One of the most unique
neighborhoods in the greater Houston area is expected to break ground
this month at the West Houston Airport.
The concept, known as
aerovillas, was the idea of Woody Lesikar, general manager of the West
Houston Airport, and a fixture there since 1966.
Lesikar, who was
a charter pilot before becoming the general manager, has flown into
small general aviation airports all over the United States.
On
one of those flights into Spruce Creek Airport, located in Port Orange,
Florida, Lesikar noticed the nice homes along taxiways leading to the
main runway.
"They had 1,200 home sites, and 600 of them have airplanes," he said.
The West Houston Airport, which opened in 1962, is located at 18000 Groschke Road, in Houston.
The
airport, which has a 4,000-foot runway, is home to more than 300
aircraft, and in the near future about 40 new homes that will have
access to the taxiway.
The aerovilla communities are hardly new,
and often are known by other names, such as fly-in communities or
residential airparks.
Most aerovillas aren't the standard
2,000-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-car garage variety home, but a
multi-level home between 3,000 and 5,000 square feet that includes an
attached 1,600- to-3,600 -square-foot aircraft hangar.
While the
average home might cost between $150,000 and $250,000, the aerovillas
have a starting prices of about $1.2 million, and include a host of
amenities.
"They don't have to do anything on the outside. All
the maintenance is taken care of in the subdivision, so they can get in
their airplane and fly off without having to worry about it," Lesikar
said. "That's what is good about this. People want to get out there and
mess with the toys they've worked hard to acquire, and fly off
somewhere."
Like in other subdivisions, there is a homeowners
association and there are dues that must be collected to maintain the
area landscaping, as well as the lighting for the taxiways and the valet
fuel service that will be available to residents.
There are also requirements in this community.
"The
deed restrictions call for them to have an airplane in the hangar,"
Lesikar said. "I think this (community) is going to do well. I think
this is going to be a unique and fun community, and I think these
aerovillas will sell out fast, once people see what they are getting."
Courtney
Saldivar, who with her husband, Mark, is designing the aerovillas, said
the growth in the west Houston area and the expansion of the Energy
Corridor fostered the concept.
"This has really become one of the
closest private airports (to the Energy Corridor) in Houston for
private planes," Saldivar said.
Lesikar said that the next closest airport to them is in Sugar Land.
He
said pilots decide to land at an airport depending on the type of
aircraft, the length of the runway, and where their passengers, if they
are ferrying any, need to go.
"The more we looked at this, the more we thought that this was just a really great idea," Saldivar said.
"Now that we have started to market this, we are seeing that people are really interested in this."
Saldivar
and West Houston Airport are in the process of platting the property,
which still has to be approved by the city of Houston.
Simultaneously,
the Saldivars are working on the design of the homes - they are
partners in the Allen Guerra Architecture firm - that will be part of
the first phase of development.
Saldivar said that 13 aerovillas are planned in the first phase, and each will have a different floor plan.
The first plan already is designed and will hopefully be built this year.
"We
have two others who are waiting until the platting is done, and one
other who is trying to decide if this is the situation they want,"
Saldivar said.
Jolynn Johnston, who has had her private pilot's license for four years, plans to be the first resident at West Houston Airport.
"This is a pilot's dream," she said.
"This
is a really cool idea. I really like the idea and the layout of the
aerovillas. My plan was to live in a hangar anyway, so I like the idea
of the aerovillas. My office, my home and my plane will all be in one
place.
"I don't have to go into Houston at all."
To learn more about the aerovillas, go to www.westhoustonairport.com/newsletters/2013/News2013-06.pdf or contact Lesikar at 281-492-2130 or email him at woody@westhoustonairport.com
Story and Photos: http://www.chron.com
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