Sun City West Weighs Long-Term Fix for Failing Pool Decks, Expands Turf and Irrigation Retrofits to Save Water

Attendees pressed staff for a clear approach to recurring facility repairs, and management described a cautious, long-term approach to prevent repeat failures.

On pool decking at RH Johnson, Steven said warranty repairs by the contractor had not held and the association was evaluating options. "What I don't want to do is make another mistake and throw good money after bad," he said, explaining the new capital projects manager, Herschel Workman, is assessing whether to repair coping and defer larger replacement or to replace the whole deck with a different surface.

Staff noted the rubberized deck product previously used has underperformed in other jurisdictions and that one municipality even filed suit against the contractor that installed it. Management said it will pursue options that avoid a repeat failure and keep the community informed.

On golf courses and irrigation, staff reported a trial of new turf (TifTuf) on Echo Mesa fairway No. 9 and said the USGA's site visit praised course condition despite lean staffing. Irrigation retrofits and turf conversions were credited with placing the community about 434 acre-feet under its Arizona Department of Water Resources allotment, and staff said those projects can double expected irrigation system lifespans (from ~30-35 years to roughly 70 years).

Members asked whether the community should delay some retrofit spending given competing master-plan priorities; staff replied many irrigation mains and valves are failing and projects are both conservation-oriented and maintenance-driven, and therefore cannot be postponed without increased risk and cost.

Staff said more details and cost estimates will be provided through the capital-improvement process and budget committee meetings.