I tried hard not to bring forth old ideas and suggestions. But, alas, there may be some viable, cost effective solutions at revisiting old ideas. The first is to purchase the entire center, land and all, at the southeast corner of Peoria and 107th. Make it a site for a theater. Perhaps place a few venues on the perimeter for small cafe and craft store. Just a theater, no other grandiose plans. It’s always cheaper to build new than to remodel an existing footprint. Keep the general need for a renovation of MV and Lakeview, just not to make it into a huge project. We have needs in the community for a useful tool for keeping members informed. Unless someone is going to monitor and contribute daily with the members on this new site, it will be just another website that will not provide a useful resource for communication. It would seem to me that bringing back a community newspaper makes more sense. There are still too many people who don’t have or don’t know how to use a computer, so relying on a website to be the focus for the audience here in Sun City is missing the point of being reachable to the membership. The newspaper does that, and I don’t feel the cost is so prohibitive as to not pursue this as a viable business model for the RCSC. Member outreach needs to be a priority, right now. Why is this still a topic of discussion when it was the same topic 10 years ago? Remodeling does need to happen but not with such grandiose plans and pie in the sky dreams. One of the reasons people buy here is affordable housing. But if the decline continues in home ownership and allows for more investors to buy up the homes then we are creating the best senior ghetto. The crime rate reflects an increased amount of issues, the amount of non-residents roaming around the area is a testament to the decline of the area and this will continue to create a vicious cycle of neighborhood decline decreasing property values. I for one, feel money does need to be spent, but not on grandiose remodeling but to keep the centers relevant, clean and safe. Bring events and social activities available to the community. Ice cream socials, local comedy series or poetry nights that are free just because you are a member of the community. There have got to be great ideas for social events folks want to attend and participate in. We need our sense of neighborhood back. If we build it, they will come. We need to build a better communication system to reach all of the people, not just those who have a computer or a smartphone. It is truly shameful what the former GM did to rob the residents of their community communication tools. The destruction of the lines of communication and community service is a loss that is severe and warrants immediate action and attention. Can the board see the need to see what has been lost and take action to restore the items that are in greatest need? Put aside huge projects and address the immediate needs that need to be met?? IT, community outreach, member involvement those are crucial items needing attention now. Sorry to say this, but these same things were critical 10 years ago. Age has not been kind to any of these items still needing attention.
Again, an interesting discussion and one that we need to/should be engaging in as we look to the future. I know people accuse me of being stuck in the past when i talk about Sun City's history. It's laughable on its face, one of the values of our history is really just teachable moments where we get to see what worked and what didn't. Anyone with a live and functioning brain cell knows history, when coupled with the factors of changing generations and evolving needs and wants should be capable of critical thinking allowing them to imagine a better/different tomorrow. I know, it's asking a lot. We all tend to live in the moment. When we first moved here, i wrote often short term planning was what we were doing this week while long term planning was what we would do next month. I came from an environment where we learned we can't stop change, we can learn to manage it. To do that, we must be willing to be open and objective about what we can do and what is beyond our reach and within our control. Which brings me to another interesting discussion i had with an incoming RCSC board member the other day. We were talking the shortcomings of not using social media to reach potential home buyers. I posted the other day, 77% of the Generation X use social media and we have elected to pretend the medium isn't important. Both of us were left scratching ours heads in disbelief. It is currently what it is, hopefully that will change. Anyway, we started talking about Sun City being perfectly positioned for our next growth spurt. First and foremost will be existing homes and the amazing array of styles and concepts. One of the challenges has been the growth of online realty models that drive property values up using algorithms. We have inflated valuations based on comps that in may cases are immaterial. Two exact homes on the same block can easily be $100,000 more in value simply because of updates. Local realtors who are hands-on and know the community are best situated to write an honest appraisal. Sadly, there are also realtors who just want the listing will price it at whatever the client wants...and then it sits there for weeks, months and in some cases years. It would be interesting to take the 500 properties on the market in Sun City and have a home appraiser do a current market evaluation. But alas, i drift, our future goes well beyond home pricing; that has and always will take care of itself. The old adage "it's only worth what it sells for is true." Nope, this discourse is about the community itself, what it is and what it should/could be. To go there, we need to start with our history and those first 18 years. On opening day weekend, January 1, 1960, there was a Safeway grocery store up and running. Our next door neighbors, Youngtown who opened in 1954, were delighted. After 6 years, they still didn't have a grocery store. They had a converted house that was their community center. Not much else. We also had the Hiway House Motor Inn and bar/restaurant. By the end of 1960, an addition was put on the Grand Ave shopping center and another restaurant was added. As the community grew, more strip centers were added, because simply put, we were pretty much in the middle of the desert (relative to Phoenix) and if DEVCO wanted to sell homes we needed to have it all locally. They marketed it that way, a small town in miniature. We needed to add them to fuel our growth and sale of homes That was then, this is now. But this has gone on longer than anticipated so let me take Sybil for a walk and come back and we can talk about "fine dining," shopping habits and future housing needs. Stay tuned.
