By Terrance Smith
Community General Manager, Desert Ridge Community Association
The Desert Ridge Community Association (DRCA) Board of Directors are committed to the ongoing maintenance, replacement and repair
of the community common area assets. Since first quarter of this year, the DRCA Board of Directors have identified about $1.3M to $1.5M in reserve assets that are in need of maintenance, repair or replacement and anticipates reserve expenditures during the next 12-18 months totaling in excess of $1M. Some of these reserve projects have already gone through the planning, approval and scheduling process with the DRCA Board of Directors. In that regard, the association has already planned, commenced and completed several community wide reserve projects which will enable us to keep the Desert Ridge common area assets looking beautiful for many years to come.
Below is a summary of some of the reserve fund maintenance and improvement projects that have been approved by the Board and currently in progress or nearing completion, as well as future reserve projects that are presently under review and consideration by the DRCA Board and its Management Team, Rossmar & Graham.
We value and appreciate your input, feedback, continued support, and patience as we progress through these community maintenance and improvement projects for the betterment of Desert Ridge.
Reserve Assets Maintenance & Improvement Projects
Current and in-progress Projects
Decomposed Granite Replenishment Project (March 2012)
The DRCA Board of Directors approved its Management Team to contract Landmark Landscape Land Management, LLC to replenish the decomposed granite throughout all the neighborhoods and common area washes of Desert Ridge that are the maintenance responsibility of Desert Ridge (Master Association). The decomposed granite replenishment is a major $335K maintenance project, which was started the last week of April and will take several months to complete well into the Fall 2012.
Scored Concrete Main Arterial Replacements (May 2012)
There are four (4) main arterial intersections with scored concrete throughout Desert Ridge that has come to the attention of the DRCA Board of Directors from residents within the community that the design of these scored concrete areas, albeit decorative, are a persistent noise hazard to the residential owners that reside in proximity of these scored concrete intersections at N. 44th Street and Deer Valley and the three (3) locations along Tatum Boulevard between Deer Valley and Ranger. The DRCA Board of Directors have been provided with competitive bids to address the scored concrete location at N. 44th Street and Deer Valley and a preliminary cost proposal for the three (3) locations running from east to west along Tatum Blvd. The scored concrete was an original design option available at the time these four (4) locations arterial intersections were installed by the developer. The scored concrete design option is no longer an available option offered under the current Desert Ridge Residential Area Design Guidelines for these arterial intersections. Management Team obtained competitive bid proposals to replace the scored concrete at these intersections with the same concrete that is consistent with all of the other intersections throughout Desert Ridge. The DRCA Board of Directors instructed the Management Team at the July 25th Board meeting to make contact with the City of Phoenix to see if they are agreeable to allowing these main arterial intersections to be asphalted and to determine if the COP would be willing to assume the future maintenance of these four (4) locations along with the remaining portions of these main arterial streets that are the maintenance responsibility of the City of Phoenix. The Management Team is gathering additional information from an asphalt consulting firm relative to developing a maintenance proposal plan to present to the City of Phoenix Planning & Development Department. The Management Team will report back to the Board members upon obtaining a reply from the City of Phoenix Planning and Development.
Desert Ridge Bridge Sidewalks Maintenance (June 2012)
The DRCA Board of Directors were presented with two maintenance repair options to address the textured bridge sidewalks settling based on the Desert Ridge Bridge Maintenance Agreement and Management Team site meeting with Byron Farnsworth, City of Phoenix Bridge Maintenance. The DRCA Board of Directors initially wanted to explore the possibility of a permanent solution to the ongoing bridge sidewalks settling problem that occurs with regularity every 5-7 years; and in light of the proposed sidewalks replacement costs totaling $42,464. The Management Team was subsequently directed by the DRCA Board at the July 25th meeting to obtain two additional cost proposals for their approval consideration at the August 22nd Board meeting.
Tatum & Deer Valley Arterial Monuments Enhancement (June 2012)
AAA Landscape was approved by the DRCA Board of Directors to make landscape, irrigation and lighting enhancements to the two (2) major arterial monuments located at the corner of Tatum Boulevard and Deer Valley Road at a cost of $50,781.64. The monuments landscape will be enhanced with new plants/shrubs providing more color and vibrancy, cacti and chollas, replenished decomposed granite and decorative boulders. The existing irrigation will be upgraded, along with new irrigation lines installed to support the additional landscape material. The landscape lighting will also be upgraded to accent the monuments overall curb appeal. The monuments enhancement was preceded by vandalism repairs to replace the stolen monument letters and to perform needed paint maintenance at these two monuments. This enhancement project is scheduled to be completed by the second week of August 2012.
