Dear Editor,
On April 27, 2017, one of our homeowners in Del Webb at Rancho Del Lago discovered that Pulte Homes had signed an agreement with landowners Vail Valley Joint Venture (VVJT) on October 21, 2016, to share a private Del Webb street and gate under construction in the last phase of our private gated 55+ active adult community.
Del Webb homeowners also discovered that in January 2017, VVJV sold blocks 27 and D to Meritage Homes for 3.1 million dollars, and Meritage intends to build family homes on these blocks. This would put family homes behind the Del Webb gate on Sandy Lake Drive south, putting families with children right in the midst of our 55+ senior community. These homes also would not belong to Del Webb’s HOA (homeowners association), would not pay our $157 a month Del Webb dues, and, would not have to follow our Del Webb CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions).
Two of our Del Webb homeowners talked to our community manager Ken Inskeep, and he confirmed in an email that Pulte was indeed planning to share Sandy Lake Drive, a private Del Webb street, and a Del Webb gate with a non-55+ family community to be built by Meritage Homes. Pulte said nothing about this agreement for over 6 months until Del Webb homeowners discovered the truth for themselves and they were forced to confirm it.
This plan would open up the Del Webb streets on the south side of our community to families with children. There is a huge liability issue of having children walking, running, riding their bicycles, skateboarding, etc., on our private 55+ only Del Webb streets. Our community liability insurance status, and our individual homeowner’s insurance would certainly change. A lawsuit possibly resulting if a child got hurt on our streets or common areas would threaten the financial stability of our Del Webb HOA, which is responsible for maintaining our lodge, pools, tennis and pickle ball courts, private streets and common areas.
There is also the health issue. My wife (as well as many others in our community) has a compromised immune system, thus having a lowered resistance to illness, infection, and disease. This is a major reason we bought into Del Webb, to have living quarters in a private, gated community that is separated from the general population. We have already reared and raised our family and want to live out our remaining years in a quiet, peaceful community. The children and grandchildren of many of our senior homeowners do occasionally visit, but otherwise, except for the occasional party, our Del Webb community is quiet and peaceful.
260 Del Webb protesting homeowners were at a meeting on Friday, May 5th with Bruce Friedman, the president of our Pulte controlled HOA. Bruce and Sam Mills, another Pulte employee, tried unsuccessfully to defend this plan. Many Del Webb homeowners, including myself, have organized, written letters, sent emails, sought legal advice and made phone calls protesting this plan. Finally, on May 11th, Bruce Friedman sent an email to the Del Webb homeowners stating that Pulte has begun meetings with Pima county on possible solutions, and stated that it will offer a “full array of options” at a Del Webb community meeting, which had been scheduled for Tuesday, May 23rd but has been cancelled because Pulte said they’re not ready to present their options to us. A Pulte official also stated that work on the gate agreement with Meritage has been halted for the time being.
It’s obvious to us Del Webb homeowners that the best possible solution is for Meritage to build 42 active adult 55+ homes on block 27 and make them part of Del Webb. One Pulte official suggested this to the president of Meritage, but he brushed off the suggestion stating he didn’t want to compete with Pulte. The only other possible solution is to add additional gates to the Del Webb sections of Sandy Lake Drive to keep our Del Webb community private.
Del Webb at Rancho Del Lago is over 10 years old, starting off as a K Hovnanian Four Seasons gated 55+ active adult community. It became a Del Webb gated 55+ active adult community when Pulte purchased it in 2009. We have about 470 homes, and 726 homeowners. When construction is complete or near complete, the HOA will be handed over to the homeowners and we will have to deal with whatever Pulte hands us. There is no end to the list of problems and issues that go along with this Sandy Lake Drive agreement.
Again, the only apparent solutions that I can see are for Meritage to build 55+ homes on block 27 that become a part of Del Webb, or to sell block 27 to Pulte to build Del Webb homes (best solutions), or for Pulte to gate the Del Webb sections off Sandy Lake Drive. Goodwill sells homes, and Pulte, Meritage, and VVJV have not been generating any of it here, just the opposite. It’s way overdue for all parties to start working with the Del Webb homeowners for the best solution.
Sincerely,
Victor Boranian, Homeowner, Del Webb at Rancho Del Lago
