Quorum Article - December 2000
Outdoor
Resort Palm Springs (known as ORPS) is situated on 137 acres on Ramon Road in
Cathedral City. It is a recreational vehicle resort and country club and is a
5-star premier destination for RV’ers around the world.
ORPS is a very substantial country club.
In fact it is a kind of Del Webb on wheels.
At ORPS the homeowners’ condos are their “rigs.”
When one understands that ORPS members will pay up to $1.5 million for
their rigs and up to $137,000 for their lots, any notion that this is some kind
of “campground” quickly vanishes.
The rigs at ORPS run the gamut from simple recreational
vehicles trailers to luxuriously equipped buses. With 1,213 individually owned
RV sites, prices start at about $40,000 for a standard interior location.
The RV sites are located on lots set among the golf course fairways and
greens. The premium lots are large and command golf course or lake views.
The developer of ORPS was Outdoor Resorts of America and
work on site commenced in 1984. However,
the developer no longer has any affiliation with the property, which is owned
entirely by the homeowners association.
Facilities and amenities at ORPS include seven lakes,
two large multi-functional clubhouses, eight heated pools, 11 Jacuzzi spas, 27
holes of challenging par 3 golf, 14 lighted first class tennis courts, six
satellite accommodations with restrooms and laundry facilities, a convenience
store, and restaurant.
The clubhouses are surprisingly large. Both have
ballrooms and between them they accommodate a fitness center, card room,
billiards room, libraries, big screen TV theater seating, club lounges, bars,
espresso/snack bar, hair salon, and convenience store. The convenience store has
an extensive inventory of practical groceries, supplies, and parts necessary to
support the RV life.
While ORPS may be compared to Del Webb for its range of
facilities and activities, there is no age restriction on owners or residents.
Members include young travelers and retirees alike. While there are 1,213
lots, there are as many as 3,000 or so members because of dual member/owner
arrangements.
ORPS is a place for the young at heart. Owners and
visitors enjoy the camaraderie engendered by enthusiastically shared activities,
clubs, and programs, including extensive fitness and aerobic classes. There is
golf, tennis, computer club, crochet class, movies, bingo, line dancing, bridge,
flea market, card nights, special
events, and trips. A non-denominational chapel service is held on Sundays
during the season.
Operations at ORPS require a fairly large organization. The staff is employed in-house. A general manager heads up 38 groundskeepers, 20 in security, 14 in housekeeping, 5 “activity” personnel (including an activities director), 4 office/bookkeeping staff and a part-time CPA.
A 7-member board of directors governs the homeowner
association. Directors serve three-year terms. A roster of active standing
committees supports the Board. These include Communications, Safety &
Security, Golf, Tennis, Fitness Center, Activities, Finance, Aesthetics &
Improvements, and Emergency Response.
The Aesthetics Committee reviews and approves all lot
improvements. Some of these are quite elaborate and include landscaping
arrangements, barbecue pits, garden walls, lot lighting, and paving. The
Communications Committee is responsible for a professionally produced
newsletter, the “Oracle.” They also publish a web site, with the help of a
computer club representative. It may be seen at www.orps.com.
The Safety & Security Committee includes emergency preparedness within its
purview.
While different in that it focuses on RVs, ORPS faces
the same challenge as every homeowner association - preserving and enhancing
property values. Although only 16
years old, ORPS is already focusing on renewal projects. Recent improvements include a new and larger security
gatehouse and a remodeled restaurant. ORPS is meticulously maintained and has
received the Desert Beautiful Award for its outstanding appearance.
Dues at ORPS are $190 per month and include the use of the golf, tennis and other facilities. There are no “extras” other than involved with some of the more specialized activities.
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