Fountain Hills, AZ

FOUNTAIN HILLS, Ariz. (3TV/CBS 5) — Kim Tun doesn’t complain or make excuses. She keeps right on working around the clock, seven days a week, at Rainbow Donuts in Fountain Hills.

The hours are longer because Tun’s husband, Mundath Sok, was recently diagnosed with leukemia. While he’s spending a lot of time at the hospital getting treatment, Tun has been left running the family business and taking care of their three children.

“It’s really hard,” said Tun. “Hard to have to take care of the kids, take care of business, take care of him in the hospital.”

The couple’s 17-year-old daughter Rachana has stepped up to help but can only do so much since she’s going back to high school next month.

“If we close, we don’t have anything to eat,” said Sok. “We have to be strong and keep open.”

Someone recently posted on social media what the family is going through, and that’s led to an outpouring of support from the Fountain Hills Community. Random strangers are being encouraged to come in and buy donuts for their friends, family and co-workers.

“I’m really grateful for them,” said Rachana Sok. “They help me and my family keep the business going. Yeah, it’s really helpful when they do that for us, and I really thank them.”

Sok is scheduled to have a bone marrow transplant next week, so there’s a good chance he won’t be able to work for another year. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with medical expenses, which you can find here.

“The most important thing for me is to make him get better,” Rachana said. “It doesn’t matter if he is at work. I can still help, and I just want my dad to get better and stay with us; that’s all I want,”

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The first build-to-rent (BTR) community approved in town, Pillar at Fountain Hills, previously known as The Havenly Fountain Hills, sold in February for $68.3 million with the intention of freeing up resources to build similar projects around Arizona and beyond.

Sold by the Scottsdale-based home builder, Keystone Homes, the 147-unit, single-family, detached home community behind the Bashas’ shopping center is now owned and managed by Washington-based real estate company, Private Portfolio Group, under the brand Pillar Communities.

When the transaction closed, monthly rental rates at The Havenly Fountain Hills ranged from $2,090 for a 722-square-foot, one-bedroom unit to $3,570 for a 1,612-square-foot, three-bedroom unit, according to reporting by Angela Gonzales of the Phoenix Business Journal. The luxury rental community was 92% occupied at the time of the sale.

The Havenly Fountain Hills was Keystone’s first BTR project and Fountain Hills presented an optimal location for the first-of-its-kind luxury community.

“Our desire was a quality project offering beautiful homes, a sense of community within it and connection to the area, that would be well received by the local community as well as future residents,” Keystone’s Marketing Manager, Gena Zestrijan said. “The town was terrific to work with, they were open-minded and supportive of what our vision was.”

According to Zestrijan, there was quite a bit of interest in the ownership of the year-old BTR community and Keystone was pleased to choose Private Portfolio Group as the new owners, “as they seem to view their residents like we do, not just customers,” Zestrijan added. “They have a long view on ownership and management with 5-10 year run and they show a great, long-standing record in the industry.”

Breaking ground

Keystone’s goal of selling the community was to free up financial and physical capital for other Havenly Communities under development in Gilbert, Apache Junction, Prescott and Santa Fe, N.M., Keystone’s first project outside of Arizona.

The BTR community was previously managed by Global Real Estate Service Firm, Cushman & Wakefield. Once the sale was finalized, Pillar Communities took over both ownership and property management of the community.

Remington Thorn is the current community manager at Pillar Fountain Hills who provided hard-hat tours during the nascent stage of Havenly. Previously employed by Cushman & Wakefield, Thorn and Assistant Manager, Joyce Corley were both acquired and promoted by Pillar Communities through the sale of Havenly.

As of Friday, March 24, new messaging has gone out across social media notifying current and potential residents of the new ownership.

Resort lifestyle

When Christine Daryll Leonor was looking for housing in the spring of 2022, she was not ready to purchase a home. She toured Havenly and was drawn to its safe atmosphere and upgraded rental experience.

Leonor moved into Havenly on April 8, 2022, initially leasing a one-bedroom unit, but with her family moving into town, she decided to transition into a three-bedroom unit last month.

“I like the fact that there is no one living below or on top of me,” she said. “I like how it’s built like a home.”

Leonor enjoys living in the quiet community and walking her two-year-old Siberian Husky named Nala.

If the community ever offers an option to purchase, Leonor said given the location and amenities, she will be first in line to buy.

