Heritage Palms

Quorum Article - December 2005

Heritage Palms is a gated community of 1,003 homes on 200 acres of fee land in Indio at the intersection of Jefferson Street and Fred Waring Drive. The building of this planned unit development started in 1996 and was completed in 2004. The original developer was US Homes, who sold to Lennar in 1998. Their market was the 55 +, middle income family.

The homes have two or three bedrooms and range in approximate size from 1,400 to 2,500 square feet and in approximate price from $300,000 to$600,000.  They are sited amidst an 18-hole golf course, which is located on both sides of Fred Waring and joined by a connecting tunnel. This excellent location provides easy access to restaurants and shops in both Indio and La Quinta.  Heritage Palms homeowners will soon even have golf cart access to the new retail construction on the corners of Fred Waring and Jefferson. Home sales currently average eight homes per month. About 40-50% of the Heritage Palms homeowners are full time residents.

Aside from the golf course, amenities include 4 lighted tennis courts, 3 bocce ball courts, a putting area, and a 4,056 square foot administration building, with 2 fitness/card rooms.  The 3,300 square foot Fitness Facility has both an indoor pool and an outdoor pool & spa.  The 18,268 square foot Clubhouse accommodates Receptionist/Concierge, Grille & Bar, a Ballroom for functions up to 250 guests, 2 card rooms, a craft room and a wood working room.  The Fitness Center is currently being retrofitted and updated and the Ballroom will soon receive a new sound system and new acoustical panels.

The Heritage Palms homes and facilities are set in beautifully manicured and mature landscaping. With more than 3,500 trees, including abundant Palm Trees, it rivals any in the desert. Discussions are underway for refining some areas of landscaping that will require less watering by using a “desertscape” approach.

Golf is central to the lifestyle at Heritage Palms. Ask Gordon Leith, Director of Golf how he feels about Heritage Palms; “We have a beautiful, 18-hole, par 72, championship golf course. We provide 4 sets of tees to make the course enjoyable for every skill level from novice to professional. Designed by the world famous Arthur Hills, Heritage Palms features gently rolling terrain, water hazards on 6 holes and immaculate turf conditions year round. Our professional staff are all skilled instructors with experience in individual lessons, group clinics and on course instruction. All of the professionals on staff are equally skilled at making your learning experience as fun as it is educational. In addition to a beautiful golf course and friendly staff, don't miss the shopping in our sensational pro shop. We are proud to offer apparel from Ashworth, Cutter & Buck, Nike and Tehama and top of the line equipment from Ping, Titleist, Nike and others. Who wouldn’t want to live here?”

Robert White, who heads Turf Management, is just as enthusiastic:  “We currently have 27 Staff members including my assistant and myself managing approximately 200 acres of turf, desert features, and just over an acre of annual flowerbeds. We have an estimated 125 combined years of experience in golf course management and have two employees enrolled in the turfgrass management program at the College of the Desert. There are two employees licensed through the California Department of Pesticide Regulation that oversee the application of plant protectants. Heritage Palms turf management staff experiences more than two hundred hours of continuing education yearly.” Robert also heads the Maintenance Department and ensures that the common areas, as well as the golf course, look their best year round. 

Many of the Heritage Palms homeowners are retired or semi-retired but they are very active in the management of their community through the committees that assist the 5-member Board of Directors.

The Architectural Committee oversees all issues from the construction of Patio Covers, through landscaping installation to maintenance. This committee meets twice a month in season and once a month during the summer.  In April 2005 the Emergency Preparedness Committee participated in an Earthquake drill.  A Ham radio club, full communications capabilities and trained professional assistance will all help ensure success in dealing with seismic emergencies.

The Security Advisory Committee also meets once a month with seven homeowners volunteering to see that all issues arising are addressed and resolved promptly. The Rules & Regulations Committee is also staffed by diligent homeowners, who take their responsibilities seriously, whether it’s dealing with an animal without a leash or a breach of the swimming pool rules.  Their contributions are necessary and appreciated by the HOA as well as by the homeowners.  With a large community and a significant turnover of homes, effective communication of the rules helps keep everyone working together.

HOA monthly dues are a relatively modest $230.00, $26.00 of which is Cable. Vendors supporting the community include AOL Time Warner (Cable & Homeowner Channel 77),  Boyd Security, Bob’s Pest Control, and Guralnick & Gilliland LLP. 

Phil Tadlock, CCM CCAM is the Heritage Palms Association Manager. Says Phil, “With 1,003 homes this is a small city.  The Homeowners take an active role in their Association as volunteers in the various committees and on the Board which makes for an efficient operation that gets the job done!” 

Phil finds that the mutual commitment of staff and homeowners makes this HOA a great place to live and work.  Many of his staff members have been there for more than five years and in a valley where everything changes with the season Phil finds it gratifying to see a bond develop between the community itself and those working to keep the community running smoothly. The years of combined HOA experience of the management team provides the homeowners with resources not enjoyed at every association.

The fact that the HOA is self-managed and on-site is also a definite positive and Phil has worked hard to keep solid lines of communication open with the developer, the City of Indio, and local contractors to the benefit of the homeowners he works with. Because of the on site situation, problems, issues, or questions can be addressed directly to the HOA manager, who has an open-door policy for anyone, anytime.

Association President, Robert (Bob) Roman sums it all up, “With all of our amenities; a fitness center, pools, golf, tennis, billiards, several card rooms, a Grille, Lounge, and a Library, I find Heritage Palms is a wonderful place to live and provides all of our Homeowners with a quality of life and living, a true community environment that is not surpassed in the desert.”