Rita Ranch is a master-planned community on Tucson’s southeast side, near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and bordering Vail and Corona de Tucson. It grew out of the City of Tucson’s Esmond Station Area Plan, adopted in 1986 and named for a railroad station that once stood on Rita Road east of Houghton. The City annexed the area in 1984 and wrote special zoning provisions for Rita Ranch. It is served by the Vail School District, and the Rita Ranch Neighborhood Association is one of the active associations in the City’s Ward 4.
For a pool, that background answers three questions up front: who issues the permit, who supplies the water, and where the rain goes.
Working with the City of Tucson permit system
Because Rita Ranch is inside city limits, your pool is permitted by the City of Tucson Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD). Plans are submitted through Tucson Development Center Online, the City’s self-service permit portal. We prepare the plans, submit them, respond to review comments and schedule every inspection.
One City tool is worth knowing about before design: Property Research Online (PRO). Enter your address and it shows whether there is a recorded elevation certificate and the potential floodplain status of the property. The City notes that exterior amenities such as pools can need floodplain review when the work is in a regulated floodplain. We check PRO for every Rita Ranch address so a floodplain question does not show up halfway through plan review. Our Tucson pool permits guide covers the rest of the process.
Washes at the head of the Julian Wash
The City’s Esmond Station Area Plan describes most of this area as the headwaters of the Julian Wash, with tributaries that spread across the terrain in shallow, braided channels that can erode and overflow. Other parts drain through Atterbury Wash tributaries and minor washes toward the Pantano Wash. The plan called for detention basins and preserved drainageways as the area developed.
In your backyard, that means monsoon water has a path, and the pool should not sit in it. On every Rita Ranch design we:
- Look at how water leaves the yard today, including wall weep holes and side-yard paths.
- Grade the deck so runoff moves away from the pool and the house.
- Keep the equipment pad off low spots.
- Choose a deck surface that sheds water well. Travertine and pavers both work and stay cooler underfoot than plain concrete. See our pool decks.
Southeast Tucson soil can also include caliche, which we plan for in the schedule and the quote.
Tucson Water and your fill
The Esmond Station plan expected the area to be served by Tucson Water and noted water lines built within Rita Ranch. Check your bill to confirm your provider. If it is Tucson Water, expect hard water: the utility describes it as high in calcium and magnesium, which causes calcium buildup. In a pool, that means scale at the waterline and in the heater. We set startup chemistry to your water, and we suggest tile and finishes that are easier to keep clean. Our hard water guide and pool fill cost guide cover both sides of it.
If you are remodeling, draining matters too. The City prefers that pool water go into the private sewer cleanout on your property. Draining to a street, storm drain or wash is allowed only when strict conditions are met, including no chlorine for at least 72 hours, pH between 7 and 8, and no runoff onto other property or across a sidewalk.
Living near Davis-Monthan
The City’s plan for this area spends real time on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, including noise zones and fair-disclosure statements for development near flight paths. Many Rita Ranch families are connected to the base. Aircraft noise is part of life here for some homes, and a backyard can be designed with that in mind. A sheer descent, scuppers or a spillover spa adds steady water sound close to where you sit. A raised back wall with a water feature can also give a little privacy from neighboring two-story homes. See our pool water and fire features.
Fitting a pool into a Rita Ranch yard
Most Rita Ranch backyards are walled subdivision lots with a covered patio, so the design starts with what is already there. We never assume a lot size; we measure. Common moves on these yards:
- A geometric pool squared to the patio so the yard feels organized.
- A tanning ledge as a shallow play area for kids and a lounge spot for adults.
- A raised spa at one end for cool winter nights.
- A smaller pool if you want to keep room for turf. See our small pool and plunge pool guide.
- Planned access. If our excavation equipment needs a wall section opened, we tell you before you sign and rebuild it with our own block wall crew.
Every pool barrier we build is at least 5 feet, following A.R.S. 36-1681.
A few words about Meraki
Meraki Pools AZ is family-owned. We build concrete (shotcrete) pools only, with our own crew and excavation equipment, a 3D design and VR walkthrough before we dig, and a written warranty schedule in every contract. AZ ROC #352797 (KA-5 Dual Swimming Pool Contractor) and #342505 (CR-21). Neighbors to the southeast can also see our Vail pool builder page.
Getting started in Rita Ranch
- Look up your address in the City’s PRO tool and note your water provider.
- Read your HOA’s architectural guidelines.
- Book a site visit so we can measure, check access and trace your drainage.
- Review your 3D design and line-item quote. Most new custom pools we build run about $40,000 to $120,000 or more; see our pool cost guide.
- We submit to the City of Tucson and build once the permit is issued.
Call (520) 342-8335 or request a free estimate.
Sources
- City of Tucson: Esmond Station Area Plan (PDF): adopted 1986; named for Esmond Station on Rita Road; annexed 1984 with special zoning for Rita Ranch; Julian, Atterbury and Pantano wash drainage; expected Tucson Water service; Davis-Monthan noise and disclosure policies; Vail School District.
- Rita Ranch (Wikipedia): master-planned community in southeast Tucson; borders Vail and Corona de Tucson; Vail School District; many Davis-Monthan families.
- City of Tucson: Ward 4 Neighborhoods: Rita Ranch Neighborhood Association is active in Ward 4.
- City of Tucson: Residential Permits: permits through PDSD and Tucson Development Center Online.
- City of Tucson: Floodplain Information: PRO address lookup; pools as exterior amenities in floodplain review.
- City of Tucson: Instructions for Pool and Spa Owners: sewer cleanout preferred; conditions for draining to streets or washes.
- Tucson Water: Hard Water: high calcium and magnesium; calcium buildup.