For those following the bouncing ball known as age restricted communities, it's been an ongoing evolution. The two most similar are Sun City and Sun City West. The reality/comparisons are a little askew because after 19 years of Sun City, DEVCO/Meeker had learned some lessons and changed the script. The most obvious being the governing body (Rec Centers of Sun City West) having their CC&R's bundled with their membership and they had the ultimate job of adjudication for violations. For most it would seem insignificant. In reality, it was huge and became a change for all age restricted communities being built. It allowed the RCSCW to deny use of the facilities if their property was out of compliance. When everything was new, they let PORA send the initial letters. In the past 5 years, the RCSCW took back the administration entirely. Aging properties require more attention. In comparison, our home owners association, SCHOA, is free standing and has 100% of the obligation of CC&R enforcement obligation. That is a massive difference. The other thing about Sun City West, is they are more tightly developed with their retail locations. Even by 1980, shopping habits and trends had changed and most of their commercial development was in the center of the community. Johnson Rec Center was also in the middle and while they have other centers, they are smaller and more focused on their use. Meeker liked the idea of using a center hub with the spokes spiraling off from it. Sun City, based on when it was built, was more wide open spacing with the need to have strip malls on nearly every corner. It's one of the reasons we have more empty store fronts. While some see that as bad news, i consider it part of our evolution. I know the comment is we are land locked and there won't be any new homes built. I disagree. I may well not be around to see it, but our 3 private golf courses will all be forced to do something. We saw the plan at Union Hills combining town houses into the course and while i am sure those living on the course hate the idea, it is far better than seeing the course close and the whole thing becoming a housing development. The land the course sits on is worth 20 fold what the current owners paid for it. Here's the rest of the story; the tired old shopping center on Peoria and Del Webb Blvd could potentially house multi-story apt units. We know when land is scarce, the next option is to build up, not out. If we develop and maintain our amenities, that were the primary reason seniors moved here, building up will be more than likely. I hate to burst anyone's bubble about Gordon Ramsey opening a "fine dining" restaurant in LaRhonde Center or Macy's building a gorgeous retail store on 99th and Bell road, it ain't happening. While some harp about Sun City being DOA because of stores and restaurants leaving the community...it is happening all over the country. Online shopping habits and trends have changed; everywhere. It's also why looking at the next generation of home buyers is so freaking important. Generation X is coming and they will be working later in life than boomers who lusted after early retirement. Just because they will be working doesn't mean they won't want what Sun City offers. It's why we have to get our technology up to speed and beyond. It's why clubs and perhaps fitness centers need look beyond conventional hours. It's why we need listen to what they are saying. And to be really clear/blunt, they will be more mobile and more willing to drive to nice restaurants, bars and venues sitting just outside our white walls. We aren't in the middle of the desert and longer and we are only 15 minutes away from a multitude of options. A few of us have been preaching this for years, mostly it has fallen on deaf ears. Our structure of revolving door board members coupled with GM's having their own agenda has resulted in short sighted efforts on too many fronts. Realistically, the RCSC has no ability to impact what happens in vacant centers. Where they can make a massive difference is to help shape and drive that sense of community that made us unique. While some think 2024 was a good year for that, i would argue it was a disaster. I guess everything ultimately is in the eyes of the beholder.
