the VCA occurs. The VCA Board establishes committees and appoints committee members as deemed necessary to carry out the duties of the association. Committees are empowered to execute and enforce the committee’s responsibilities as directed by the CC&Rs and shall advise the board on all matters pertaining to their committee. Looking for a way to invest in our community? Find the Volunteer Application HERE.

The VCA board needs operating funds for maintenance, repairs, and administration. In addition, the VCA needs to retain adequate reserve funds for major repairs or replacements of capital items.   Assessments maintain common areas and amenities such as the beautiful monuments at the entrance of the Rancho Vistoso community, the parkway along Rancho Vistoso Boulevard, the 11 VCA owned community parks and playgrounds, and miles of pedestrian trails and bicycle paths, to name a few.

The Vistoso Community Association (VCA) approved paint palettes can be viewed here: » Color Palettes In 2019, the VCA board approved a paint palette of 24 paint combinations. There are no longer color palettes for specific neighborhoods. Homeowners have the option of using any approved paint combination from the 24. The new palette contains many original paint combinations. Instructions on how to submit your architectural review form, go to Residential Info/Helpful Documents/Architectural and Landscape Review Request Form.

Any (ALL) exterior modifications or additions to your home or any (ALL) structural changes must have prior written approval from the Architectural and Landscape Review Committee (ALRC). For information, please complete an application and speak with office staff about your requested change(s). You should note that this approval process may take up to thirty days; therefore, do not schedule any construction work or purchase any equipment until written approval has been received.

A common area or amenity refers to all property leased, owned, or maintained by the VCA. This property is used for the benefit of the members. It may include but is not limited to: signs, fountains, statuary, buildings, recreation sites, tennis courts, landscaping, sprinkler systems, walls, open space, walking trails, parking lots, and medians.

Go to the Vistoso Community Association (VCA) home page and click on FirstService Portal. If you need additional assistance, please contact the VCA onsite office at (520) 354-2727.

Yes. All owners are mailed copies of the budget prior to the new year.   You can also access a copy on the website located here.  Additional copies are available through the Onsite management team. Contact [email protected] to request a current copy.   

The budget is established by the Board, with the assistance of the management company.

Your Community Manager can provide you with this information. However, your Association has an Annual Meeting where your Board of Directors discuss the financial aspect of the Association with the homeowners. Attending this meeting can be very enlightening and helps each homeowner understand the workings of their Homeowners Association.  You can also access a copy of the current budget here.

In order for the Board to accomplish the many tasks for which it is responsible, the association needs operating funds for daily maintenance, repairs, and administration. The Association also needs adequate Reserve funds for major repairs or replacements of capital items. As a member of the association, you are required to pay a share of the costs.

In addition to your Assessment, the Board may levy, in any assessment year, a Special Assessment on improved lots, only applicable to that year, only for the purpose of defraying, in whole or in part the cost of any construction, reconstruction, repair or replacement of a Capital Improvement on or which is a part of the Common Facilities, provided that any such assessment shall have the consent via a vote of the members at large.

Assessments and dues are both references to your mandatory monthly, quarterly, or annual assessments (whichever pertain to your community). Fees, on the other hand, are typically additional charges incurred by a member of the association who is delinquent in paying assessments or has violated the governing documents of the association.

Your Community Manager performs many tasks for your Association and sometimes these tasks require them to be away from the office. These tasks consist of but are not limited to: weekly inspections, meeting with vendors and Board Members and visiting with homeowners. There are also times when a Community Manager is in the office but is unavailable because they are on the phone conducting business with other homeowners, vendors, or Board Members. Please know that there are several alternatives to speaking directly with your Manager. You can log into the Homeowner Web Portal to view basic account information, verify your account balance or request a work order. The Client Solutions team is also available. We can be reached at Vistoso Community Association – [email protected] or (520) 354-2729.

Complaints should be submitted in writing to the Management company. Complaints must state the problem, identify the offending homeowner, and the date(s) of the offense(s). Just as in any court of law, the offender has the right to know who is complaining and what he/she is being accused of. He/she is also entitled to a hearing before the Board. Please be sure of your facts before filing complaints. Photos and videos are helpful.

Contact the Management Company. All requests for documents, account statements and resale certificates go through the Resale Department. If you are an owner, log into the Homeowner Web Portal and you can view a copy of the documents.

VCA CC&R’s are located here. By-Laws, here. You can find the Design Guidelines here.

Call Vistoso Community Association at (520) 354-2729, or visit the Homeowner Web Portal.
An email will be forwarded to the relevant department in order to update your information in our system.

As a property owner in Rancho Vistoso, you are encouraged to register in the FirstService Residential portal. When you create an account in the portal, you are asked for your email address. Once your account is active you will receive emails sent from Onsite staff which are instructive as well as informational on community events. 

We also encourage you to check back on the website frequently for updates and news.  The LATEST COMMUNITY NEWS CLICK HERE link on the home page takes you to current Community News and recent and archived Newsletters.

No. Unless the problem is one causing a common area problem or a direct violation, homeowner disputes should be settled between the parties involved. Your Board is not there to serve as referee between neighbors. In any community, whether governed by an Association or not, homeowners run into personality clashes, pet problems, and other neighborhood issues. Often, open communication can resolve the problems to the satisfaction of both parties with no hard feelings.

You can click here to view a brochure from the Town of Oro Valley Stormwater Utility and Pima County on how to properly drain your pool or spa.

Yes.  The community is surrounded by Sonoran desert and people can expect to see a variety of wildlife which include Javelina, Bobcats, Coyotes, Snakes, Deer, and an occasional Mountain Lion just to name a few.  Wild animals are venturing more and more often into urban areas and encounters can happen on a nature trail, walking the dog in your neighborhood, or even in your backyards.  Remember that feeding wild animals is illegal in most of Arizona, especially Javelina.  The best way to enjoy our wildlife is watching them from a distance.  The best source of information can be found at the Arizona Game & Fish website: https://www.azgfd.com/wildlife/livingwith/

The local Golder Ranch Fire District can help with rattlesnake removal by calling their office 520-825-9001 EX 0 and they will dispatch staff or calling 911 but stating that it is not an emergency.

For those interested in a more detailed list of animals found in our area, go to the following links:   Humane Society for Rattlesnake Avoidance Training; 520-327-6088, ext. 125 or www.hssaz.org to register, and the AZ-Sonora Desert Museum’s Website:  https://www.desertmuseum.org/members/sonorensis/sonorensis2006.pdf.

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