Amendments to Parks Ordinance

Test comment.

I agree with the prior comments (except for allowing fishing) and would like to add a few more to highlight reasons the sound, lighting and hours of operation ordinance amendments requested by the Parks Director should not be approved by the City Council.

Upfront I would like to say that Paradigm Golf Group has been very good to their employees, many of whom worked for Castle & Cooke and were kept on with the new management. I have heard glowing reviews about their nonprofit and free golf workshops for children. The surrounding community is very pleased with the seamless transition to Paradigm. However, Paradigm’s business model of outdoor events that generate unacceptable night-time noise and light levels for the homes surrounding the golf course, many of which are in long-established retirement communities, is not suitable.

The main, and most disturbing requested change is to allow excessive sound at Sierra Vista Golf Center (SVGC) to be treated the same as at Centennial Pavilion in Veterans Memorial Park. At Centennial, amplified music and live performances are allowed until 10pm. Have you driven on Fry Boulevard by Veterans Park while a performance is going on? It is very loud. Note that Centennial is surrounded by noise-absorbing vegetation and no homes. SVGC is surrounded by hundreds of homes, the closest being maybe 80 feet from the new outdoor driving range to open Jan-Feb 2025. There, amplified music, food and alcohol, and partying customers playing an outdoor video golf game, will be permitted until 10:00pm seven days a week if these ordinances are passed.

At the November 6th neighborhood meeting with City and Paradigm representatives, attended by about 50 people, the Parks Director stated publicly that she is an avid golfer, she believes Paradigm Golf Group is the best golf management company for Sierra Vista, and admitted Paradigm hired her son to work at SVGC. The requested ordinance changes appear to benefit a company with a focus on making profit more than a city park focused on the general welfare of the taxpaying community that funds all parks.

At the same November 6th neighborhood meeting, Paradigm was asked a question by a nearby resident who enjoyed the clubhouse restaurant for many years. She said because of the new management’s loud music the restaurant no longer was a pleasant place to have lunch with friends. Paradigm’s response was simply “it’s part of our brand.” We can assume this will be Paradigm’s attitude (and community empathy) toward amplified music and people partying outdoors until 10:00pm once the driving range area is completed and the weather warms up for other outside events.

Another requested ordinance change will allow the contracted golf management company to choose their hours of operation subject to approval by the Parks Director. What if Paradigm and the Parks Director decide they want special events to go until midnight? Businesses operating within Sierra Vista on non-city owned property are subject to the City’s Development Code ordinances regulated by the City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission. The Development Code has stricter requirements and oversight on business operations than the City’s Parks Ordinances. For example, recently one local business had to request permission of City Council to extend their hours of operation.

Given the location of SVGC within a residential area occupied mostly by retirees, there should be city ordinances (whether within the Parks or Development ordinances) that consider the welfare of the nearby community by requiring all outdoor light and noise-generating SVGC operations to shut down no later than 8:00pm.

If the City Council members vote in favor of these requested ordinance amendments, hopefully the City’s new budget will include more funds for the police department, as officers will be responding to daily complaints about disturbing the peace of the residents bordering the golf course.

I applaud and support most of the proposed changes to the City’s ordinances which would impact the Sierra Vista Golf Center at Pueblo del Sol. Prohibiting fishing is so important. We have found fish-eating birds such as Great Blue Heron caught up in discarded fishing line. We need to prevent this from happening again.
I ask the Mayor and City Council members to take a closer look at the proposed ordinance change that allows amplified music with no limits at the Sierra Vista Golf Center at Pueblo del Sol until 10pm. I strongly recommend that you participate in a demonstration at the golf course of what the sound levels would be like as envisioned by Paradigm and the Director of the Parks, Recreation& Leisure Department (Director). If you combine the amplified music with a group of folks enjoying food and drink in an out-of-doors venue, you will then understand how these noise levels will impact our nearby homes.
It would be similar to the occasional amplified music at Veterans Park’s Pavilion. The difference would be the Golf Course venue would be every night, with legal drinking and partying within 100 feet (as measured on an aerial photograph) of our homes.
At a meeting with the Director and local residents, many expressed concerns with the proposed noise and light levels from the new InRange/Driving Range. She assured the public that the noise would not be a problem because it would be limited by the City’s ordinances. I am very disappointed that our concerns about the noise levels are now being ignored by changing those ordinances to allow amplified music with no limits added to a bar-like atmosphere increasing that noise level.
We live on the golf course near the Club House. Many of our neighbors are elderly, retire in the evening early, and bought their homes there to enjoy the quiet. This proposed change allowing amplified sound with no upper limits to be blasted from the club house and new Inrange/driving range, could result in a severe downgrade to our quality of life and our property value. Would you buy a home that has disturbing noise every night until 10pm?
I can understand the city not being so concerned with someone complaining about noise coming from Buffalo Soldiers Boulevard or a gas station across from their homes. Those folks knew what they were getting into when they bought their homes. In this case, the residents bought their homes based on the night time quiet of the golf course that has been constant for decades. This is a major change that would be approved by the Mayor and City Council members and this change is avoidable.
There needs to be a limit to the decibel level of noise allowed from the golf course’s amenities. This level should allow for the neighboring homeowners to continue to live comfortable lives on their property.
The best way to determine this level, would be for the City and Paradigm to have an open-house session that demonstrates to the adjacent landowners what the proposed upper limits of noise would be at their facilities/party like atmosphere and its impacts on our homes. Once the demonstration is complete, an informed discussion can be made by the City Council as to what the upper levels can be set.
To pass an ordinance which would allow amplified music without limits in order to make a profit on the golf course is not an acceptable excuse to degrade the lives of the adjacent community. I don’t want the city to lose money on the golf course. I doubt that profitability rests on having such loud music with party noise so late at night. I suggest that the City Council join us at the noise demonstration at the golf course before they give final approval to the proposed changes.