Common Area Sidewalks and Wash Walkways Project (June 2012)
The DRCA Board of Directors approved the Management Team to contract Nautilus General Contractors, LLC at a reserve fund expenditure of $49,310 to remove and replace seventy-nine (79) 5×5 and fifteen (15) 8×8 common area sidewalks and wash area walkway textured/colored concrete panels identified throughout Desert Ridge involving resulting damage from tree roots, settling, etc. The planned completion date for this project will take about two months into early Fall 2012.
Perimeter Walls Replacement (June 2012)
The DRCA Board of Directors approved the Management Team to contract ACE Construction at a reserve cost of $5,013.80 to replace two (2) perimeter walls that were damaged due to common area tree roots associated with the trees having been planted too close to the adjacent lot walls. The common areas trees were removed and will not be replaced since there is still a significant number of common area and private lot trees in this surrounding area.
Root Barrier Installation Project (June 2012)
The DRCA Board of Directors approved the Management Team to contract AAA Landscape to install 14 root barriers at the designated common area tree locations identified to prevent future root damage to any adjacent common area assets (e.g., sidewalks, fixtures, structures, etc.) at a total reserve fund cost of $6,998.97.
Coconino Wash Erosion Repairs (June 2012)
Erosion maintenance and repairs were approved by the DRCA Board of Directors authorizing the Management Team to contract AAA Landscape at a cost of $5,517.31 to address the landscape erosion damage adjacent to a very busy common area walkway abutting the Coconino Wash. This repair was completed in mid-July.
Common Area Valve Boxes Replacement (July 2012)
The DRCA Board of Directors approved the Management Team to contract AAA Landscape to replace the remaining 254 irrigation valve boxes and covers throughout Desert Ridge at a total cost of $7,440.20, which includes the cost of labor to deploy a dedicated crew and for them to install pea gravel in each valve box as they progress through this project. This replacement and maintenance project should be completed by the end of August.
Reserve Assets Maintenance & Improvement Projects
Future Projects
Common Area Wash Walkway Lightings Project
There are two wash area walkways within Desert Ridge that do not have walkway light bollards to accommodate use of these areas that is consistent with the other wash walkway areas throughout the community. The DRCA Board of Directors instructed the Management Team to develop the necessary bid specifications to install the type LED light bollards approved by the DRCA Design Review Committee for the purpose of obtaining competitive cost proposals for this capital improvement project and their approval consideration. The Management Team expects to have the competitive cost proposals for DRCA approval consideration at the August 22nd Board meeting.
Maricopa Wash Erosion Repairs
The Management Team obtained competitive bids from four (4) contractors to address the extensive erosion damage existing in the Maricopa Wash that extends about 1,000 square feet. The proposed bids will be presented to the DRCA Board of Directors in August, along with a Geological Consultant’s Report the Board commissioned the Management Team to assess the scope of work and two (2) proposed options presented by the contractors to address the erosion area on a permanent basis. Based on the findings and recommendations provided to the DRCA Board from the Geological Consultant, a course of action will be determined as to the next steps the association will need to take before approving the Maricopa Wash Erosion Repairs to begin after the monsoon season comes to an end.
Central Irrigation Control System
The Desert Ridge Community Association Central Irrigation Control System is being assessed for possible repairs or replacement by the Management Team and AAA Landscape. This system is now 15 years olds since being placed in service and we are experiencing multiple problems that will require either expensive repairs to get a few additional years out of the existing system or to replace the aging system with a new one. The Management Team has obtained an initial assessment and cost proposal for reserve repairs or replacement of the existing system for the Board of Directors consideration at the August 22nd DRCA Meeting.
Common Area Walls/Fencing/Mailboxes/Bridge Maintenance
The Management Team spent several weeks performing extensive site inspections of the common area walls, fencing, mailboxes and bridges community wide that are the maintenance responsibility of DRCA (Master Association) for the purpose of assessing the current condition of these reserve assets for future repairs and paint maintenance. The Management Team has developed and prepared the bid specifications to solicit competitive bids from 3-4 paint contractors, so this common area reserve project can be presented to the Board at the August/September DRCA Meeting.
Secondary Monuments Landscape/Lighting Enhancements
The DRCA Board of Directors will be reviewing future cost proposals in consideration of making proposed landscape and lighting enhancements to the ten (10) neighborhood secondary monuments throughout the community. Based on the reserve costs involved, it is possible that the secondary monuments enhancements may be phased in over time to allow the association time to plan this cost into the reserve funding that is consistent with the proposed phasing schedule. The Management Team is planning to present the secondary monument enhancement plans and cost information to the DRCA Board at the August 22nd meeting.
Common Area Groundcover Enhancements
The DRCA Board of Directors will be presented with a future cost proposal for replacement of the Angelita Daisies installed throughout Desert Ridge, involving locations that can be significantly enhanced with a better groundcover selection(s) that will accent and add more “curb appeal” to the community. This also may be a phased in reserve enhancement to allow the association to plan this cost into the reserve funding that is consistent with the proposed phasing schedule.
