Residents celebrate Desert Shores’ 20th anniversary

By Jenny Davis

Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008 | 1:30 p.m.

About 20 years ago Gwenda Foy was thumbing through a local newspaper and saw an ad about a new master-planned community that sparked her interest, It read "Desert Shores: a summer vacation all year long."

With four lakes stocked with fish, a lagoon, a beach picnic area and roomy homes, Foy said she thought it sounded like the perfect place, especially so her husband wouldn't need to spend a lot of money driving to Utah or Lake Mead to go fishing.

When she took her husband to the sales site for the homes, he looked around, raised his eyebrows and asked, "Are you for real? There is nothing out here but desert."

And he was right.

Back when West Lake Mead Boulevard led to practically nothing but wasteland and before a single Summerlin home was built, Desert Shores was selling homes.

This month the community — between Buffalo Drive and Rampart Boulevard; and between Cheyenne Avenue and Lake Mead Boulevard — is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

The first residents to move in, the Foys, are still there and attended a Sept. 7 anniversary celebration.

"We love the area," Foy said. "We take our grandkids to the lagoon and tell them, 'We're going to go to the beach!' and they love to see the ducks."

The residents agree that the four man-made lakes that span 60 acres in total and the sea-like ambiance created by the ducks, signs and foliage of the 682-acre community were key amenities that drew them to the community.

"You take away the lakes, and there is nothing unique about Desert Shores," said Mark Klein, who has been the president of the Desert Shores Community Association for four years. "It is what they say: 'Where the desert meets the water.'"

Klein said he and his wife often walk around the lakes, a 3.2-mile walk. He said he and the HOA have also tried to use the lakes as much as possible by putting benches around the lakes and encouraging business to come to the Lakeside Business Center, where the public can come and enjoy the businesses like restaurants that are next to the largest lake.

Hal Ober, the developer of Desert Shores who died in November 2007, would have had a smile on his face if he could have seen the 20th celebration and the great community it has become, said his son Scott Ober.

"He was just a great visionary," Scott said. "He wanted to build lakes out there when there was nothing on the west side of the U.S. 95. That sort of thing had never been done before in Las Vegas, and he wanted to do it."

Scott said he remembers having to use a four-wheeler to drive out to the lakes before they were filled with water. He said everyone felt great excitement when the water turned on to fill them.

Because Hal was a family man, he wanted to be sure the legacy of his family would stay within Desert Shores, Scott said. Hal named each one of the four lakes after his four oldest granddaughters in each family: Maddison, Sarah, Jacqueline and Lindsey.

Scott and his daughter, Lindsey Ober Avakian, attended the celebration. Lindsey was 9 when her grandfather named one of the lakes after her. She didn't quite understand the significance of it then, but now that both her grandparents have died, she said it means a lot to her to have been given the honor.

"They have left us so many wonderful things and have instilled in us qualities that I hope to pass down to my children," she said.

During the celebration, Avakian shared with residents the letter that her grandfather wrote to her to tell her that one of the lakes would bear her name. It read: "To create something of beauty is a wonderful thing. By naming our creation after someone who has a beautiful spirit, we do honor to both. We have chosen to name one of the lakes at Desert Shores after you. From this day on and forevermore, the lake indicated on the attached drawing shall be named Lake Lindsey."

"I wish he could have been there yesterday," Scott said. "He would have just absolutely loved it."

Klein said as president one of his goals has been to keep Desert Shores looking like the original concept while also addressing the current water crisis. One of the major issues he worked on while being on the Lake and Landscaping Committee board was integrating xeriscape into most of the community's common areas beside the area around the lakes and clubhouse.

"Some residents got very emotional about taking out the grass," he said. "But we understand water is a problem. We are constantly looking at water use and how we can improve it."

However, he said he feels that reason Desert Shores has been able to keep an attractive appearance is because of the cooperation of the residents to pay the HOA fees and in general conform to the community regulations and deed restrictions.

"Our assessments are very reasonable because we've been well managed," he said. "Also, the board escapes politics that can sometimes overtake some organizations. The people on the board are genuinely interested in doing the best for the community as a whole."

The annual budget of the HOA is about $2.2 million. Klein said the board is willing to spend the money correctly to keep the community looking new.

Desert Shores was the second master-planned community in the Las Vegas Valley. Now, 3,351 units are in the community and the HOA has been under total homeowner control since 1992.

Foy said the idea of paying homeowners association fees was new to her, but she said she welcomed it. After living in neighborhood that she said had not been kept up, she was glad to pay a little extra to keep the value of her home up.

"I didn't have to worry about all the different colored houses and junky yards," Foy said. "The landscaping looks nice, the homes look nice. The fees really make a difference on the presence of the homes."

Klein acknowledges the community has its problems. The foreclosure crisis has hit the community and newer developments near the community creates competition in the marketplace.

"We have to just keep doing what we're doing," he said. "We try to stay on top of people who haven't paid their fees so they don't get far behind."

Las Vegas City Councilman Larry Brown, who calls Desert Shores the best kept secret in Las Vegas, said the success of the community has been in its uniqueness.

"It was so unique when it was built," he said. "And they have stayed very active in the community. The board of directors has been active in protecting the integrity of the community and have kept a great relationship with the city."

Jenny Davis can be reached at 990-8921 or [email protected].