Summerlin is a steward of the land

While April is Earth Month, the master-planned community of Summerlin is a place where the environment is celebrated year-round.

The community, which spans 22,500 acres, has long recognized its obligation as a steward of the land and has incorporated many design innovations throughout its three-plus decades of development to ensure Summerlin continues to take shape true to its original vision, while respecting the environment and conserving precious resources.

Summerlin’s dedication to preserving the environment has been demonstrated in many ways over the years, most notably two land exchanges in which developer, The Howard Hughes Corp., pulled Summerlin’s boundary eastward, adding 6,400 acres to the National Conservation Area and creating a permanent boundary that forever protects Red Rock Canyon and preserves its pristine character.

According to Kevin T. Orrock, president, Las Vegas Region, The Howard Hughes Corp., the decision to pull the community’s border back was made because Hughes knew it would be inappropriate to develop within sight of the scenic loop road.

“From its inception, Summerlin was developed with the environment in mind,” Orrock said. “Beyond our landmark exchanges that continue to protect Red Rock Canyon, today, Summerlin was one of the valley’s earliest adopters of desert landscaping, helping to improve the public image of low water-use landscapes in the 1990s and encouraging other developers and builders to do the same.”

In fact, Summerlin was the valley’s first community to implement strict Water Smart conservation guidelines, and today, it continues to use and promote desert-friendly plant materials whenever and wherever possible. The Summerlin Community Association is actively removing non-functional grass throughout the community, including Summerlin Parkway and select neighborhood entrances, as well as installing water-smart irrigation systems in Summerlin South. Within Downtown Summerlin, HHC recently completed a replacement of the fescue grass at its signature event space, The Lawn, as well as at Las Vegas Ballpark, replanting Bermuda grass to save more than 2 million gallons of water, annually.

In addition, Summerlin is now harvesting many of the native desert plants in areas under development, and replanting them in new “blended” or “re-vegged” landscapes. So far, millions of dollars have been spent on these landscapes, saving significant amounts of irrigation water.

Even before Summerlin began to take shape, The Howard Hughes Corp. was integral in establishing a development fee to fund desert tortoise habitats that helped protect this once threatened species. Company leaders also served on a valleywide development coalition that drafted some of the nation’s toughest self-imposed rules on dust control to protect air quality.

A number of design innovations, such as the preservation of natural drainage areas and arroyos that serve a dual use for parks and trails, as well as the incorporation of the natural landscape and topography, are strong examples of environmentally oriented design principles that have made Summerlin the model community it is today.

“Summerlin looks the way it does because of our commitment to preserve and activate open space corridors with hiking trails and native vegetation wherever possible,” said Julie Cleaver, senior vice president of commercial and residential planning for Summerlin.

“Even light pollution is addressed in the community’s design,” Cleaver continued. “Our streetlights incorporate shields that direct the light downward to mitigate glare and preserve the beauty of the nighttime sky.”

According to Cleaver, Summerlin was the first community in Southern Nevada to incorporate roundabouts in select areas, not only to improve traffic flow and safety, but also to be kinder and gentler to the environment by eliminating idling at lights and thereby reducing fuel consumption and vehicle emissions.

Additionally, Cleaver said the community’s environmental stewardship is evolving to include a more intense focus on new urbanism and smart growth, evident in a growing number of higher-density neighborhoods, particularly in the newest area of the community — Summerlin West, where smaller homes offer less maintenance and encourage a more experiential lifestyle.

In Downtown Summerlin, up to 4,000 additional residences are planned, including apartments, town homes, condominiums and lofts. In 2016, Downtown Summerlin’s retail area, One Summerlin office building and Two Summerlin (2018) earned Silver certification status from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. The newest office building, 1700 Pavilion, which is currently under construction in Downtown Summerlin, is on track to earn LEED Silver certification when it opens later this year.

Now, entering its 32nd year of development, Summerlin delivers more amenities than any other community in Southern Nevada. This includes more than 250 parks of all sizes; resident-exclusive community centers, pools and events; 200-plus miles of interconnected trails; 10 golf courses; 26 public, private and charter schools; a public library and performing arts center; Summerlin Hospital Medical Center; houses of worship representing a dozen different faiths; office parks; and neighborhood shopping centers. Downtown Summerlin offers fashion, dining, entertainment, Red Rock Resort and office towers. City National Arena is home of the Vegas Golden Knights National Hockey League practice facility. The Las Vegas Ballpark is a world-class Triple-A baseball stadium and home of the Las Vegas Aviators.

In total, Summerlin offers nearly 120 floor plans in 20-plus neighborhoods throughout nine distinct villages and districts. Homes, built by many of the nation’s top homebuilders, are available in a variety of styles — from single-family homes to town homes, priced from the $400,000s to more than $1 million. For information on all actively selling neighborhoods, visit Summerlin.com. Before you visit, call the builders to check on hours of operation. Phone numbers for each neighborhood are on Summerlin.com.