President’s Report – June 2023

As published in The View, June 2023:

Jerry Conrad
President

Hello, neighbors.

I started writing this article and thought to myself, do I want this to be more social in content or more about Sun City Shadow Hills business? Business won out.

What is happening at the Big Ditch at Avenue 40 and Jefferson? What I can tell you is the Association is in negotiations with CVWD on a disputed issue over agreements made when our community was built. The Board is working towards a positive outcome.

Last month CVWD discovered utility lines running under Jefferson during initial digging. The City of Indio directed CVWD to halt the digging in that area until a new plan is created. There will be no work on our side of the street until approximately the end of August. The goal is to get this work finished as soon as possible.

Next on the agenda is the proposed 1,500-home Pulte project set to be built across the street from Shadows Restaurant. This project is in its early stages. The City has not received an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to date. Your Board will be communicating with both the City of Indio and Pulte through our City Development Coordinating Committee. This project is particularly important to the Association as there are several issues which need to be resolved.

First, Pulte wants to put either a light or a roundabout at the entrance to Shadows. We oppose both. Second, Pulte proposes putting an unsightly electric substation on Jefferson. We oppose that. And most important, there is a proposal to run a sewer line south through our community to allow for a larger diameter pipe for the new community. Obviously, we will defend our rights aggressively. The Board will keep you informed as this project moves forward. Visit our website, www.scshca.com, for the latest updates regarding the proposed Pulte project.

These are the highlights, but I can assure you all that there is much more going on that has our attention:

  • How much do we water our golf courses? Too wet, too dry? What course conditions would our golfers like to see improved?
  • Reviewing the DRC rules. This is a very touchy subject as it affects every homeowner living in SCSH.
  • Will we have a charity golf tournament this year, or can we find another way to support charitable organizations? I’ve asked Troon to consider ways to generate money for charity without having to close the golf course and Shadows for a day. It appears that this may be possible so, again, stay tuned.
  • Do we spend money on new projects or strive to keep the current infrastructure working and beautiful?
  • How do we attract new staff and retain those we have?
  • How do we keep a dues increase within reason? One good piece of news is that our insurance costs for the Association dropped $175,000, which will help to keep dues under control.

I want to thank the staff and volunteers who make Sun City Shadow Hills the finest place to live in the valley. Without all of you working together, our community would just be homes with a wall around them. Please remember to say hi to all those who make our community both beautiful and remarkably efficient.

I want to mention that our community has a new Security Director. I am pleased to announce that Scott Bewley has come on board to help keep SCSH one of the safest communities in this valley.

Please contact me with suggestions, ideas and, yes, kind criticism that will help improve our community.

Contact the author at jerry.conrad@scshca.com.