Term 'master-planned' well deserved

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The success of Summerlin as a national model for master-planned communities didn't just happen. Achievements like that never just happen.

It occurred because the developers have followed a well-tuned principle. They're doing it the old-fashioned way. They work hard at it!

The Howard Hughes Corp., which began developing Summerlin almost 20 years ago, is not just in the business of turning homes and business centers into communities. What draws it apart from other developers is its ability to also provide a way of life that appeals to its residents and serves as an enticement for others to buy in.

* Example No. 1: "We do proprietary resident surveys, and what we hear back is what people like most about Summerlin. Always at the top are the recreational activities and outdoor facilities. That runs into the high 90s percentile," said Tom Warden, senior vice president of The Howard Hughes Corp.

* Example No. 2: Using good foresight, "we took an initiative to the residents of Summerlin in June 1997, and they voted to form the Summerlin Council," said Randy Ecklund, executive director of the council.

In essence, the council serves as an umbrella over the three dependent associations that help make up the 22,500-acre community -- Summerlin North, Summerlin South and Summerlin West.

There are three other associations within Summerlin that are completely independent -- Sun City Summerlin, the Siena retirement community and Red Rock Country Club.

"Those three were bulk properties that were sold off separately. The rest of Summerlin is like three villages," Warden said, explaining how they fit under the Summerlin Council aegis.

The three independent communities, referred to as "islands" within Summerlin, plan their respective activities separately. But the Summerlin Council has emerged as a model for furthering a lifestyle that year after year wins national kudos for all of Summerlin.

* Example No. 3: The Summerlin Council's Independence Day parade last month was the community's biggest extravaganza yet. The annual event drew thousands of onlookers from all over Las Vegas on one of the hottest days of the year.

"There's much planning and hard work that go into making the parade our showcase event," Ecklund said.

You won't find anyone who attended this year's spectacle disagreeing with him.

But that was only the big event for July. There are more than two dozen community events a year that are coordinated by the Summerlin Council. And at least one of those a month, throughout the year, can be characterized as a major undertaking.

For the balance of this year, the fourth and final live concert at Trails Park, in the summer Friday night series, is scheduled for Sept. 12.

The annual Summerlin Pumpkin Festival will be on Oct. 11. The Mad Hatter Tea Party is planned for Nov. 20, and the two-day Hometown Holidays event is scheduled for Dec. 3 and 4.

But that's not the council's only responsibility. In fact, it was concern by The Howard Hughes Corp. and the Summerlin community in the early 1990s that the city would take over Summerlin's park lands, which led to the formation of the council. Today, there are 18 parks with numerous ball fields and tennis courts.

There are swimming pools, community centers, miles of hiking and biking trails and other outdoor facilities that fall under the scope of the council.

Residents pay a monthly fee, which provides much of the council's budget. Other income is generated from user fees for various facilities.

As an entity, the seven-member council meets monthly and is made up of two representatives from each of the three dependent communities, plus one from the Summerlin business sector.

"The council does a lot of the things we hoped it would, and it's growing with the community," Warden said. "The density of Summerlin should double by the time it's fully developed, from the present 95,000 residents to about 200,000."

Herb Jaffe was an op-ed columnist and investigative reporter for most of his 39 years at The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. He is the author of the novels "Falling Dominoes" and "One At A Time." Contact him at HJaffe@cox.net.