As a resident of the Mission Shadow community, the continuation of the existing golf facility is a wonderful opportunity for the Sierra Vista community. The opinion as to acceptable noise level is subjective. However, acceptable amplified “noise” levels must be imposed on the entity producing said “noise”. The residences in close proximity surrounding the “noise” generation will be the most affected. Propagation of noise can be directional. In what direction is the amplified “noise” directed? Never the less, the amplified “noise” will reverberate off structures and hence the ideal prorogation becomes distorted. A means of measuring the decibels at specific positions and time must be incorporated into the allowance of amplified “noise” ordinance to assure acceptable levels for the existing residences. The residences preexisted the transfer of the golf course and the residences have enjoyed the serenity historically. As indicated in the past only one instance of amplified music emanated from the golf course yearly. If the city allows unacceptable “noise” levels to be produced then the value of surrounding properties will be diminished. Obviously this will result in tax assessment appeals.
Why the need to have amplified “noise”? What decibels metrics will be imposed? Will the neighbors have input as to “acceptable” decibel levels? What city entity will be responsible for monitoring and enforcing an established “noise” level? If communities’ acceptable amplified “noise” is part of the ordinance then recourse for breach of said ordinance must be severe, i.e. equal to the gross income of the offending venue. This fine of high monetary linkage would discourage violation of any “noise” ordinance.
Co-operation of the three effected entities must be endorsed. Acceptable “noise” levels must be defined and enforced as one or more entity will have little recourse to complain. The City has the obligation to maintain the past relationship of the golf course operation with the community. The new operator of the golf course has little incentive other than to be profitable. Yes, if not profitable the course would revert to a city park costing minimal to maintain and allowing all residence of Sierra Vista to enjoy fee free, though with use stipulations. The City is providing a valuable asset for a company to use. If the company fails to provide a service acceptable to all then the City should have recourse in terminating the lease. All of the above is the responsibility of the elected city representatives.

Thank you for the opportunity to express concerns.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts. Like many of the residents bordering the golf course, I have concerns about extended evening hours that will have problems associated with lighting, alcohol, and testosterone. Other residents have addressed this, so I will not belabor the issue.
I see another resident is in favor of fishing at ponds on the course. As an angler, I sympathize with limited opportunities to fish locally. Respectfully, I would remind everyone that anyone over 10 years old must have a valid Arizona fishing license on any lands accessible by the public. We may assume neither the City, nor Paradigm has the staff or inclination to enforce State fishing regulations especially late at night. Guerilla anglers have shown deep disrespect for local wildlife, festoonong trees with broken fishing lines that have entrapped and injured birds inhabiting the ponds. Are these the people you wish to invite to fish on the course? Additionally, the liability issues associated with trespassing leading to a drowning are probably significant-enough to close down the course. Best to simply side-step that concern.
I am worried that City funding for the course conflicts with funding for the new City park. Sources of income for the combined projects seem to be theoretical and the totals exceed the park budgets for many much larger cities.
Because the course is pumping ground water headed for the San Pedro, it's safe to assume a Federal regulatory will drop before too long. Has the City shown good faith and incorporated water collection around the course? Is the big storage tank by the country club parking lot collecting run-off? Has there been a serious discussion about employing treated waste-water to irrigate the course? Can water be conserved by increasing the width of rough areas? Is this being discussed?
It's obvious that hikers and dog walkers (let's just call them tax payers) have no idea whatsoever when they're "supposed" to be on the course. Clarification is necessary.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to submit my concerns.

