View the presentation below to learn more about The Vista Hills Project*
*Presentation made to Vista Hills homeowners and stakeholders on February 8, 2023 at Hanks High School.
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Vista Hills Country Club (VHCC): FAQ

1.
Who owns Vista Hills Country Club (VHCC)?‍
The Club has been owned by equity member shareholders since its inception in 1974. In the early years, there were close to 400 members. Currently, there are only 41 equity members remaining. These members continue to pay dues and assessments to pay for ongoing expenses while the Club is reorganizing to pay its debt and solicit public and private partners for the golf course property.
2.
When and why did VHCC close?‍
VHCC closed in April of 2019. 41 members could not sustain the operating expenses of a large club house and an 18-hole golf course. The Club also had significant debt that could not be paid from operating cashflow and needed time to stop the losses and sell a small portion of the property to pay its debt and recapitalize.
3.
What are the current VHCC dues/assessments being used for?‍
Current dues are used to pay property taxes, insurance, utilities, equipment fuel costs, legal fees, course maintenance costs
and repairs.
4.
What is being maintained on the golf course and who is paying for that cost?‍
When VHCC closed, the independent “Good Neighbors” organization raised funds from VHCC equity members and the surrounding neighbors to continue to water and maintain the course as well as possible. Currently, VHCC and the newly formed “Friends and Neighbors” continue to keep the course clean and trimmed, as best as possible. The extent of watering occurring in the upcoming spring and summer months will depend on being able to continue to raise funds.
5.
How much property does VHCC currently own?‍
VHCC owns the Pool/Cabana building that sits on approximately 2 acres of land that fronts Trawood and the 160-acre golf course property that spans both sides of Lee Trevino. VHCC recently sold the clubhouse that sits on 5 acres of land to help pay a significant portion of VHCC’s debt. The Club has been marketing a small portion of the golf course to pay off its remaining debt and recapitalize while it works to find a more permanent solution for the golf course property with private or public entities.
6.
How much property is VHCC planning to sell, and does it affect the golf course?‍
VHCC is in contract to sell approximately 22 acres of the golf course west of Lee Trevino to Avanta, consisting of the old driving range, and holes 8 and 9. This sale will leave approximately 138 acres to be used as a golf course and plenty of space to add a hole and convert a par 5 into two holes. This will still leave the option for an 18-hole golf course. All previous discussions with interested golf course operators have fallen through because of the existing debt being an obstacle to someone taking over the golf course operations. The debt would also be a burden for any public entity or non-profit entity that may take over the golf course property to maintain as green space for parks and walking paths.
7.
What is being planned on the new development?‍
The developer, Avanta, is planning a class-A single family for rent residential community with approximately 200, 1-to-4-bedroom patio homes, duplexes, and/or townhomes with backyards and some garages. The master plan will include a community center and a pool
with green space. Avanta identified Vista
 Hills as a unique location in the City of El Paso for its first and landmark residential community to showcase in the area. Avanta currently has projects under development in Texas and operations to develop additional projects in Colorado, Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas.
8.
Will this become a low-income rental housing development?‍
No, this will not be a low-income rental housing development. The project will be a market rate rental community.
9.
Wouldn’t homes for sale benefit the surrounding area over homes for rent?‍
Not necessarily. Once a home is purchased, it is difficult to control the maintenance and the actions of the homeowners. Avanta has strict guidelines for its tenants as well as a professional maintenance crew for landscaping and maintenance of the entire community.
10.
Will the home renters be required to become equity members?‍
No, VHCC does not plan to revive a private country club. Instead, it hopes to attract a golf course operator to manage and operate the golf course. Tenants of the new development as well as the surrounding communities could play or join any future golf course that may be established.
11.
Why does VHCC have to go to court to sell the land?‍
When the 160 acres comprising the golf course were conveyed to VHCC in 1979, the deed required that at least 81 acres remain a golf course. The 81 acres were not designated, so developers are afraid to invest money into a development on any part of the 160 acres until the 81 acres are designated by a court and the 22-acre parcel is released from the golf course restriction. The existing Cabana/Pool on 2 acres and the prior sold Clubhouse on 5 acres are not part of the golf course restrictive deed covenants.
