With an overflow crowd in attendance at last evening’s Developer’s Forum, Del Webb’s General Manager Chris Haines must have suspected that something was up. The tension was obviously building as residents finished the forum by peppering Chris with this or that, mostly personal issues. In his cool and deft manner, Chris was ready with an appropriate response, or a “no,” “don’t know,” “wait and see,” or, more typically, “see me or a member of our team and we’ll look into the matter.”

 

But then all of a sudden it happened. Someone dropped the one pressing community issue that most in attendance were reluctant to address, but understood only too well. Interestingly enough, it would not be our “land-locked” situation that Favil West had once lamented, nor our pending traffic or safety issues. No, it would be an even more pervasive issue, something much more down to earth, literally as it turned out, something we could touch and even experience for ourselves. Chris was totally unprepared to pick up on this one, ready to move on to the next question, but there it was out there for everyone to hear, and in this case, to visualize, if not to sense that all too familiar whiff. The problem needing our desperate attention was the presence, seemingly spread throughout the community, of uncollected dog feces, as that lovely lady described it. OK, we thought, it's out there--we all understood the need and hopefully she was through. Oh how we were wrong.

 

Our dear presenter was in no way satisfied in merely shaming those animal owners who fail to pick up after their pets. No, indeed, as she came prepared to help by example those offending pet owners. The audience was then presented with a very precise demonstration of the technique needed to collect and secure dog poop using a small plastic baggie over the hand, then, after executing the delicate pick-up, the bag to be rolled back over the you know what and then secured. With completion of that demonstration, Mr. Haines and the audience was relieved and moved to roundly applaud her efforts.

 

As to what matters or issues brought so many residents out for this event was unclear. By a show of hands, it looked as if only about 10% of the crowd were new residents. Before introducing his team of speakers, covering sales, land development, construction, and customer relations (service), Chris Haines had the opportunity but did not address any important community matters. To those who came out to hear Mr. Haines announce efforts to mitigate our traffic concerns or to provide the community with a “win-win” solution to our entrance and egress issues, they would be disappointed.

 

In the absence of any such announcements, at least we had the opportunity to hear the familiar drill and learn from the assembled team of DW program managers, to ask some questions, and to enjoy some nice coffee or a soda with an assortment of very delicious cookies, topped off with the promise of a prize if we could endure the evening. Numerous valuable prizes, typically $25 gift certificates for retailers such as Home Depot, Vons, Olive Garden, etc.) were given out to those lucky raffle ticket holders.

 

Some of the evening’s highlights included the following:

 

• With about 5,100 homes sold, there are about 2,000 to go, bringing Sun City’s home building operations to a close sometime in 2007.

• Houses are currently being built at a rate of 2 per day, which is roughly 25% lower than in previous peak production years, reflecting a drop off in sales.

• Sales are expected to increase gradually throughout the year, reaching, according to those in the business who make such determinations, previous norms by the end of the summer.

• No new model park is planned and no price reductions are anticipated. In fact, there has been a very nominal across the board price increase. There are no incentives being offered except on inventory or field models.

• The third recreation center complex is still targeted for completion in 2006, with design efforts to include community input in a manner similar to the second recreation center building (RAC).

• A question concerning the location of a promised “pet park” was deferred to a future community-based committee looking into the third recreation center complex. 

• Grand opening of recreation center building 2 is scheduled for late March. Their billiard room will be equipped with 10 tables! For an informative on-site preview of what’s to be included, watch Ch. 99 at 12, 3 and 6 pm.

• DW will not construct, as they have done elsewhere, a covered passageway between the new and existing recreation center building for use by those looking or needing to avoid the sun or the rain in inclement weather. “Cost” was given as the reason.

• Why wasn’t recreation center #2 placed in a more community-useful location away from Anthem Center? Mr. Haines did not have a satisfactory answer for that decision other than to say that it was done pursuant to community input (possibly alluding to negotiations with the core group).

• Chris Haines appeared receptive to providing the Anthem Center with automated handicapped access.

• In response to a question about our now dormant water works displays, Mr. Haines asked that we wait a while until they have completed their talks with local officials. He said that he is looking forward to reaching a “win-win” solution that will meet the needs of all concerned parties.

• Condominium development is currently underway just south of Anthem Center and another similar development, although still planned for in Solera, has yet to be formalized.

• That ugly steel framed structure rising on the hill above and behind Walgreen’s and the fire station is a storage facility. Although a wall is planned, it’s difficult to imagine that the planned wall will be of sufficient height (not disclosed) to distract from the site of that building.

• On improving cell phone reception and imposing cell towers, residents were referred to Monday’s Resident’s Meeting at 7 PM in the Anthem Center, January 24^th.

• DW will be placing a sales trailer for Provence across the street from Anthem Highlands.

• And, finally, it was announced that Sales Manager Jim Bond will be retiring in February, most likely to Arizona, where his new wife is from.

 

Ron Johnson, 1-20-200