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To the Superstition Mountain Community,
As financial stewards for the community, the HOA Board attempts to maximize the efficiency of every dollar of your assessments that we collect. We review budget performance monthly, publish those results on our web page, do a full budget analysis and plan on an annual basis.
One area of special consideration has been the age and associated challenges of maintaining the putting park located in Golden Eagle. As some of you are aware, those putting greens and surrounding grasses are a community asset maintained through Master Assessment dollars. The greens are located in Golden Eagle, but paid for by the entire community, as are all similar grass areas throughout the community including at Wildflower, First Water and others.
The original greens are now 25 years old and have experienced many of the same challenges as the Golf Club’s greens which are currently being replaced. The existing greens are maintained through a contract with the Club’s agronomy staff. The Association currently pays approximately $3,000 per month for this contract. The remaining areas in the park are maintained via a separate contract with our landscape vendor (DLC). Because we have two separate grass systems, we also have to maintain two separate irrigation systems, which is both costly and complex to manage. The total annual maintenance cost for the combined park is $70,000 - $90,000, depending on chemical, water use, and special needs.
Because the golf club is changing to a different grass for their new greens, it will be more difficult for them to support the putting park. Based on the age-related complications we have experienced in the last five years, the Board undertook a complete review of options to maximize the usage of the area while minimizing financial and water resources.
Our first step was to have the existing greens analyzed and evaluated by a USGA turf expert. His findings included:
- The existing greens were in decline due to age and other factors, and replacement or removal should be prioritized. As reported, a significant increase in maintenance practices would not be expected to yield significant improvements.
- The combination of homes, trees, the water feature and poor/ conflicting irrigation needs causes a humid environment, and the greens are more susceptible to disease, and difficult to maintain.
- The irrigation system is 20-plus years old and is near the end of its useful life.
At the same time, we asked several synthetic turf vendors to analyze the area and suggest options.
Finally, we asked our landscape consultant to work with our landscape vendor to suggest options.
From these materials, the Board considered three options for the park:
- Replace the existing greens with new grass in line with the Club's conversion;
- Replace the existing greens with several synthetic turf greens; and
- Convert the entire area to green space with landscaping improvements.
To be clear, the proposed changes deal with the putting greens themselves. The water feature/ stream that runs through the park will remain untouched.
The Board also took into consideration that the area experiences almost no usage as a putting park despite multiple years of promoting an annual putting league. Over the last 25 years, the community has demonstrated a strong preference for utilizing the club facilities for golf. Based on this information, the Board placed a higher priority on visual appeal like green grass rather than functionality, like putting surfaces with minimal use.
The financial implications of the alternatives are significant.
Removing and replacing the existing greens with new greens similar to the Club's would cost between $350,000 - $400,000. In addition, if we build new greens, we are committed to an annual maintenance cost, which we estimate at $70,000 - $90,000; or approximately $115 per homesite, per year. The total cost over a 20-year life (when we would again have to consider replacing greens) would be $1,500,000 - $1,600,000 million dollars.
The cost to convert to synthetic greens is approximately $300,000. Synthetic greens do not saddle us with substantial maintenance costs but they have significant visual drawbacks to some people, would require replacement in 10-12 years, and they would require huge seams if built to our size requirements.
The cost to convert entirely to green space is $250,000-300,000. In addition, we would be able to convert to a single, more efficient, and environmentally sound irrigation system. Likewise, this option has substantial visual appeal and does not saddle us with the annual maintenance costs. This option is $1,300,000 - $1,500,000 cheaper than building new greens over the next 15-20 years.
The Board made a full presentation of these options at our Annual Meeting this spring. We solicited comments and suggestions, but none were forthcoming at the meeting.
Based upon the overwhelming financial implications of the alternatives, the fact that very few people use the existing greens, and all of the issues facing us with future water usage, your Board voted unanimously to replace today’s putting greens with green space to be enjoyed by the entire community. This will be a significant upgrade to the existing appearance and include new sod and irrigation, setting the foundation for the next 20 years.
Commensurate with the Board's action, and in consideration of some resident's concerns, the Board committed to a 120-day waiting period before implementation. This 120-day period has now elapsed, and no alternative solutions have been suggested. Therefore, starting this month, we will begin the project to beautify the park in Golden Eagle and make it another well-maintained green space for our entire membership to utilize.
Sincerely,
Your Board of Directors
Gerry Byrne Scott Johnson
Steve Campbell Susan Hladky
Bill Tibbitt Bill Koffel
Lynn Johnston Michael McCarty
Kathy Braun
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