Las Sendas neighbors split on overgrowth

May 22, 2023

Some residents worry overgrown common areas and washes in the northeast Mesa community of Las Sendas pose a fire threat. (Mark Moran/Tribune Contributor)

Overgrown mesquite trees and other desert shrubs and bushes are blocking city light views for Las Sendas residents who paid a premium for their lots.

Brett Russo moved to the northeast Mesa community eight years ago for the views. At roughly 1,600 feet above sea level, the community sits a little higher than most others in the Valley, nestled against the edge of the Tonto National Forest.

“It absolutely has some of the most stunning views of the Valley there are,” Russo said. “They are the affordable views that every day working people can afford. I can see from Picacho Peak near Tucson to South Mountain on the other side and Red Mountain on the third side.”

But time and Mother Nature have conspired to not only obstruct those views but also imperil relationships with his neighbors.

Russo’s house backs up to a wash where rogue mesquite trees and other desert flora have grown exponentially, he said, blocking his expansive views.

“There are wash trees that have reached 40 feet and are 100 feet wide,” he complained.

Russo paid a price for that view when he bought his homesite because of his view.

“So, if you sell someone a view, the implied intention there is that it will be protected,” Russo claimed. “Even if you say ‘OK, trees are going to grow’ please explain to me the rationale to completely blot out the views from Las Sendas.”

Russo and others argue as the trees grow, property values also diminish along with the views.

Las Sendas HOA President Tony Reid said there was never anything implied, or in writing, that says people would keep their city light views as time went on.

“When you’re buying that lot, we think people need to do their due diligence,” Reid said. “Just like they buy a house with an empty lot behind them that’s for sale at some point.

“You have to go into it with your eyes wide open and say at some point in time because there is a lot that’s next door,” he continued. “So, you either don’t buy it or you just say ‘I’ll live with it as long as I can and if something happens, it happens.’”

Las Sendas resident Fred Glenn echoed that point, writing on the social media platform Nextdoor “I can’t say I was ever promised a view for life. Things change all the time.”

Other people agree and want to keep the trees and the shade and privacy they provide.

“We enjoy the trees,” Las Sendas resident Jacob Thompson posted on Nextdoor. “They not only provide us with great shade, but also allows for privacy between houses and backyards.”

Reid said the HOA winds up playing mediator between people who want the trees cut back and those who do not.

He said the HOA will cut view-blocking trees, but insists all members whose lots are associated with the trees must agree to cut them whether they have a view or not.

It only takes one dissenting neighbor to maintain the status quo and let the trees continue to grow.

“We very much are stuck in the middle,” Reid said. “We don’t want to be in an arbitrary position. That’s why we ask for everybody to kind of buy in to whatever we are going to do because we want to be fair.”

“It pits neighbor against neighbor,” Russo said of the HOA’s policy. “People who do not have city light views would rather look at trees than their neighbors while people with views would rather look at views than trees.

“Why can’t we at least have a compromise where we hold the tree height to the roofline of the house?”

Reid said, “It definitely is a first world problem.”

Beyond aesthetics and neighbors at odds with each other, scrubby, overgrown washes have been proven to be a fire hazard.

What started as a brush fire in Scottsdale near McDowell Mountain Park recently turned treacherous for nearby residents when it grew out of control and forced the evacuation of nearly 100 people.

Reid said the Las Sendas HOA is keenly aware of the fire danger posed by the dry, wispy, and quickly growing desert vegetation.

The association has a schedule of fire prevention maintenance, which calls for trees to be trimmed back at least 5 feet from walls or fences, and for more aggressive action to be taken if a tree is encroaching on private property or damaging a structure.

“We have a robust program around fire prevention,” Reid explained. “That’s in case a fire were to ever sweep through Las Sendas we want to knock down as much fuel as possible especially as it pertains to residents’ homes and anything close to it.”

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