I am writing out of sympathy for my North Heights neighbors whose expectations of a beautiful Sonoran Desert environment have been marred by our HOA’s decisions to totally disregard the established Architectural Design and Building Guidelines.

The guidelines specify in summary “to be compatible with the Southwest Sonoran Desert environment and may take the form of contemporary southwest, traditional southwest, pueblo, territorial or ranch.” These are the standards that we bought into when we purchased our homes in North Heights.

In recent years, our HOA Board of Directors have arbitrarily and unilaterally determined that these guidelines are no longer applicable without seeking current homeowners’ input. Our HOA has approved incompatible new home development and modifications that do not comply with their own guidelines (i.e., contemporary modern cubist, dark charcoal, bright blue columns, silver reflective garage doors, height and slope violations).

I sympathize with my neighbors on Cabrillo Drive, whose views are blighted by the new, modern structures rising up the steep slopes from the depths of the washes. These buildings stick out like sore thumbs in the desert. I personally would not buy a home with a view of these buildings. I am afraid that the damage is done.

While a small minority of North Heights homeowners are affected by the sight of these structures, the majority in North Heights are not inconvenienced by the views and are therefore apathetic. Out of sight, out of mind.

A number of affected homeowners expressed their dissatisfaction at the March 30 Annual Meeting regarding board decisions which ignore the architectural guidelines. A board member responded that “nobody is building pueblo-style houses anymore. Nobody wants them.”

I believe that the larger North Heights Community should be aware and forewarned that the architectural blight may someday come to your neighborhood.