The 25,000 (approximate) residents of Sun City West will be giving up some of their green grass on their golf courses.
This has been ordered by the state of Arizona as “our part” in the state’s efforts to conserve water. Well, I invite these same residents to watch a little late-night TV and listen to what our neighboring communities of Surprise (146,000-plus and Peoria 198,000) are giving up as their part in the statewide move to “conserve water.” Nothing!
Every couple of weeks I have watched their city representative board meetings (they are televised around 11 p.m. Saturday nights) with builders (commercial and residential) getting approval after approval of thousands of homes, businesses, community parks and common areas — all landscaped with trees, grass and shrubs. In these communities it’s “full speed ahead.”
In the last 12 months the number of housing track approvals of and new commercial land developments will easily consume 100 times the water Sun City West residents are being told the state dictates our community must sacrifice.
Well, at least now we know where our water is going.
As a side note, not once have I heard a member of the Surprise council mention the consideration of demanding that builders install on southern facing homes “solar” that could offset the added load on the electrical grid. If 50% of all homes and businesses had solar that would supply 50% of their needs that would reduce the new load by 25%. With federal subsidies and a 30-year mortgage, that would add approximately $50 per month to loan payments. That amount is easily recaptured by the reduction in the owners’ electrical bills saving from APS or SRP.
Sort of makes me feel like the residents of Sun City West are looked upon as “low-hanging fruit,” easily picked by politicians rather than do their job in an effective, forward thinking and thoughtful way!
Just an old dog watching our “elected leaders” not doing their job! Remember, elections are coming up!
