the island
Point Tesoro In 1965, a master-planned, water-oriented recreational community began development on North Padre Island, according to the Padre Isles Property Owners Association. Back then, 8,950 commercial and residential sites were planned. Today, there are over 5,400 lots completed, with 3,080 single-family lots and 2,000 plus multi-family units. Subdivisions included in property owners association include Point Tesoro with Douden Park. Stan Hulse, Vice President of the Padre Isles Property Owners Association, said there are 20 subdivisions included in all. “We are the largest property owner association in Texas with 32 linear miles in waterfront,” he said. Hulse, who lives in the Point Tesoro subdivision, said he loves the proximity to the water. “I always have the feeling that my home is truly a sanctuary. When I cross the bridge, I have that feeling that I am going away on vacation,” he said, referring to the bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. He and his family enjoy the camaraderie there among the neighbors, and he said it’s hard to tell where one subdivision ends and the next one begins. “There is a mixture of people. Some are professionals,
48 The Bend
some are blue collar workers, and some are first-time homebuyers,” Hulse said, adding that there are plenty of retirees on the Island. The property owners association watches out for the homeowners without being too punitive, Hulse said. Another homeowner, J.R. Miller, lives near Douden Park on the Island, and said he and his family have lived in six different subdivisions there. One special amenity of Douden Park is its community garden, started in 2011. It was the first community garden in Corpus Christi using park land. Residents come together to garden on their own reserved 10-by-15-foot plot. The garden brings the community members together and offers a beautiful and fruitful place to walk, chat, and grow. Hulse said the whole island is enjoying a building boom, and that empty lots throughout are expected to be developed. “Last year, about 60 home permits were issued each month,” Hulse said.
[the lifestyle magazine of the coastal bend]