Sierra Vista council rejects reopening Pueblo Del Sol pool; residents press limits on driving-range lights and late-night noise

Councilman David Jones moved but the City Council voted against pursuing improvements and reopening the Pueblo Del Sol swimming pool, rejecting staff estimates that the work and regulatory upgrades could cost about $1 million and that annual operations would add roughly $100,000–$200,000.

The pool item drew sustained public comment tied to broader changes at the city-owned Pueblo Del Sol Golf Center after Castle and Cooke ceased operations and the city contracted facility management to Paradigm. At the start of the meeting, city staff presented cost estimates for bringing the pool into compliance with Arizona regulatory requirements: about $800,000 for pool repairs plus an unspecified but likely several-hundred-thousand-dollar estimate for restroom upgrades. Staff and the Parks and Recreation Commission recommended against reopening the pool, citing both capital and ongoing operating costs.

The issue of range operations and event hours drew the most public attention during the call to the public. Todd Morris, a Mission Shadow resident, delivered a petition signed by 93 homeowners whose properties border the golf course and asked the council to “limit outdoor noise and light generating activities on the golf course to no later than 8PM.” He told council members residents fear bright lights, late-night music and parking-lot activity will undermine neighborhood quiet and property values.

Betty Pointer, whose home borders the golf-center parking lot, said weekend tailgate activity has grown louder and suggested increased police patrols to monitor parking-lot behavior. “If people are hanging out in the parking lot until 10PM or later, talking loudly, it will present a concern to our neighborhood,” Pointer said.

Not all speakers opposed extended hours or the lights. Marjorie Sherwood, who lives adjacent to the course, praised the new management and the police for addressing longstanding problems, and urged the council to “leave it till 10:00 at night, at least for now” to allow the new operations to settle. Sherwood said staff and contractors have adjusted lighting locations and she has not found the noise intolerable after shutting windows.

Rebecca Tanner, who lives on the golf course’s second fairway, asked the city and operator to post consistent opening and closing times so residents who use the course for evening walks know when it is safe from active play. Other commenters thanked city staff and Paradigm for recent enforcement against illegal fishing and other problems left over from the prior operator.

Council members repeatedly acknowledged strong feelings on both sides. Council discussion referenced the staff presentation, budget constraints and the Park and Recreation Commission’s recommendation against reopening the pool. After discussion, Councilman Jones’s motion to authorize the work failed by voice vote: “The noes have it.”

Councilmembers and staff said they will continue to monitor the golf center and its new operator, and encouraged residents to document specific disturbances so staff and police can respond. The council did not adopt a citywide hour restriction at the meeting; residents will likely return to future meetings if the lights or late-night activity persist.