I don't recall anyone saying a fine dining restaurant or Macy's will be building anything here. It was nice when we did have restaurants to choose from though. A person can only eat so much cafe food. As far as internet shopping it's good for some things, however clothes and shoes are a different ball game. It was nice to have Drapers and Bon Worth's and the other little specialty shops. It gave SC a resort type feel. Most of our strip malls are dead in the water. Agree Bell and Grand is about 15 minutes away with a lot of shopping. There is Home Depot, Walmart, Petsmart etc and a ton of fast food. For a nice dinner, a good steak or seafood we pretty much have to go to Scottsdale or Phoenix. You keep mentioning future generations. I would actually like to know who really wants to invest their money here in Sun City for GenX and Millennials to enjoy, ignoring the boomers who live here now. Maybe those that have kids who will inherit their home, but do they want to live here? Are home sales enough or will the PIF be raised again? We can't go back to the cute place this was. Too late for that. What I do know is the number of residents complaining about costs is going up. There are more than you think who will not be able to afford the assessment anymore. My neighbor can't afford golf now, and that was his only enjoyment here. He and his buddies can only go play after 3pm due to rates. At least that gives him time to play 9 before it gets too dark. 10% of Sun City residents are living below poverty level now, and 17% of homes are rentals. Crime is nuts, and yes, it's that way all over however SC being a senior only community is like having a target on our backs. Maybe it's just me, but instead of trying to figure out what the next generations will want how about listening to the folks that live here now? Or was the ASU survey just for grins? I am not sure what happens after we die but if I were a betting person my money is on we won't care about any city or what it has or doesn't have.
It is most compelling to see what can be done short term to affect a positive outcome for the residents of the community. First, let’s rebuild the community newspaper and utilize it to inform the community about happenings and events that can indeed create a sense of community. Create positive outcomes through local events that members will want to come to. Look at ways to engage the members to want to participate. How about bringing back the travel office that offered tours and trips to the members? That is an amenity that I truly miss. There was a cost to participate but was always well worth the expense. Neighborhood revitalization needs to be looked at. Adding trees. Bike paths along some of the golf cart paths, making it easier and more attractive to the outside using the green space that the is an abundance of. Golfers will hate the idea, but sharing access with others will create a much more natural and sustainable environment for many more residents. The green space is paid for by all the residents, yet it remains inaccessible to most of us. Let’s repurpose the green space for others to enjoy and help create a more inclusive usage of the space. I know this will not set well with the golfing community, but unless the golfers want to ante up the full cost of maintaining the courses, I feel these areas should be shared with the whole community. The website is a great resource but who will maintain it so it’s relevant and timely? A newspaper, a travel office, and a schedule for shared green spaces is not going to cost millions and can be setup rather quickly. I already know the golfers will fight for the courses, but too much green space and not enough access for the rest of us who pay for the courses and have nothing to show for it. For those who live on courses, better to have a few days of walking and biking or turned into more housing, probably multi-family setting. This is an urgent need to address, for an IT problem that needs immediate attention to trying to solve the many issues facing this community. These same problems were glaring 10 years ago and nothing was done. To continue to ignore the many problems we face is to say no one cares about the immediate and long term needs that demand solutions, and building a theatre at some outrageous cost should not even be on the perview. There’s far more important issues than building a theatre needing board and community support and action. How about creating a community development office to help entice small businesses to find a sustainable business model and be supported through the RCSC? The RCSC controls the space and can easily allocate small scale space for a coffee shop, restaurant, or other business space that helps support the community. This isn’t rocket science, it’s a matter of saying we want our community back and this is how we want to do it
The one person that needs my deepest gratitude is Jean Totten. She has worked tirelessly on this new website and because of her dedication and commitment,,the new website will be a great addition to the community. Jean has tackled so many challenging community items, and I am so very thankful and grateful for her dedication. While I have made comments about the website, I am so excited for a new option to help the computer community in Sun City. Most grateful for all of your time and dedication to this community, it’s most important to acknowledge all of your contribution for our benefit.
SCG - Thank you for the very kind words ,but I have not had anything to do with the new website (other than raise awareness of it recently because it is partially broken). And that's a whole other thread! I have continued to try and rally Members wherever I can since I resigned from the Board, however. Thank you again, SCG.
[QUOTE="Local realtors who are hands-on and know the community are best situated to write an honest appraisal. Sadly, there are also realtors who just want the listing will price it at whatever the client wants...and then it sits there for weeks, months and in some cases years. It would be interesting to take the 500 properties on the market in Sun City and have a home appraiser do a current market evaluation."[/QUOTE] Bill, homeowners sometimes have unrealistic expectations given their attachment to the home (especially those that have lived in the home for an extended period of time), so I wouldn't necessarily be pointing the finger in the realtors direction. Where that can happen is when realtors price homes too low for quicker sale and commissions. That's the worse tragedy. Prices can always be lowered if they don't sell. I think the reason homes aren't selling in Sun City has a way different root cause than the pricing strategy. I have friends that have sold in a few days (closing in a few days) in other communities because of the amenitities and how well the community is taken care of by management both fiscally and in maintenance. That, in my opinion, is a huge problem we are trying to course correct in our community. As for appraisal - difficult because of the age, vast difference in home conditions and locations - those differing factors play a huge role.
