SAY NOA TO HOA: Where have all the architects gone?

Residential developments are springing up all over southern Pima county. Some will have more private property than others. Yet, even so, it’s look alike housing that is coming along.
One of the new developments includes almost 400 one acre lots, but the buyer can only choose one of four possible home designs. He can not design his own passive solar home. There are no opportunities for architects as the home blueprints are already set in concrete. These are properties that will sell for approximately $400,000. and up. The whole scene reminds me of what Henry Ford said, “you can have any color car you want as long as it is black.”
The sales office at this particular development is surrounded by chain link fence and barbed wire. One has to wonder what kind of protective fencing will be needed around the new homes, especially the first ones when it may not be financially feasible to hire security services.
Each of these homes will have its own septic tank. How much of each acre will be needed for a leach field? Of course, the developer will want to turn everything over to an HOA as quickly as possible so he can move on to another project and no longer be around if things don’t work out as planned. Major expenses for the owners will include security services and street maintenance.
And where is the nearest supermarket or even a great restaurant? At the April 10 city council meeting, two members expressed their concerns that commercial support for all of the residential housng inhabitants will not be adequate. If it is not, Sahuarita becomes little more than a bedroom community for Tucson. Furthermore, it is likely to be a bedroom community in which service workers cannot afford to live. Let’s hope the regional transportation plans get the full green light on May 16th.
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A sense of anticipation runs high in Sahuarita now. Many promising plans are on the horizon. It looks as though the new hospital is a go project. Any expansion of the high school may focus on science and medical course preparation. It may be that there will be good advanced education financial support for those qualified graduates who decide to pursue careers in the medical or related fields. Knowing that there may be good career opportunities should motivate students if they also see that their school courses are relevant to their future and that there will be jobs for them.
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Some key questions: Will the new planned town center actually become the commercial core of Sahuarita? Or will the rapidly expanding commercial development along Duval mine road be the real commercial corridor? Will the Green Valley mall die a natural death or will the building height restrictions there be relaxed so that mall becomes economically feasible for new commercial development?
What are the chances of getting a Trader Joe’s?
Will the town center including city government offices and retail businesses have adequate parking?
Is residential housing directly above commercial businesses a compatible mix?
The city council is listening and it is working hard to build a better Sahuarita. Let’s hope they and we succeed. Living in a bedroom community is boring.