12.
Are VHCC area homeowners going to be sued in order to lift the covenant to make way for the Avanta development?
VHCC has filed a suit asking an El Paso court to enter a Judgment stating that the site of the potential development is not part of the 81-acre restricted parcel. All the property owners surrounding the golf course are being made part of the proceeding in order to ensure that they have an opportunity to provide their input to the Court. No one is being sued for money or property; only property owners abutting the golf course are parties to the lawsuit so that the Judge can hear their opinions and know the effect of the decision on the surrounding property owners. There are over 400 residential and commercial property owners that are abutting the golf course’s 160 acres. The development is on a part of the golf course that can only be seen by the eighteen homeowners on Gary Player Drive facing the development and the 13 commercial property owners that would border the north boundary of the project.
13.
Do surrounding homes or businesses have restrictive covenants on their properties?‍
Yes, there are covenants on surrounding properties that restrict the types of fences that can be constructed on the golf course, setback restrictions and others, such as non-visible RVs from front and rear of homes on the golf course.
14.
Why doesn’t VHCC sell the development to build homes for sale versus rental homes like was planned during the prior failed development?
VHCC has had the property listed for sale since 2019 and we have not received any offers for homes for sale by developers. Investment decisions by developers are driven by economic factors, such as those created during Covid or current conditions. VHCC cannot control those economic factors. Instead, VHCC has identified a win-win-win development that can serve the needs of the existing club, the community’s needs, and the developer’s needs. Also, Avanta has been willing to work with and wait for VHCC to go through the lengthy legal process for the Club to obtain the proper declaratory judgement from the Court to lift the golf course restriction on the 22-acre parcel.
15.
What other benefits does this development provide to the course and surrounding community?‍
The development contract requires the developer to repair and maintain certain existing VHCC wells and controls that currently serve the golf course. The additional households created from this development will likely contribute to surrounding businesses, schools, and may serve as patrons to a future golf course operator operating in our backyards. In addition, this transaction creates the opportunity to save the golf course from becoming desert.
16.
Will the new development be physically open to the golf course?‍
No, the new development will be gated separately so that there will not be any non-controlled access to the golf course.
17.
Will “my view” to the golf course be blocked by the development?‍
The development will continue to be two fairways away from existing homes along Gary Player Drive. All other homes along the rest of the golf course have only one fairway between the back yards of existing homes and apartments. There are at least nine existing apartment and condominium communities along the boundaries of the golf course. The Avanta development would be a new and modern community along VHCC’s northern Trawood boundary. The current view from the commercial property perspective will be considered during the design process. The commercial property’s current view includes the unsightly, undeveloped, driving range and maintenance shed areas that frequently get homeless trespassers camping in those areas and leaving unsightly trash and personal items.
18.
Where will traffic enter the development?‍
There will be two entrances to Avanta’s development as required by fire codes, one from Trawood, and one from Lee Trevino, just north of the existing tunnel. All new roads will have fences and landscape buffer areas to keep the course secure and provide a nice visual barrier between homes and roadways.
19.
Will the development affect surrounding utilities serving homes or businesses?‍
Designs will be coordinated with existing City of El Paso departments and local utilities to insure there is no impact to surrounding properties.
20.
What will happen to the golf course if it is not opened again?
VHCC is committed to pursue a reputable golf course operator. If this does not come to fruition, it will be maintained as a green space until such time that a golf course operator, or non-profit, the City of El Paso, or the County of El Paso can take over the space and other storm water features of the course. In a worst-case scenario, the remaining golf course could
 become desert.
21.
Can anyone living next to the golf course enter the course?
The golf course is private property so only equity members can enter the course. For those non-equity members, prior participation in the “Good Neighbor” program allowed them to have access to the course. The Good Neighbor program has recently ceased operation. The new “Friends and Neighbors” group has formed, and non-equity members, may obtain access to the course upon registration with the “Friends and Neighbors.” Anyone interested in joining the “Friends and Neighbors“ can contact Brittany Bidwell by text at 915-257-0302 or Patsy Roy by email at patsyelp@gmail.com. They can answer questions about course maintenance and access, and they can also help answer questions about the Avanta development.