“Nala loves it because there’s a lot of space to walk around and go bananas,” she said.

According to the National Apartment Association, the Greater Phoenix market leads the nation in the number of BTR homes, encompassing more than 6,400 units in 2022. Zestrijan of Keystone Homes says Fountain Hills is special to the company because it is the location of its first BTR project since the company was established in 1989.

“Fountain Hills will always hold a bright spot in our hearts,” Zestrijan said.

Fountain Hills is recognized nationally as a desirable location for winter visitors, much like the neighboring communities of Paradise Valley and Scottsdale. Many visitors come for the weather and beautiful surroundings. Others may come for the vicinity of world-class golf courses and seasonal events like Spring Training, Waste Management Open, or other major sporting events that the Phoenix metro often hosts. Thanks mainly to the short-term lodging market, the community has experienced substantial growth due to the increased use of online hosting platforms.

www.fh.az.gov

The Town of Fountain Hills has adopted new regulations to protect neighborhood investments, housing values, and community safety. The updated rules go into effect on Feb. 1, 2023. For information and resources on the steps needed to comply with rental home property ownership, go on the Town of Foutain Hills website at www.fountainhillsaz.gov/Rentals.

The goal of the updated regulations is to ensure that property owners are: responsible for their property and tenants to protect the quiet enjoyment of our neighborhoods; reduce impacts on neighbors; make visitor stays pleasant for guests and neighbors alike; decrease or eliminate unruly behavior, and support the responsive hosts and property owners.

The ordinance generally describes and defines definitions and processes for property owners. These include permit requirements, emergency contact information, prohibited uses, neighborhood notification before the rental of a unit/home, advertising requirements, posting on the property, insurance, background checks, permit suspension, enhanced penalties, appeal process, judicial relief, and severability. Additionally, there is a provision to allow the Town to inspect properties to ensure compliance with the ordinance or any provision of Town building, fire, or zoning codes.

The Arizona Department of Revenue administers the transaction privilege tax for the Town of Fountain Hills; property owners must report and pay their Town of Fountain Hills transaction privilege tax to the Department of Revenue. Taxes can be included in the overall price or charged to the renter as a separate line item. If a property management company is being used, the property owner still needs to file their tax license with the Department of Revenue.

All rental properties are subject to tax regardless of the number of rental units owned. Property owners must be licensed and pay tax if leasing or renting real property located within the Town of Fountain Hills. In addition, all residential properties used as a rental in the Town of Fountain Hills must be registered with Maricopa County at https://preview.mcassessor.maricopa.gov/page/residential_property/forms as a rental.

The Town of Fountain Hills is interested in pursuing all rental properties for compliance. The Town will gladly research the location and verify all tax and licensing requirements are met. To report a rental property for licensing compliance, please email the Town at rentaltax@fountainhillsaz.gov.

In addition to the standard 2.9% tax, residential rentals of less than 30 days are subject to an additional 4% transient tax (Hotel/Motel Classification) for the Town and 7.27% for the County. “Transient” means any person who, for any period less than thirty (30) consecutive days, either at their own expense or at the expense of another obtains lodging or uses any lodging space for which a charge is made on accommodation or use of lodging space.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History announced March 23 as the date it will open “Lights Out: Recovering Our Night Sky”, a new 4,340-square-foot exhibition about the global loss of the night sky to light pollution. The Arizona town of Fountain Hills and its beautiful view of the night sky is included in the exhibition.

“We are honored to have our community be one of only thirteen of the more than 200 designated International Dark Sky Places around the world included in the exhibit,” said Fountain Hills Mayor Ginny Dickey. “We’re also proud of that designation given how rare that achievement is when adjacent to a major metropolitan area.”

The new exhibit will cover the history of lighting, the connection between humanity and the night sky, the unintended consequences of excessive outdoor lighting, and the principles that can be used to reduce light pollution. “‘Lights Out’ will give visitors the opportunity to learn what is at stake as the stars and cosmos fade from our view at night,” explained Kirk Johnson, Director of the National Museum of Natural History.

Fountain Hills is included in the exhibition to show visitors that they can find ways to experience the night sky in their own communities, wherever they are. Due to its exemplary dedication to protection of local night skies through public policy, the promotion of quality outdoor lighting, and outreach to residents and visitors, Fountain Hills can still glimpse the Milky Way, even with skyglow from nearby Phoenix. It was accredited by the International Dark-Sky Association for these efforts in 2018.

