Communities become fitness destinations

Master-planned communities are no longer just places where residents live. They’re also becoming health and fitness destinations.

Skye Canyon, the master-planned community off U.S. Highway 95 at Skye Canyon Drive in northwest Las Vegas, is using its close proximity to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Mount Charleston to its advantage.

“We recognized that there’s a huge natural resource there that we need to make sure we take advantage of,” said Chris Armstrong, Olympia Cos. vice president of development. “There’s a definite niche and opportunity for those living active, healthy lifestyles.”

Armstrong said Skye Canyon launched its “Fit Lives Here” program, which is a series of events including a 5K and 8K trail run and yoga. In addition, Skye Canyon also has a 9,000-square-foot fitness center, Skye Fitness, and has bike lanes on all major streets as well as numerous parks. Each of Skye Canyon’s four builders — Pulte, Pardee, Century and Woodside — are also required to have a park in their subdivisions.

“Every resident has a connection to a park,” Armstrong said. “We invested $16 million in the first phase because we wanted to develop a great product that’s anchored by our fitness center.”

Though only 30 residents live at Skye Canyon, Armstrong said the health and fitness programming will continue to evolve as the community grows. “We’ll program everything through Skye Fitness including day trips to Mount Charleston for a picnic or hike so both those who are adventurous and those who aren’t can enjoy nature,” he said. “We’re also going to look into offering nutrition classes and we’ll seek out opportunities as we expand.”

Across the Las Vegas Valley, Inspirada in Henderson, which includes homes by Toll Brothers, Beazer, Century, KB Home and Pardee, boasts parks and walking trails as well as programs by Dignity Health for its nearly 3,500 residents.

Marianne Wojciechowicz, Inspirada Community Association’s lifestyle director, said Dignity Health has hosted diabetes, healthy eating, CPR certification and body mass index screening clinics.

“We decided to offer these to our residents to further enhance the healthy lifestyle that’s part and parcel of what living in Inspirada is like and also to make our community aware of what Dignity has to offer,” she said.

As more residents move into Inspirada, Wojciechowicz said she anticipates residents launching clubs based on their own interests such as yoga and tai chi.

“I can’t not see it happening because as we grow every day, you get the plurality of residents from different backgrounds who have their own interests so I can easily see expanding upon what we have now,” she said. “We’re anxious and willing to help them form their own clubs because when people take ownership of things, they have a great sense of investment and it builds community pride, which we’re all about.”

In Summerlin, the master-planned community features nearly 250 parks, 150 miles of interconnected trails, nine golf courses and is close to Red Rock Canyon, said Danielle Bisterfeldt, Summerlin vice president of marketing.

“The very nature of a master-planned community incorporates various elements of design that create lifestyle and uplift the quality of life, and Summerlin is no exception,” she said. The community’s list of robust amenities encourage residents to get outdoors and move.” Bisterfeldt said Summerlin also has recreational programming, which is organized by Summerlin Council, a nonprofit arm of the Summerlin Community Association that functions similarly to a municipal parks and recreation department.

“Through the council, Summerlin offers dozens of classes, from swimming and tennis to exercise of all kinds,” she said. “The council also offers residents a number of youth and adult sports leagues, including Little League baseball and T-ball, Pee Wee football, soccer, lacrosse and more.” Like Skye Canyon and Inspirada, as Summerlin continues to grow, Bisterfeldt said so will its amenities.

“Each new village incorporates a continuation of the Summerlin Trail System, and neighborhood parks are required by the master developer,” she said. “Additionally, most new villages have their own larger or regional park, often with sports fields, basketball courts and other recreational offerings.”

This year, Bisterfeldt said Summerlin completed construction on a new community center and aquatic center in The Vistas village, which will soon be open for public use.

“From the community’s inception, the plan to incorporate significant outdoor recreational amenities was integral to its vision as a community where residents have ample opportunity to get outside, participate in sports and enjoy the natural beauty of the area,” she said. “An active lifestyle has become synonymous with Summerlin thanks to both built-in design features and robust program offerings.”

Contact reporter Ann Friedman at afriedman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588. Follow @AnnFriedmanRJ on Twitter.