Corsican Villas

 Quorum Article – May 2001

Corsican Villas is known among its residents as the “Gem of the Desert.” It is a fenced and gated condominium community of 130 units on twenty plus acres on Portola Avenue in Palm Desert. It is directly opposite the Living Desert and has The Reserve and Ironwood Country Club for neighbors. Dick Oliphant was the developer and building was completed around 1972.

This subdivision is part of the old Bing Crosby estate, which included a 9-hole golf course. The golf course and main house are gone but the old Crosby pool house and pool survive as the Corsican Villas clubhouse and main pool, both of which are more than fifty years old. Another survivor from the old estate is the putting green, which is close by the clubhouse. Other amenities include four pools and spas and two tennis courts lighted for nighttime play.

The two and three bedroom condo units are attractively laid out in generous green belt. They range in size from approximately 1,030 to 1,540 square feet. Some of them are in townhouse configuration. All have two car garages. During the past twelve months, prices for these units have ranged from $103,000 to $16,000. Needless to say, the close proximity of Corsican Villas to The Reserve and Ironwood Country Club can only be helpful to its property values.

The immaculate appearance of Corsican Villas is tribute to a series of Boards of Directors who have long had a conscientious eye on future maintenance requirements and how to pay for them. Recent projects have included repainting the entire complex. Up coming projects include retrofitting all streetlights. There are also plans for landscaping upgrades and a new look for the entry gate, which will include flowering shrubs and reflect the desert style of the nearby Living Desert and The Reserve. The association’s reserves remain well funded.

While forward-looking, the Board of Directors is also conservative and has energy conservation in mind. It directed that the heat to all pools be turned off on March 1^st, except to the main pool. Depending on the budget forecast for 2002, the Board may turn off the heat at two of the pool/spa sets in the fall. All ground lighting has been converted from incandescent to fluorescent.

Property Manager Kaye Tuttle of PCM/Desert Resort Management assists the Board in its duties. Principal vendors are Valley Gardening for landscaping and Aqua Medics for pools.

The Corsican Villas homeowners are a close-knit, gregarious group and hold frequent block parties. They celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, regular holidays, and any other day the party spirit moves them to observe.