Dezelon: 17 years of construction with no end in sight

I have lived in Paradise Valley for 27 years, the first 10 years of which was a slice of heaven. We had wonderful neighbors that went out of their way to make you feel part of the neighborhood and we all looked out for each other.

But for the last 17 years, not so much.

Property values shot up in the early 2000’s and everything changed for the worse. There are only two of us left on our street of the original seven home owners. The original home owners were living in homes they bought for under $100,000 and could get upwards to $1 million in the early 2000’s.

Four homes were sold and completely demolished and the lovely Spanish Colonials were replaced with Tuscan mansions. Our 2,800 square foot home now dwarf’s to the 5,000 to 6500 square feet of our neighbors.

Of the five homes that sold, each has sold at least twice again, and each new owner felt it their obligatory duty to put their stamp on their new home and remodel. The house to the left of us has been remodeled three times in the last 10 years and is still under construction for the last two years. The house to the right also went through a 1.5 year remodel. The house behind us has been under renovation for 2.5 years. (I remolded our home once and the project took four months.)

I am all for progress and certainly support everyone’s right to do what they see fit for their home. However, what comes with remodeling is an onslaught of trucks, cranes, bull dozers, roll-offs, jack hammers, air guns, 15+ cars/trucks parking on your street, oil spills, construction debris, port--o johns, dust, mud, noise, paint overspray, workers from dawn to dusk, and general mayhem.

To exacerbate the problem, days go by with nothing being done to complete the project. The remodels go on and on with no end in sight. The view from the front of our house for the last year and a half has been a blue port–o-john… and the odor that goes along with it. Neighborhood workers from blocks away have found the port-o-john and at times there is a line of two-three cars waiting to use the facility.

I don’t want to be the cranky guy in the neighborhood, but really! It all comes down to inept contractors that are in over their head, homeowners that change their minds mid-project, a lack of concern for others, and no action from the Town of Paradise Valley. One of the joys of living in Paradise Valley is the lack of HOA’s breathing down your neck, but I would love to have an angry HOA board on my side at this point.

The Town of Paradise Valley takes no responsibility in the multi-year renovations and you have to file a formal complaint on a specific infraction to see any resolution.

The Town Council does not respond to pleas for a project to end as there is no law or regulation regarding the length of construction. Isn’t it about time we thought about the quality of life in Paradise Valley? The solution is simple, as a part of the permitting process the home owner/contractor has to put up a non-refundable bond valued at 20% of the appraised value of the home should the project exceed one year.

The Golden Gate Bridge was built in four years…… there is no reason a home cannot be remodeled in one!

Editor’s Note: Michael Dezelon is a resident of Paradise Valley.