Greetings from the Board – July 2024

I hope you are enjoying your summer wherever you are.  This month I am providing a brief update on what is happening in your Rancho Vistoso community.

How about all that rock! 

We are nearly finished with three years’ worth of delayed rock projects.   At the completion of this project 6,028 tons of granite will have been installed in ten common areas of the community.  Upon completion we will be all caught up on gravel replacement in the reserve study.

Water Savings

1. Major irrigation repairs along Innovation Park Dr. and Desert Fairway have been completed by AAA Landscape. This project included a repair to approximately 2,100 linear feet of irrigation line along Innovation Park Dr and about 2,300 linear feet on the north side of Desert Fairway Dr between Toucan Dr. and W Sand Rake Dr.  This work will save significant amounts of water that had been lost due to system leaks, 
2. The refurbishment of the VCA monuments on each side of the Tangerine and Ranch Vistoso Boulevard is underway.  We have started the process of removing the Bermuda grass replacing it with decorative rock and boulders.  We will remove the golden barrel cactus that are blocking the Rancho Vistoso signage and install new lights for the monuments.  This project is anticipated to save the Vistoso Community Association about 657,000 gallons of water annually.  We anticipate this will save the association about $46,000 per year.

Parking Legislation

The Arizona legislature passed House Bill 2298 last year and it has been signed into law by the governor.  As a result, the Vistoso Community Association is compelled to conduct a vote on whether we want to enforce our HOA rules of no overnight on street parking or have this enforcement authority default to the Town of Oro Valley.  Our VCA streets were designed with no overnight parking in mind, and they simply are not wide enough for cars, RV’s, boats, trailers, etc. to be safely parked on the street.  Emergency vehicles will have a difficult time navigating through all that congestion when “seconds count.”  The May 2024 VCA Newsletter Did You Know Topic provides more information on this matter.

While this law will only impact the public streets in our communities (private streets in gated sub-associations are excluded) all the VCA membership will be provided the opportunity to vote.  A ballot item on whether to continue VCA enforcement of overnight parking on public roadways in our community will be include on the ballot for your 2025 Board of Directors prior to the March 2025 Annual Meeting.  I will continue to provide you updates as we get closer to this critical vote.

Snapshot – July 2024

If you missed the June 27, 2024, Board of Directors meeting, here are the highlights of the Manager’s Report. The next Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for July 25, 2024.

Board Vacancy
Currently there is a vacant position on the board in the Other Than Single Family category. The board will be making an appointment from this voting category at the June 27, 2024, meeting.

Rancho Vistoso Blvd. Streetlights
The VCA owned streetlights were shut off along RVB in March. The board is exploring options for the removal and disposal of the poles. Anthony Martin from AZ Project Solutions will be discussing costs for pulling the copper from the system at the June 27th meeting. Hard wire and solar lighting proposals are being sought at the neighborhood monuments for Las Colinas, Sunset Ridge and Vistoso Highlands that were tied into the streetlighting system.

Entryway Monuments
Materials for the RVB & Tangerine Monument Project have been ordered. A pre-construction meeting was held on June 12. The project’s focus is to reduce water consumption. Granite and boulders will be installed in the turf area along with low voltage lighting and plantings. Territorial Sign Company has completed refreshing the monument signs at RVB & Oracle, RVB &
Tangerine, and RVB & Vistoso Highlands.

Capital Projects

Irrigation – The irrigation repairs along Innovation Park Dr. and Desert Fairway have been completed by AAA Landscape. This project included a repair to approximately 2,100 linear feet of irrigation line along Innovation Park Dr and about 2,300 linear feet on the north side of Desert Fairway Dr between Toucan Dr. and W Sand Rake Dr.

