Summerlin residents pool together to stay cool

With the recent opening of the Veterans Memorial Olympic Swimming Pool and the completion of a renovation project on Summerlin's first community pool at The Trails Park, residents of the Summerlin master-planned community enjoy a wide array of water-themed activities, according to Daniel C. Van Epp, president of The Howard Hughes Corp., the developer.

There are three community swimming pools in Summerlin, including the one at The Willows Park.

"Just like any of Summerlin's recreational facilities, our community pools are designed to meet a variety of needs for residents of all ages," Van Epp said. "It's possible to get a workout, splash around with the kids, or take a thrill ride down a slide at the community's three pools.

"As Summerlin continues to expand, we will strive to provide a variety of pools with distinctive features. After all, keeping cool in the summer is a top priority here in the desert."

Veterans Memorial Pool, which opened a few months ago, is a city of Las Vegas facility, but was built and funded by Hughes Corp.

The pool is suited to competitive uses, as well as water play. It is located in The Arbors Sports Park, a 60-acre joint-use park which includes the 42-acre campus of Palo Verde High School. Additional amenities include football, baseball, softball and soccer fields, along with tennis and basketball courts. The Arbors Sports Park was developed by Hughes, the city and the Clark County School District.

Gerry Robbins, director of detail planning for Hughes, said the new pool is suited to a range of abilities and ages.

"High school teams can swim 25-meter laps across the width, while masters swimmers can swim 100-meter laps," Robbins said.

The pool ranges in depth from three feet to 12 feet and features two diving boards, a play area and handicap access. Adjacent to the pool is a bathhouse with dressing and shower rooms, meeting rooms, and a reception area.

The Trails pool, the oldest of the three, is owned and operated by the Summerlin Community Association primarily for resident use, although guests accompanied by residents are welcome.

Randy Ecklund, executive director of the association, said the 25-meter pool has broad appeal because of its varied features, which include a children's area, lap area and deep end with a diving board.

The association will host "The Big Splash" next weekend to celebrate the pool's recent renovation, which included resurfacing and tiling, along with new outdoor furniture.

The Willows pool is also owned and operated by the association for resident use. Designed as a resort-style play pool, it features a beach-style entrance, a water slide and fountains that enhance water play, especially for young children.

Ecklund said The Willows pool is a kid's favorite.

"The Willows is a relatively shallow pool with lots of fun novelties, such as the slide and the fountains. Young families are among the pool's most frequent users," he said.

The Willows is also the site of the community's "Dive-In Movies" series, where residents can watch full-length films shown on a big screen television. Another event it hosts is the annual Super Bowl Plunge in which daredevil residents slide into a 42-degree pool in January.

All three pools offer swimming lessons and kids' camps.

Summerlin has been ranked as the nation's best-selling master-planned community for nine of the past 10 years, according to independent surveys by Robert Charles Lesser & Co.

Developed as a series of villages along the western end of the valley, it features eight golf courses, nearly 100 neighborhood and village parks, nearly 100 completed miles of trails, 16 public and private schools, houses of worship, shopping centers, medical facilities, cultural facilities, business parks, and nearly 100 model homes.

Houses, townhomes and condominiums are priced from the mid-$100,000s to more than $700,000. Custom lots measuring from one-half acre to three-quarters of an acre are priced from the high $300,000s to more than $1 million, and predesigned custom homes are priced from $1.5 million. Apartments offer monthly rents starting from the high $700s.

To visit the community's home finding center, travel west on Sahara Avenue, past Hualapai Way, to Town Center Drive. Or, take Interstate 215 to Sahara. The center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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