Take a Lesson from Hunt Communities Marketing of Resler Ridge

Bird of paradise and yucca are in bloom now in Resler Canyon

Several of us hiked through Resler Canyon this morning. Scott Cutler, the manager of the Wakeem Teschner Nature Preserve, guided us. (Scott is also the Curator of Exhibits and Events at UTEP's Centennial Museum and the President of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition.) We saw Swifts, Quail, Mockingbirds and Pyrrhuloxia. Yucca, Western Bird of Paradise, White Thorn Acacia and Palo Verde were in full bloom.

Of course, it would not have been so beautiful if several years ago Hunt had succeeded in their plans to develop the canyon. That effort met resistance from the likes of Charlie Wakeem and his neighbors who really began the present day efforts to conserve open space in and around El Paso. Thanks to the generosity of UTEP renowned linguist and UTEP professor (now retired), Richard Teschner, Resler was purchased from Hunt Communities.

Since then, Hunt has developed an area on the north rim of the canyon, known as Resler Ridge. They now market that development as "an open, 45-lot residential community situated on a stately southwestern desert ridge. It overlooks more than 12 acres of gently sloping hillsides and a naturally-preserved arroyo, with the upper Rio Grande valley in the distance." [Emphases mine.]

Hunt now employs scenes of open space and concepts such as sustainability and smart growth as part of their advertising. Indeed they should. Natural open space adds to the value of neighborhoods and homes.

Now if only the owners and developers of Enchanted Hills and Desert Springs north of Transmountain would get the message! Indeed, it seems that some are already. Stanley Jobe preserved Arroyo 41A in his neck of the woods. How about preserving that arroyo as it goes downstream and other natural arroyos as they flow from the beautiful Franklin Mountains.

41A need not be radically reduced and dalloed as City engineers claim. The channel as it passes under the freeway was designed by TxDOT to manage much more flow. Retention pond or more homes and a preserved arroyo? Take a lesson from Hunt. Add value to homes that overlook "gently sloping hillsides and a naturally-preserved arroyo. . . "