It's been an interesting week in Sun City, for sure. Some RCSC members are elated, some are angry and perhaps more curious might just be watching board members reactions. The Thursday board meeting imploded when Director Collins moved to remove his motion regarding the PAC being placed atop the greens at Lakeview. I've followed several Facebook pages where comments raged and ranged from elation to remarks about greedy lawn bowlers. Rumors circulate of board members vowing to get even for the betrayal of the bowlers being unwilling to give up the space for a double green at Mountain View. Stay with me here, because this thread will have little to do with bowlers or the PAC. Suffice to say, we have "world class greens" because for the better part of the past 15 years a very generous bowler continued to write checks to help subsidize the RCSC's costs. Best guess is just something south of a million dollars. As an RCSC board member, my job was not to be a shill for lawn bowling clubs or the greens they played on. When elected i made a point to leave my bias for the game outside the door. When i rose to speak about the PAC on the greens at the special session, it was not about lawn bowling. While some think that may not be true, i've always been a "big picture" Sun City guy. We are and hopefully always will be a "sum total of our parts." The new active way of life promised and promoted by DEVCO wasn't just clever marketing, it was what residents bought into. Everything from the Sun City players to the lawn bowling greens to the golf courses to the 100 plus clubs opened within the first 5 years all mattered. As we evolved, beyond the fun stuff, organizations spread as the greatest generation were knee-deep in volunteerism. They understood and embraced the tenets of accountability, responsibility and ownership of the self-governance concept. Building a sense of community was inherent in everything they did. Which is why our history is so important as we build for the future. At any moment in time we can pick decisions made that may have looked casual in nature, but from a historical standpoint made statements that shaped us and led us to this exact point we found ourselves in on Thursday morning at the Sundial auditorium. I know, some think it's hyperbole. I would respond, not even close. Generational decisions have been made time and time again by boards and members that have carved/forged the path we are on. With all due respect to the actions taken on Thursday, it wasn't the first time board members faced down hostility and in all likelihood, it won't be the last. Rather than just saying that, let me show you what i mean: * 1964: A vote by the membership was taken after being pushed by elected leaders for Sun City to incorporate and become a city. The proposal was defeated by a 2/1 margin. It never came up for a vote again. * 1973/1974: The battles over establishing a Sun City school district rather than taxes being levied by the Peoria school district were in full bloom. As lawsuits flew and anger rose, the infighting resulted in the county commissioners removing us from the Peoria school system. * 1983/1984: State and Federal statutes had changed regarding senior overlay (age restrictions being legal) and our deed restrictions had no mention of them. A group of residents joined hands and collected enough signatures to have the age overlay added for those 55 and older. Without that, we may well have gone the way of Youngtown (they never took that action). * 1998/1999: Arguably the most important decision made by an RCSC board came as the amenities were in serious need of being fixed and ultimately replaced. There was no funding mechanism in place and the board passed a motion to implement the Preservation and Improvement Fund (PIF). 2006-2010: The old Fairway rec center had aged badly. It was in serious need of renovation. All three of the Phase 1 centers were aging badly and one of the keys to revitalizing was building a new and improved center. The footprint was challenging and a decision was made to add a second floor. Highly unusual, but it allowed us the luxury of the space needed. It was a 5 year build out in two phases. They had to have the cash in hand so it was done in two parts. That remodel changed the way buyers viewed phase 1. Not every decision above was RCSC board driven. In fact, what it teaches us is the community in conjunction with the leadership from various organizations worked together to find solutions to the problems and challenges they faced. In almost every instance it came at/with the cost of open hostility. There's always at least two sides to every battle. Sun City residents are often quick to share their thoughts; at least the ones paying attention. Sadly, these days it's not like it was 50 years ago. I'll come back and finish my thoughts about the motion that came out of Thursday's meeting. The one made by Preston to advance from 2028 to 2025 the money earmarked for a comprehensive, strategic plan for what should happen at Lakeview when a remodel actually happens. I would argue loudly; That remodel will be, could be and should be a Generational decision that will set the course for Sun Cities next 50 years.