U.S. Senator Mark Kelly is one Arizonan who has an insightful perspective on light pollution. “As a pilot and commander of the Space Shuttle, I’ve seen just how bright our planet is at night,” Sen. Kelly said. “And I’m thrilled that Fountain Hills is leading the way in showing how we can protect dark night skies while growing the Arizona economy.”

A recent report found that each year, astronomy and space science in Arizona generate as much economic activity as Super Bowl host cities can expect. Arizona skies are also a boon to its tourism industry, drawing visitors from around the world.

“Dark skies are an increasingly important part of our state’s tourism offerings,” said Arizona Office of Tourism Director Lisa Urias. “Fountain Hills admirably represents Arizona at the Smithsonian, and we look forward to welcoming visitors inspired by the exhibit to come experience all our night skies have to offer.”

Development of a nonprofit STEM-based International Dark Sky Discovery Center is underway in Fountain Hills. “We are delighted to have the Smithsonian open an exhibit with the same mission of educating people about the adverse impact of excessive lighting,” said Joe Bill, President of the Discovery Center. “Detailed design is nearly complete, and we have already raised one-third of the $25 million needed for this facility.”

The planned Discovery Center has five major components supporting its educational mission. These include a Dark Sky Observatory with the largest telescope in the Greater Phoenix area, a state-of-the-art Hyperspace Planetarium, a highly interactive Immersion Zone, a 150-tiered-seat theater with 8K technology, and a hands-on Einstein Exploration Station to teach the physics of light. A narrated 3D flyover of the Discovery Center, support statements from leaders throughout the state, and much more at darkskycenter.org.

In support of the mission of the Discovery Center, the Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association hosts its sixth annual Fountain Hills Dark Sky Festival on Saturday, March 25, from 4-9 P.M. Events will be held at the Fountain Hills Community Center and surrounding outdoor area at 13001 North La Montana Drive. The festival includes nationally known speakers, virtual reality experiences, meteorite and live nocturnal animal exhibits, food trucks, and beer and wine garden, laser tours of the night sky, and much more. For more information about the Festival, visit fhdarksky.com/events/festival/.

July 26, 2023

According to the 2023 Summer Stargazing Index, Arizona is home to six of the 17 best stargazing destinations in the U.S.

Fountain Hills is a community proud of its iconic fountain, beautiful scenery, and small-town charm and for being recognized as the world's 17th International Dark Sky Community. Now, the community can celebrate being one of the Top 20 Stargazing Destinations in the country.

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HomeToGo, an online vacation rental marketplace, released its 2023 Summer Stargazing Index, which ranked the top 17 stargazing destinations in the U.S. Fountain Hills is number 16 on the list.

"Fountain Hills continues to be recognized as one of the very best places on this planet to gaze up at the others!" said Fountain Hills Mayor Ginny Dickey.

To come up with the ranking, HomeToGo analyzed various factors, including average cloud cover and population density, to indicate how secluded an area is and the accessibility of affordable accommodations. Additionally, it even considered and evaluated many different International Dark Sky Places (IDSP), which are considered top spots for stargazing thanks to their low light pollution.

Take a look at the complete ranking of the top U.S. destinations for stargazing:

1. Westcliffe and Silver Cliff, Colorado2. Dripping Springs, Arizona3. Harmony, Florida4. Flagstaff, Arizona5. Sedona, Arizona6 (tied). Kaibab Paiute Indian Reservation, Arizona6 (tied). Beverly Shores, Indiana8. Fort Davis, Texas9. Dripping Springs-Wimberley, Texas10. Torrey, Utah11. Horseshoe Bay, Texas12. Lost Creek, Texas13. Borrego Springs, California14. Village of Oak Creek, Arizona15. Homer Glen, Illinois16. Fountain Hills, Arizona17. Ketchum, Idaho

"It’s great, and well-deserved, to have Fountain Hills be recognized as one of the top star gazing locations on the planet,” said Joe Bill, President, International Dark Sky Discovery Center. “As a dark sky oasis in the Valley of the Sun and the Town’s prestigious designation as the 17th International Dark Sky Community in the world, Fountain HIlls is the perfect location for the planned, nonprofit 23,000 sq. ft. International Dark Sky Discovery Center."

To learn more about Fountain Hills dark skies, visit www.fhdarksky.com and check out the planned International Dark Sky Discovery Center at www.darkskycenter.org.