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. . . "

Development Ponds Are Protecting What Is Downstream

We've talked much about Arroyo 41A as it relates to the Jobe Quarry on GLO land by the State Park. There is far more to this story - especially as it goes downstream to the proposed developments of Desert Springs, Enchanted Hills, and 118 acres of land at the intersection of I-10 and Transmountain. 18 acres at the northeast corner of I-10 and Transmountain is owned by Transmountain Investors. Just to the north of this corner is a 100 acre parcel owned by George Gary Duncan, Atty. - George Gary Duncan Profit Sharing Plan, Santa Fe, NM.

Today let's focus on the land just to the east of those 118 acres: Enchanted Hills which is being developed by Doug Schwartz. Mr. Schwartz recently went to the City of El Paso's CPC to get approval on the platting of a portion of that property. (See the CPC agenda, major preliminaries 2 and 3. Be sure to review the attachments.) The issue will go back to the CPC now that the Open Space Advisory Board has reviewed it. In essence, Schwartz is changing the land study and staff and Open Space agree that his request should be denied.

During the March 22, 2010 Open Space Board meeting, Chairman Charlie Wakeem gave a slideshow presentation which led to the conclusion that Enchanted Hills Plats 1 & 2 should be denied. (Go here to see the full slideshow.)

But more was revealed than just the reasons for denying the plats. Two large ponds created inside of Arroyo 41A, are not for the drainage from the development (water would have to flow uphill), they seem to have been designed to protect the flooding of commercial property at the corner of Transmountain and I-10. Rather than creating a design that preserves the arroyo, the developers (along with City Engineers such as our old friend Kareem "Concrete" Dallo) are striving to protect commercial interests.

One of the large ponds in Enchanted Hills was originally claimed as open space under the Desert Springs study. The land was transferred to Schwartz by O'Leary so it could no longer be a required open space. In it goes a pond. Farther down on the Schwartz Enchanted Hills property is another pond. So much for Arroyo 41A.

City Engineers argue that the massive flooding west of I-10 during the 2006 storm were the result of uncontrolled flow from 41A. It may be more the case that 41A to the west of I-10 was forced to meet up with several other arroyos. On top of that, maintenance on culverts that was the responsibility of the State of Texas was not done. It wasn't 41A that caused the flooding; it was the alteration to the flow paths and the lack of maintenance to the culverts! Thus, the ponding at Enchanted Hills isn't necessary and can only be necessary if what is being protected is the commercial property on the NE corner of I-10 and Transmountain.

What about all of the owners of these developments - commercial and residential. One source tells me that Doug Schwartz of Foster Schwartz Development owns not just Enchanted Hills but Desert Springs with Randy O'Leary. And who are some of the investors in the George Gary Duncan Profit Sharing Plan? Don't know - but I bet I could venture a guess.