Let's start with some "useless information," that may well be pertinent to the discussion: In 1960, men could expect to live to age 66.6, on average, while women lived to age 73.1 (Figure 1). Between 1960 and 2015, male life expectancy increased to 77.0 years—a gain of about 10 years. Female life expectancy grew to 81.7 years— an increase of almost 9 years. You should note, the ages have increased since 2015. What is important is/was the Webb social experiment called Sun City that opened in 1960 was selling to seniors of retirement age, had a target market of potential buyers who were far closer to the end of their lives than the buyers coming today. It was why those who who helped shape Sun City told Webb to have everything in place and ready for them the day they moved in. It worked brilliantly as other communities in Florida promised buyers they would someday add the amenities. Over the years, seniors bought here because everything Sun City offered was already in place. Heck, when we bought our first home (1999) here it was based on what was already in place. We didn't look at Sun City and say, what more do i/we want. Around 2018 i was invited to join the just restarted long range planning committee. Within months Gary Osher and i were asked to write an overview of what Generation X (next home buyer group reaching retirement age) would be looking for based on the available data. I wrote the fluff part, Gary did the research that dug out two primary pieces of the puzzle: First they would be working later in life and second was the community would need to be technology advanced. Both should have scared the crap out of anyone looking to Sun City's future. Our technology was lame at best. Plus, most/many of our clubs were built around what most would consider normal working hours: 8-5 Monday-Friday. Some of the more forward thinking clubs expanded, many didn't. In most cases boomers and the greatest generation were comfortable with traditional schedules. Sadly, when we presented the report, it was posted on the RCSC website but it didn't have much impact. The status quo and staying cheap (affordable) was the primary driver of all things Sun City. Change in senior communities is always a tough sell. All of which is just my way of saying: We don't have the luxury of relying on the premise Generation X or Generation Y will be moving here based on what was popular for their parents or grand parents. Society is different, expectations are different and their needs/wants will follow that same logic. I would argue, we have made virtually no effort to understand what they will be looking for. I had the good fortune of sitting in on one the round tables working group coming off the RCSC/ASU survey. We had the luxury of numerous age groups and we had diverse and divergent ideas and ideals. It was exhilarating for me as i quickly came to understand, i'm not our future. I like what we have here; the choices, the variety and the numerous locations to do it all in. It was clear, that wasn't so much the case with the younger owners. My goal following that exercise has been to get out of the way and let those younger more vibrant new buyers carry the load. Sure, i pipe in with the history in the form of teachable moments but the future should be theirs to shape, not mine. All of which can be summed up in the exact reason behind this post: "Generational Decisions" is simply my way of saying whatever is decided for that massive 16 acres of land abutting Viewpoint lake, they better get it right. There's way too much at stake to be doing a half-assed job of what is build there. The very idea they would stick a building on a tiny portion with no more thought than a few board members meeting their goals/biases is frightening. We/the community deserves better. Big decisions deserve to be treated as such and certainly not based on the whims of a couple of board members who think they know what the next generation of home buyers want or need. We know buyers will live longer based on the mortality figures posted to start this piece. We should also be smart enough to know those of us fortunate enough to live longer aren't the future of our community. Please, do not screw up a "Generational Decision" by being shortsighted. Sun City is way better than that.
Why thank you Bill. Remember all the discussion around my nieces and nephews (all 40-55) most who live in Scottsdale and Phoenix did not want my home? They thought SC was depressing and said it reminded them of a place you go and wait to die? All the abuse I took for those statements. I told you they were active, liked to bike to their favorite coffee spot, go hiking and on and on. They like to be where the action is. And now you have had this amazing revelation. Lifes mysteries.
It would be wonderful if you could convince not the board, but also the majority of the population of that concept. Here’s a thought: the future no longer belongs to us! It belongs to our successors.
Bill, I wholeheartedly agree with you. The decisions our community faces are, in my opinion, the most important ones that will occur in Sun City during my lifetime. I can completely understand that our Board is action oriented. I am too. I would like to see us roll up our sleeves and put together a great master plan that will serve our community for generations to come. Other communities of similar age are doing the same. I disagree with the Board member who claimed it would cost $300,000 to $400,000 to complete. The data assembled by the SAC, when objectively organized will give the community a clear view of our recreational resources, trends and opportunities for improvement. Our volunteers have most of the skills necessary to analyze that data, but it would be helpful to work with an expert in recreational community urban renewal (if there is such a person). It would also be helpful to keep the group responsible for developing a DRAFT of the master plan small and unbiased. That is my two cents for what it is worth. Best Regards and God Bless, John
It seems to me, that what I'm kinda reading between the lines is, that some are thinking that us old farts just aren't really qualified to determine what the next and incoming generations really want? We grew-up in an entirely different time with B&W TV, party-lines, computers, hand-held calculators and men on the moon! I fear the next generation knows little about what Life use to be and was all about? They never experienced rotary dial phones, multiplication tables, phone booths, or even the coin-operated milk-machines down on the corner? Do they really? If you can get the upcoming generations to actually talk instead if text, get their heads out of their own "what's good for me," attitude, perhaps we would know what their interests would be. Until then, it's almost a fool's errand to try to have 75 year old senior citizens decide what the upcoming generations will want! Unfortunately, that appears to be the option we have, so we better pay attention! Just my opinion.