One of the reasons we purchased our home in Mission Shadows years ago was because of its adjacency to the golf course. Although we don’t golf, we valued the open space, wildlife habitat, and opportunity provided by the former owner to walk the cart paths. I am therefore pleased that the City took it over and wish them success in making it a profitable endeavor. I’ve read over the proposed city ordinance changes and support most of them, particularly the one prohibiting fishing in the ponds. These ponds are important to many of the 200 bird species that use the golf course. I’ve seen herons and other water birds entangled and killed by fishing line and other tackle left behind from people fishing there illegally. The fish eat algae and insects, and are therefore important to the ecology of the ponds, and birds keep the fish population under control. One proposed ordinance change that I object to is that allowing amplified and live music in city parks other than Veterans Memorial. This would open the flood gates for disturbing the peace and tranquility of our neighborhood, which is made up mostly of retired elderly folks – most of whom don’t appreciate loud music and go to bed early. Please reconsider this change. Or at minimum, conduct a demonstration and evaluation of the noise “plume” amplified/live music at the Golf Course Club House would have on adjacent residences, as a previous commenter suggested. That way City Council members and neighbors can understand and evaluate the noise and disturbance levels in an objective manner.

I wish the City of Sierra Vista and Paradigm management group the best of success with the operation of the golf course. As a neighbor who lives close to the clubhouse and soon-to-open driving range, before the City Council votes on changing the noise ordinance, I would like to know how loud the music will be from opening until 10 p.m. daily. If the noise allowed by the proposed ordinance is similar (or higher) than performances at Veterans Park, it will be LOUD! Veterans Park is not surrounded by private residences as is the golf course and driving range. In the past, the previous Pueblo del Sol Golf Club owners, Castle and Cooke, held an annual charity golf tournament each May. The entertainment and music for dancing was amplified at a high level until 10 or 11 p.m. It was annoying and disturbed surrounding neighbors’ sleep. It wasn’t pleasant to spend the evening on our patio. We and other neighbors put up with the noise since it was a once-a-year occasion and for a good cause. The same level of noise on a nightly basis, coming from approximately the same location on the golf course property, would be unbearable. Prior to the ordinance being changed, I suggest that the City and Paradigm conduct a sound system ‘demonstration’ so that residents in close proximity would have some notion of what sound level to expect on a daily basis. If the date and time of a sound level demonstration is known to the public, then people can listen and make more informed comments to the SV Mayor and City Council before the noise ordinance is changed. Perhaps the demonstration could be conducted at midday and again at 9 p.m. — each time over a half hour period.

As one of the many elderly citizens who border the golf course property, I object to the use of lighting and loud music until 10 p.m. as proposed in the noise amendment. 9 p.m. would be more agreeable for those of us who value the quiet and peacefulness that is customary in Sierra Vista. We are not Tucson. I hope "loud" doesn't mean the decibel levels that I've heard in Centennial Park.

I am hopeful the cart paths at the golf course will be repaired. Many are crumbling and are unsafe to walk on in low light. Also, please enforce the no fishing and no unleashed dogs ordinances. They are currently unenforced. Skeptical of possible lighted driving range - how does this fit with our dark skies community!

I have reviewed the ordinance changes which were directed at the golf course. I agree with all parts with the exception of the fishing prohibition. I believe fishing should be allowed during the same time frame as walking. There is absolutely no harm to the course if fishing is allowed. I would not want to eat the fish because of the chemicals on the course but allowing recreational fishing seems to bring more people to the parks usage. Please reconsider this prohibition

Add a paragraph that "No facility under Ordinance 94: Parks will install or operate outdoor lighting higher than 10 feet and not pointing entirely down if not installed before November 1st, 2024."

Section 94.04 (J) says in part: recreational walking is permitted prior to the first tee time and at the conclusion of golfing at the end of each day.

How will walkers know when the first tee time is and when golfing has concluded?

Please address the use of marijuana in public spaces like the parks, golf course etc. Page 5 addresses smoking in the context of tobacco products and vaping but nothing is said about marijuana use. As a citizen of Sierra Vista and one who enjoys our parks, walking paths, events and looking forward to having a nice golf course available to all, I’d like to be assured I would not be exposed to another dangerous substance like marijuana.

Jill or Jilll (Adams)