Committee advances multiple capital items; master plan to guide larger renovations

The Sun City West Properties Committee used its Dec. 25 meeting to prioritize a group of potential capital projects and to identify which items should be advanced now and which should be deferred to the community master‑planning process.

The committee signaled consensus to move a commercial kitchen proposal into capital planning for further study; members said a single kitchen location would be preferable to separate installations at multiple halls and that staff should determine the optimal siting because of operational constraints such as an existing gas meter in a proposed location. "These are ideas, and I believe, director Chatton, you're trying to determine, do they go into the current budget for evaluation for implementation now, or do we evaluate the overall priority?" the committee chair said during discussion.

Kuntz (Coontz) tennis courts, long left idle since about 2018, were identified as a likely focal point of the upcoming master plan. Staff and master‑planning representatives said consultants will solicit input next month and that results are expected next fall; the committee treated the courts as a master‑plan decision rather than an immediate capital spend.

Platform tennis courts and several repair items drew particular concern. Staff described the platform courts as original and deteriorated; a staff estimate cited "at least a half $1,000,000" to bring them up to standard, a figure some members questioned but which led the committee to put the courts back on the capital/repair agenda and seek firm estimates.

Other items the committee moved forward include a more substantial RH Johnson courtyard renovation (furniture, landscaping, potential water features) and lawn‑bowling concrete replacement where prior partial work has cracked. The social hall ceiling — a complex, acoustical and structural issue — was recommended to remain in master planning because of cost and the need for architectural study.

On access control, staff said improved member‑card or fob‑based entry for dog parks and other amenities is in the strategic plan for fiscal year '27 and will depend on an upcoming software upgrade and budget decisions.

Next steps: staff will evaluate location and costs for items moved into capital planning, present firm estimates for platform tennis and other repairs, and incorporate several topics into the master‑plan stakeholder process launching next month.