I freely admit i have no idea what the next generations of buyers will want. The challenge is we live in a bubble where everyone we know or hang with is old like us. The piece Gary and i wrote was a good starting point, but little more. I was thrilled by many of the comments made on the Facebook page i posted links to on this article. It was obvious many of those responding were younger/newer home owners and even in their short responses i saw things that gave me hope. We made a catastrophic mistake years back when we let the GM decide our future. In theory she was right; by taking the members out of the equation, she reduced every choice down to what her and a few board members felt was in our best interests. My best guess is she calculated boomers to be uninterested and that by streamlining our documents and eliminating committees, they could act more quickly and efficiently. What she failed to understand was big picture Sun City...you know, the sum total of our parts. As i have written often, had she been infallible like the Pope, it would have been an amazing journey. Instead we got board members who were arrogant enough to tell us point blank we didn't need a long range planning committee. Wait, it gets better; he told us further, "we had a long range planning committee, it was called the board." It was under his leadership the GM became almost God-like in her decision making process. The funny thing is, i didn't blame her, it was all on those of us on the board who let her do it. That was then, this is now. The board made several positive steps in the right direction the past year. That said, many of them still believe they know best what Sun City wants/needs. Take your pick: More pickleball courts (indoor/covered?), single use PAC (not meaning others can't use it, just limited due to fixed seating), indoor dog arena, more/less lawn bowling greens...they are all part of the rub. What do those pesky MV "elements" call for? I guess i am old school; i think Sun City should first and foremost be what we can afford...without forcing those living here to go broke financing their every whim. Every idea is a good idea (almost) if money was no object. That will simply never be the case in Sun City, we will always need be mindful on what anything we have or add will cost us. It's why i have been thrilled to see the change Budget and Finance committee work. Which is exactly why the Lakeview remodel will be "Generational decision." The board needs to get their stuff together, figure out the best path forward on Mountain View and get it moving. The Lakeview remodel should become an energizing event that rallies the community behind the prospect of setting our sights on the future. It also could serve as an incredibly powerful sales tool for attracting younger buyers who may want to add their two cents. Ben and i are in the process of setting up a life long learning class on how DEVCO sold Sun City. Let me just say; everything they did was pure marketing with an eye to the buyer being happy and satisfied.
Well said John and clearly our history tells us our community is filled with people who are truly gifted. When we became the "original fun city" we point blank told them we didn't need them. It was a classically tragic mistake for a community with organizations built around volunteerism. I noted some of your suggestions since leaving the board have tried to forge ideas and ideals around giving back to the community we love. Solid. I've long been of the mind when stuff gets stuck, tricky or even ugly, it really is a massive opportunity for growth and change. We both have said several of the changes made regarding budget and finance are huge improvements. In reality, that's just the start. I have heard the reaction by the board to last Thursday's meeting was to get angry and want to lash out. I don't know how true that is; i do know it's tragic if true. Our history is filled with butting heads and coming out the other side, better for it. The board needs a quick reset and refocus on resolving the Mountain View project. Now; not next week, next month or next year. Let me be more clear, i know they can't start tomorrow, they can release the "elements" we heard Tri-arc had developed for the MV so we have a starting point. I fear some will be disappointed by what they see, some will be excited. That's kind of the problem in Sun City; when you try and solve problems by taking stuff away from some and giving it to others you will always get push back. The newer factor is with lot assessments exploding, new buildings adding to those costs/increases are always going to be looked at with a jaundiced eye. We live in challenging times. I would argue the best thing the RCSC could do/should do is to begin to reshape that sense of community we abandoned over the years in our quest to become the "Fun City." The question really is, will they?
