Q. Where are you located?
A. We are located on 103rd Ave., halfway between Camelback and Indian School Rd.
Q. SALT WATER? Why? What is so special about it?
A. Salt water swimming pools have salt
content similar to human tears (about
4,500ppm). Ocean water is 10x saltier
(about 45,000ppm). Salt water pools are
very common (95%) in Australia. They are rapidly becoming more common here.
The salt water swimming pool solves
several of the problems of traditional
chlorine pools:
- It does not turn blonde hair "green."
- It is much less irritating to eyes
(doesn't burn).
- It is not drying/irritating to skin.
- It does not smell like chlorine.
Q. How does it work?
A. Salt Cells (in the pump room, in the
water filtering system, replacing the
chorinator), break apart the salt (NaCl or
Sodium Chloride) into Sodium and
Chlorine ions. The chlorine ions
disinfect the pool. When they react with
contaminants, they revert to Sodium
Chloride (salt), rather than the
Choramines of a traditional pool. This
chemistry is a "kinder gentler way" of
disinfecting the pool water.
It operates continuously (as the pump
runs continuously - because this is a
"semi-public" pool). The water is
essentially "shocked" with each pass
through the cells. Also, chloramines do
not build up; therefore, it is not
necessary to routinely shock (or
superchlorinate) the pool.
The cells also precipitate out some
of the water "hardness," making the water
softer and less drying.
Q. I am allergic to regular chlorine pools, can I swim in your pool?
A. We have a number of members who
say they are allergic to public chlorine
pools. They say that they can swim in our
pool with out problems. Note that our
baby pool is still a traditional chlorine
pool. Each individual is different. Please
come to an open house and try it out; or
contact a board member for more
information.
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Q. How do I join? Where do I get an application?
A. Call one of the board members. Membership applications / flyers are posted in a brochure box near the front gate, or you can call for information. 623-877-9179, or 602-770-8289.
Q. Are you really open 24/7?
A. Yes, you get a key that opens the front gate
(and the bathrooms). You are welcome to come
use any of the facilities at any time.
Some love the cool of the morning or the heat of the day,
others prefer to come at dusk, at the
end of the day,
to relax after work/dinner (when public pools are
closing
for the night).
There are lights in the pool that come on automatically
around dusk and
stay on for several hours. If you want
additional light, you may
turn on the basketball lights.
The tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts have lights
that you can
turn on as you desire. Please turn them
off when you leave to
conserve electricity.
Q. Who can join?
A. Any one who wishes to may join. You do not need
to live in this neighborhood. If you live in Villa de Paz,
you may join The Villa de Paz HOA and receive a special rate.
Q. What constitutes a family for the "family membership"?
A. Anyone
living in the member's listed home, related
to
the primary member by blood or marriage. Guests who
are
visiting you are also included while they are in town.
Grand
children are also included if Grandma or Grandpa bring them.
Q. Who is not included, and can they also come as our
guests?
A. Relatives who live nearby, friends, and neighbors are
welcome to
come as your guest. We suggest that you
do not regularly bring
the same guests (more than 1-2x/
month). If some one who lives
nearby is regularly coming
as your guest, please encourage them to
invest in a
membership of their own. (This helps us pay the
bills,
so we can be financially healthy.)
Q. Can we have parties? Can we reserve the pool or the
ramada?
A. You are welcome to have parties. We REQUEST
that you
reserve the ramada when you know you are
having a party. We do
this to coordinate parties, so
there are not two at the same
time. We also post these
on the bulletin board on the back of the
front sign, so
people can see when it may be crowded. You reserve
the ramada, which gives you priority use of the ramada
and
courts. You and your guests have use of the pools
also; other
members may still use the pools and any
courts you are not using.
Q. How far ahead do I have to schedule a party?
A. Parties are scheduled on a first come / first served basis.
Some
events are booked weeks and months ahead,
some are booked just days
before.
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Q. Who owns this place?
A. Villa de Paz Homeowner's Association owns the property, and runs the facility in cooperation with Villa de Paz Recreation Association, which is also a non-profit
corporation, which means no one person or group of people owns it. It is run by the
volunteer boards of directors of both associations.
Q. What do membership fees go to, and where does the VdPRA get its operating funds.
A All membership fees go toward paying the expenses of running
the facility. Some of the major ones are water, electricity,
insurance, repairs, and the pool cleaning
service. All of the operating funds come from membership fees,
with occasional donations from local businesses or individuals.
We also have an equity line of credit against our property, which we use if membership income is insufficient to cover expenses.
Q Some athletic clubs disappear overnight, and take everyone's money with them. Can I lose my money?
A. Most other places rent
their space. We hold title to our 1.66 acres of land. If we were to sell
our property it would be with the condition that the buyer honored all existing memberships. Or we would pay back the unused (prorated) membership fee of all current members.
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Q. Tell me about the history of this place.
A. VdPRA was built to be the Villa de Paz HOA family recreation facility of the upscale, cutting edge
golf course community of Villa de Paz in the early 1070's. The developer deeded the property to the non-profit corporation, VdPRA, in 1979. The HOA ceased to operate at about the same time. In July 2007, the Villa de Paz HOA was reincorporated, and the VdPRA and VdPHOA work cooperatively to run the Rec Center. A special membership rate is available to residents of Villa de Paz who join the HOA, but memberships are
available to residents of any of the surrounding communities also.
Q. How do I join? What are your office hours? Where is your office?
A. Membership applications are in a box near the front gate of the VdPRA.
Contact a board member to join (623-877-9179, 623-770-8289, or 623-535-6629). They can show you around, set up your membership, and get you your key.
There are no set office hours. Board members are volunteers. They work from their homes. They can meet you at the VdPRA to show you around and answer questions. We also run periodic open houses, where you can try out the facility and/or join.
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