Winterhaven Neighborhood Profile
Winterhaven Neighborhood by CJ Boyd
With the Christmas holiday behind us, something like 100,000 people from Tucson and beyond will have recently visited the Winterhaven neighborhood for their annual Festival of Lights. And while the Festival may be the major event that many people associate with the neighborhood, we wanted to share a profile of the neighborhood itself and talk to residents about what they love about Winterhaven year round.
It’s worth noting that, unlike any of the other neighborhoods we have written about in our newsletter, Winterhaven is not an officially designated City of Tucson Neighborhood Association (NA). It is both a Home Owners Association (HOA) and a water company.
Houses and trees along Treat Avenue in the Winterhaven Neighborhood
The main difference between an HOA and an NA is that an HOA is a private association between homeowners, and therefore not organized through City government. A Neighborhood Association, on the other hand, is organized through the City and therefore subject to processes overseen by the City. As an HOA, Winterhaven has established certain requirements for homeowners in the association, like standards of lawn maintenance for example, whereas an NA has no authority to require anything of those who live in its bounds.
As an independent water company, Winterhaven is one of just a few areas inside City limits that do not use Tucson Water. Some of the other larger areas that provide their own water include Flowing Wells, the University of Arizona, and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
During non-Festival times, Winterhaven’s lush green lawns are probably their most notable feature. The stark contrast with the desert landscapes throughout most of Tucson give the neighborhood a unique aesthetic.
A bright green lawn on Christmas Avenue
As Winterhaven HOA Secretary Jennifer Pershing says, “Winterhaven is a nostalgic neighborhood, whether you've lived here for 1 year or 50. It feels like home. The soaring Aleppo pines, sweeping park-like front yards, and shady curved streets invite neighbors to go for a bike ride or walk up Christmas Avenue in any season.” Besides the Holiday Festival of Lights, there are other events that Winterhaven sponsors like the Easter Egg Hunt and Fourth of July Parade.
Another way in which an HOA is different from an NA is that, because the former focuses on homeowners, it does not include the commercial areas on the periphery of the neighborhood. As you can see on the map at the top of this article, Winterhaven is more of a cross shape than a square, whereas other neighborhoods usually extend from one major street to another, and have a rectangular shape. As such, there are businesses like Piezano's Pizza and Murphy's Guns, both near the intersection of Fort Lowell and Country Club, that are not part of Winterhaven, even though they are in the block shared by the HOA.
Winterhaven resident Karen Clifton has lived in the neighborhood for over 30 years. She loves the sense of community. “Neighbors know each other, everyone is out walking, biking and enjoying talking with each other. We have old-fashioned block parties with our neighbors. Neighbors are friends and help each other out.”
Trees along Forgeus Avenue
On a final note, Winterhaven HOA President Mike Morales says, “The community has spent the last 75 years taking care of our numerous and very large trees. Many of these trees have grown into one hundred foot giants that have made Winterhaven a place that people enjoy visiting. The trees, bushes and many plants make our neighborhood a place where people walk and bike. We are currently working on a plan to reduce our water consumption but also protect the trees, grass and other vegetation that help make our neighborhood an island with a park-like setting for the whole community to enjoy.”