Granite Replenish Project – This project is about 80% completed. Hohokam Park has been signed off and punch lists have been developed for Sunset Ridge, Wildlife Ridge Parks and Woodshade Trail. The following locations were included in this project.
➢ Common areas bordering Innovation Park Drive between Rancho Vistoso Blvd & Tangerine
➢ Common areas bordering the perimeters of Bella Vista, St Andrews Ph1 & Ph2
➢ Eastern corner of Innovation and Rancho Vistoso Blvd
➢ Common areas tracts at Horizons & Vistoso Heights
➢ Common area tracts bordering streets (W Moore Rd, Rancho Vistoso Blvd, Arrowsmith, and Woodburne Ave) throughout neighborhood 7
➢ Wildlife Ridge Park
➢ Hohokam Park
➢ Sunset Ridge Park
➢ Woodshade Trail – Sunset Ridge Park to Rancho Vistoso Blvd
➢ Big Wash Park

Concrete Repairs – Bids will be reviewed and considered by the board at the June 27 meeting for common areas throughout the community and two areas within Siena.
Tennis Court Resurface Project – Received signed contract from APEX and waiting for a scheduled date from the contractor. New nets for both courts and windscreens for the east and west side of the court are on order.

Playground Equipment – Wood chips for the playgrounds at Hohokam, Somerset and Sunset Ridge Park will be refreshed. Three playground panels will also be replaced at Hohokam Park.

Drainage Projects
➢ Big View Ct. Channel – Two proposals have been received. WLB will provide additional details to bidders to assist in getting proposals to meet the scope and requirements of the project.
➢ 27 Mile – WLB has completed the design changes to the plans at the Town of Oro Valley’s request. They will be presented to the Town for final review and approval.
➢ Bridal Veil – Bogardus Engineering is expected to have the revisions to the Town of Oro Valley for review by the end of June.

Builder Transitions
➢ The Town of Oro Valley still holds the Pulte bond for the west side of Moore Loop Road. Pulte has begun to work on the drainage area along Moore Loop Rd and inside Valley Vista neighborhood.
➢ The agreement between Mattamy and the association for turnover of the Moore Loop Park has been executed.

Did You Know – July 2024

Interesting facts about Arizona:

Arizona is home to one of the “seven natural wonders”

If you’re looking for Arizona cool facts, you’ll be happy to find out that it’s the home of one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Grand Canyon is a natural marvel that is one of a kind on Earth.

Arizona’s official state bird is the Cactus wren

If you’re looking for a list of Arizona state symbols, don’t forget about its state bird. The Cactus wren is native to the area and became a symbol for the state in 1931. Since the bird is endemic to Arizona, no other state can claim it. Cactus wrens are vivacious little birds with a unique song you can hear when they’re nesting in the spring.

There are 22 Native American tribes in the state

Though the Navajo are one of the most well-known Native American tribes in Arizona, they’re far from the only one. Currently, there are 22 officially recognized tribes in the state. These tribes are spread all over the state. The Navajo Nation reservation spans multiple state territories, but so do the Colorado River Indian Tribes and the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe.

The Sonoran Desert is one of the hottest places in the USA

Between the Mojave and the Chihuahuan deserts, you’ll find the Sonoran Desert. This stretch of over 86 thousand square miles of land is often claimed to be the hottest desert in the US. The average temperatures vary between 39 and 107 degrees Fahrenheit during the year. However, due to the lack of shade, it can often feel much warmer.

Members Corner – July 2024

Tis the Season for Political Signs

They are popping up all over! The state of Arizona, the Town of Oro Valley and the Vistoso Community Association want to ensure that free speech is protected as well as safety and the right of way of citizens.

You can find the VCA requirements for signs placed in your yard in the Architectural and Landscaping Review Guidelines on page 21.

Arizona Law 16-1019 allows candidate campaign signs to be placed in the public right-of-way (ROW), unless it creates a hazard to public safety, obstructs clear vision in the area, or interferes with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Town of Oro Valley permits political signs in Public Rights-Of-Ways if it is 71 days or less before the date of the Primary Election. Political signs must be located within one of the Temporary Sign Zones if it is more than 71 days before the date of the Primary Election.

Under Oro Valley Town Code 10-1-41 – It is unlawful for any person to willfully or maliciously deface, pull down, change the placement of, or in any manner break or destroy any election sign which is placed in an approved location within the Town of Oro Valley.

Please remember to be respectful and to vote!