Giving a community a new ‘label’ or ‘tag line’ will not change the mindset of its residents. Sun City West tag line is “With our extensive amenities, events, clubs and activities, we’ve got something for everyone! ” The Villages tag line is “Active Retirement Community at its Best”. I was fortunate during my work life. For the most part I looked forward to going to every job. A couple had toxic environments, but you plow through when you have to pay the mortgage and feed yourself. Volunteering is a whole different scenario. Watching board meetings, reading blogs, seeing the board ignore members, it appears people want to volunteer for a board positions because they have a personal agenda to enact. This is not new. It’s been an issue for a long time, since 2001 when I came here and probably before that. Why, after working your whole life because you have to, would a person choose to put themselves in a toxic situation? I see volunteers in the clubs a lot, and at the hospitals. Two people on this site told me it was my duty (or something like that, I will look for that post) to volunteer in Sun City. No, it’s not. When I signed those home papers they did not say I must volunteer in order to live here.
One of the most important periods/decisions in Sun City's history was between 1968-1970. The reason i left it off the chart was it was made by DEVCO, not the community. When Sun City home sales stalled in 1964, there was the serious realization this project may be doomed...as the experts predicted. John Meeker came in and changed everything. He saw the potential of using every aspect of Sun City's new active way of life as a pure marketing venture/adventure. By 1968 the plans changed and the move north of Grand Ave happened. The hospital, the lake, the round recreation center coupled with gorgeous model homes on the lake frontage created an excitement and inertia that blew the doors off sales the first ten years. Take a look: First 10 years (1960-1969), roughly 8000 homes. Next 8 years (1970-1978) 17,000 homes. It was a staggering accomplishment by anyone's standards. One could argue, DEVCO's efforts were purely motivated by profit; and they were to the tune of over 170 million dollars. John Meeker, on the other hand, was fixated on building a sustainable community that would survive and flourish long after the company left. While marketing fueled the growth and sales, growing and building a sense of community was at the core of everything he did. They are lessons we should have embraced, and for years we did. Around 2006 we made a decision to shift gears. By then, baby boomers were the primary target for home sales. They came with a different set of values and expectations. The conventional wisdom argued they would not want to be as involved or committed as the greatest generation that came before them. While the RCSC had the luxury of unlimited budgets, they also had the choice of pulling members in, or pushing them away. The rest of the community organizations wasn't that lucky. We were built on and around volunteerism and without a commitment to those ideals we drifted. Losing our identity and replacing it with just moving here and having fun left a void across the community. While the RCSC thought it didn't matter, it did. Here's why: Along the way, we quit holding anyone accountable for outcomes. As the checks and balances in our documents were deleted, we also saw the move away from the value of committees and the commitment to let buyers know what they were buying into. It was designed to create a more flexible and operational organization that could pretty much do as they pleased. I watched in horror, not because i was smarter than anyone else, but because i know our history and how and why we were so successful. It made no sense to ignore the blueprint that worked for nearly 50 years and try and make us like the hundreds of other age restricted communities across the state and the country. But alas, we plowed forward on the belief this new game plan would be better. You can be your own judge; did the evolution work? Are we better off letting the GM and as she was leaving letting the RCSC board make decisions away from the maddening crowd? Judging on the current state of affairs, i know my answer. What's yours?
Very nice historical background Bill. I have lived out this way for 50 years, and have lived now in SC for almost 15 years. I agree that in the early days, more caution and consideration was given to what the membership thought. Because of the early work of John Meeker, ( Lakeview concept), it was truly a gorgeous dynamic and attractive amenity with a life-style that was created. We are not the same original place from my memory. When I first saw SC as a teenager moving here with my parents. I remember thinking how cool the place looked. I remember touring the sales office in the summer of 1974 with my parents. The sales office at that time ( now the nursing school that sits on the lake), I remember how mid-century it all was, and they had a huge model homes map in the sales office. It was all very exciting, and my parents were still not old enough to live here, so we just toured the place. I do remember saying to myself, I'm going to live here one day, and that happened. It is not the same because of all of the cultural changes, ( no more square dancing, no more Lawrence Welk concerts), believe it or not, he came here! The one thing I always loved and still do is the physical natural setting and beauty of this place. I live near Lakeview and that is why I feel that we just need to keep the natural elements of the place here. I also think we should think of MORE natural elements, maybe we can create as we continue to evolve. I'm sure it is not easy for any board to have to make changes, but I still think if we can keep the elements of our original concepts, not harming natural elements, but having careful and thoughtful modern changes, like Bill has mentioned, we can reflect something that isn't going to tear down and destroy some of our natural charms. Have a great day!
