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On
to the
Millennium:
By
1970, with
lots sold
(and some
resold), John
and Mary
Bender deeded
the reversionary
interest in
the ten
Flechas over
to FCHOA,
giving control
to the
Association and
its Board.
Although
no longer
in charge
and more
or less
retired, JOhn
remained on
the Board
until about
1980 as
a resident
of Flecha
No. 2
on Camino
Arenosa and
a valued
source for
information. With
the new
formalization of
duties and
purpose, two
items of
business early
in the
days of
Association responsibility
were the
hiring of
a consulting
architect or
firm, and
establishing a
relationship with
an attorney.
Most Board
members were
busy people
without the
time or
necessary expertise
in these
areas. also,
this was
the beginning
of the
so-called Age
of Litigation.
There were
new state
statutes and
county zoning
regulations, new
building materials
and a
looming energy
crisis.
There
were two
major lawsuits
in the
early 1970's.
In one,
a family
built a
two-story home
which blocked
the city
views of
those to
the north.
After a
lengthy battle
in which
the owner
and his
builder traded
accusations about
who was
supposed to
submit the
plans, the
matter was
settled with
the homeowner
paying a
sizable sum
to the
Association for
legal fees.
As it
turned out,
the blockage
was mainly
of downtown
and the
'view' had
already begun
to move
to the
east.
The
other case
involved a
property fronting
on Dead
Man's Curve
on River
Road. The
owner wanted
to put
a huge
wall around
the property
and build
a house
on the
lot. Although
the minutes
of the
Board meetings
do not
show any
details, this
dispute went
on for
a long
time and
ended with
a denial
of approval
for the
wall and
the house.
FCHOA also
terminated
its
arrangement with
the architectural
firm that
reviewed the
plans and
there was
some litigation
with them.
A new
architect,
who
had left
this firm,
was hired
and life
went on.
However, many
of the
plans that
had been
processed by
the old
firm mysteriously
disappeared.
Another
landmark
event
occurred in
1974, at
the height
of the
energy
crisis
and rising
utility costs.
It was
voted by
ballots
distributed
ahead of
the Annual
Meeting to
waive enforcement
of some
of the
CRR's relating
to energy
use. No
longer
would
new owners
be mandated
to use
burnt adobe,
brick or
other masonry,
and if
they wished
to change
from refrigeration
to evaporative
coolers, these
could be
placed
on
the roof.
Both these
waivers required,
and still
do, the
advance
approval
of the
Board. White
roofs were
also permitted
under the
same conditions.
My own
house was
built of
frame and
stucco,
and
had two
coolers and
solar hot
water panels
on the
roof (along
with an
80-gallon
water
heater),
screened
by a
42-inch stucco
wall, constructed
to look
like an
area with
higher
ceilings.
The house
was built
in 1978
and was
typical of
construction
at
the time.
Early
Board
minutes
are often
sketchy,
but
one
year
in the
early seventies
the
Recording
Secretary
noted
a complaint
about a
group
of
people
running
about their
property
unclothed.
The
complaint
was registered
by a
clergyman,
who
was
outraged.
Unfortunately,
the
minutes
do
not describe
the
disposition
of this
case. I
wish
the
secretary
had
gone into
a bit
more
detail.
Most
of
the
1970's
agenda
items
are
much
like
those
of
today,
with
some
incidents
of drama.
There
was
an
ongoing
battle
with
Pima
county
during
the
time
Heatherwood
Hills
was
built
just
north
of
Flecha
No.
8 and
south
of
No.
6.
Since
many
of
the
streets
were
continuations
of
those
in
Flecha
Caida,
trucks
were
roaring
up
and
down
all
day
long.
I
lost
two
headlights
from
being
passed
by dump
trucks
carrying
-
and
spilling
-
gravel
and
rocks.
Finally,
an agreement
was
reached
with
the
County
to
close
Cardenal,
Cazador,
Gacela
and
Arco
until
construction
was
complete
upslope.
Unfortunately
for
me,
Camino
del
Celador,
where
I
lived,
became
the
shortcut
of
choice.
These
roads
were
not
paved
at the
time.
In
the
early
1980's
FCHOA
became
a
part
of
several
coalitions
to
preserve
the
foothills.
The
first
was
when
more
than
20,0000
signatures
were
gathered
to
protest
the
original
plans
for
La
Paloma,
which
would
have
drastically
changed
the
character
of
the
upper
bajada.
The
County
listened
and
sharply
reduced
the
density
and
height
of
buildings,
as
well
as
alleviating
seasonal
flooding
down
slope
by
making
retention
basins
out
of
the
water
hazards
on
the
golf
course.
In
the
mid-eighties,
another
crisis
loomed
when
the
County
decided
to
straighten
Dead
Man's
Curve
and
make
a
straight
shot
four-lane
road
east
to
Craycroft.
This
would
have
destroyed
at
least
four
very
upscale
homes
on
the
south
side
of
River,
as
well
as
causing
some
very
difficult
ingress
and
egress
problems
for
everyone.
We
joined
with
several
small
subdivisions
to
fight
this,
with
the
help
from
those
far
west
of
this
area,
who
were
members
of
a
group
whose
slogan
was "Keep River road Kinky". Again
we prevailed and the curve was eventually modified, using a lot in Flecha
Caida (the very one that the one-time owner wanted to wall in).
This,
however,
was
not
done
until
after
a long
succession
of
accidents
(usually
on Friday
nights)
and
one
in
particular.
The
scion
of
a noted
family
of
St.
Louis
brewers
was
giving
a
ride
home
to a
young
waitress
from
one
of the
local
watering
holes
where
he had
spent
the
evening.
His
Porsche
skidded
off
the
road
at
the
top
of Dead
Man's
Curve,
shot
onto
the
vacant
lot
and
she
was
thrown
from
the
car
and
killed.
He got
out,
walked
all
the
way
home
to his
apartment
near
First
Avenue
and
River,
allegedly
unaware
of her
fate.
Nevertheless,
the
family
attorneys
quickly
whisked
him
out
of
town.
He
did
not
finish
the
year
at
the
University,
nor
has
he ever
returned
to
the
state,
at least
not
publicly.
Another
major
event
was
the
widening
and
recontouring
of
Swan
Road
in
the
mid-1980's.
Since
additional
lanes
were
being
added,
as
well
as
the
modification
of
the
roadbed
to
eliminate
blind
hills,
this
meant
some
major
changes
for
residents
along
the
roadway.
This
project
was
one
of
the
first
to
use
'fake
rocks'
to
shore
up
the
resulting
cliffs
along
the
right-of-way.
It
also
meant
driveways
had
to
be
moved
from
Swan
onto
Calle
del
Pantera
and
Camino
Esplendora.
The
project,
as
well,
involved
the
purchase
of
portions
of
some
lots
on
the
west
side
of
the
road
to
redirect
Calle
Bendita
to
exit
onto
a newly
aligned
Calle
Barril.
One
plus,
for
most
people,
was
that
the
County
paved
most
of
the
through
roads
in
the
Flechas
east
of
Swan
to
use
during
the
lengthy
construction
period.
This,
along
with
the
Dead
Man's
Curve
project,
was
a period
of
unprecedented
cooperation
from
Pima
County.
An
interesting
connection
was
made
when
we
learned
that
one
of
those
whose
driveway
had
to
be
moved
also
owned
a lot
just
to
the
north
of
Calle
del
Pantera,
which
built
a retention
basin
and
ended
most
of
the
flood
prone
tendencies
of
this
neighborhood.
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