Sun City West outlines nearly $12.6M capital plan and $6.8M+ in golf projects; residents question cost increases

Sun City West’s Budget & Finance Committee on Jan. 6 presented a draft capital improvement program totaling about $12.6 million and fielded resident concerns about large year‑to‑year cost variances on several projects.

Herschel led the capital presentation, listing approximately $1.3 million in new capital projects, $2.3 million in repair and replacement projects, $8.4 million of golf and landscaping R&R, and a historical allowances budget of $420,000. He highlighted several projects budgeted over $50,000, including a $960,000 estimate for the ARC building addition (phase 3 showroom), a $100,000 allocation for master‑plan architect/design review, a $100,000 marketing website redesign, and a $50,000 assisted‑listening audio system for three venues.

Major repair and restoration items included a $174,000 Palm Ridge pool/fitness flooring and shower replacement, a significantly increased Beardsley shower/restroom plumbing renovation (scope added after plumbing/structural issues emerged), and $60,000 to replace Stardust Theater curtains with fire‑code materials. Herschel said the curtain replacement eliminates a recurring $12,000 every‑three‑years retardant treatment and could yield an operational payback over a decade. He also proposed a $435,000 Liberty Field outfield fence replacement to raise the fence height and address turf and safety needs.

Residents and committee members asked for more detail about scope, vendor bids and the causes of cost increases. Jim Scott, a resident, told the committee: “The Beardsley project was a little over 200,000 and now we're at 500 and change,” and later said many items on the color chart looked “unfavorable” versus last year’s approved budget. Cliff Swan and other staff explained that some increases resulted from unanticipated plumbing and structural issues that came to light during scoping and that reserve‑study figures are planning estimates that change when a project is fully scoped and bid.

Golf capital, presented by Todd, included a proposed $6.7 million phase‑2 irrigation replacement project (rough start April 2027), turf‑reduction decisions totaling 22 acres to desert landscape and 56 acres planned for TIF TUF conversion, practice‑facility renovations and other projects. Todd projected water savings of 20–30% on converted areas and estimated total golf‑related capital and equipment replacement requests near $8.2 million (including equipment and utility vehicles, with equipment replacement proposed at roughly $1.1 million). He also described replacing 19 rental carts this year and a replacement program that prioritizes older 2015 fleet units.

Committee members asked detailed operational questions — from where range dispensers can be sited on sloped driving ranges to whether replacement carts should be gas or electric. Staff said prior ROI analysis favored gas carts given a roughly three‑year payback and 10‑year useful life, and that autonomous mowers and ball‑pickers had been demoed and will be further evaluated.

What’s next: Staff agreed to provide additional scoping, bid details and usage data (for platform tennis/Red Ball courts and other club facilities) to committees; the draft capital plan will be refined and projects returned to appropriate committees as scoping and vendor pricing are completed.

Provenance: topicintro SEG 431, topfinish SEG 2831

Speakers quoted or referenced in this story appear in the meeting record.