Future shines bright for ‘Island of the Sun’
By Nancy Zoellner-Hogland - Lake of the Ozarks Business Journal - April 2015The causeway leading to Isla Del Sol Condominiums just might end up as the hottest spot to fish at Lake of the Ozarks. In late March, crews with Apperson Utility Contracting Company installed 12, 2-foot-by-8-foot concrete culverts that had one end stuffed with woody debris, at the base of the concrete causeway to act as fish caves. They also brought in 14, 40-to-50-foot-long trees and 18 tree stumps that were strategically placed and anchored along both sides of the base.
Apperson, who also built the new 570-foot long, 24-foot wide causeway that connects the island to the mainland, completed the causeway construction last November. However, crews had to wait until the winter drawdown to complete the fish habitat, which also features three, 8-foot culverts, 72 feet long, to provide for water transfer and allow fish movement. The habitat was built to assuage fears of local citizens who were concerned the causeway could harm the ecosystem and the “unique, underwater saddle” that spanned the distance between the island and the shore.
And as wonderful as life will be for the fish that take up residence in that new underwater habitat, it doesn’t compare to the luxury available to those who will live “above water.”
Known for years as “Hawaiian Island,” Isla Del Sol currently is home to three buildings housing 30 units each. When completed, Isla Del Sol, the only island development at Lake of the Ozarks, will include 180 units.
“Because the condominiums are all built right at the water’s edge around the perimeter of the island, every single condominium has an incredible view,” said the new developer Kevin Brown. “In March, we held an open house for realtors so they could familiarize themselves with the project and the view was something mentioned over and over again.”
And that view is about to get even better. Brown and Scott Frisella, who for the past five years have managed the island for Rockwood Bank but recently took over as developers of the project, are in the process of completely revamping the landscaping. They’re planting decorative trees – Magnolias, Red Sunset Maples and Cleveland Pears – along the seawall and around the buildings and grounds and they’re also removing and replacing all existing plantings, cleaning up all of the over grown brush around the sea wall and brush hogging and trimming of all the over grown areas that do not have building structures.
Brown said all the hard work already is starting to pay off.
“Prior to completion of the causeway, we’d go weeks without a showing but lately, we’ve had several showings every weekend – and people are loving what they’re seeing,” he said, adding that things are about to get even busier. “We’ll soon be launching an extensive marketing campaign for 2015 that will include a large number of local radio commercials and television commercials on the Cardinals Baseball Network in addition to print, social media and billboards. We’ll also be supporting local events like the Lake Race and Shootout. Truthfully, we just need to get people here. Isla Del Sol and the ‘Hawaiian island’ atmosphere will sell itself. Where else in the Midwest can you own a condominium on a private island and still be just a short drive down Route W and just 15 minutes from shopping, dining, entertainment and more? No place that I know of.”
Previously, the condominium project, located at the 3.5 mile mark or at 60 Knox Road in Rocky Mount, was accessible only by ferry – and that ferry had a limited operating schedule. To provide easier access and to provide quicker access for emergency vehicles, Rockwood Bank funded approximately $1.1 million for construction of the causeway. To recoup those costs, with approval of Miller County commissioners, a Community Improvement District (CID) was formed. A CID may be either a political subdivision or a not-for-profit corporation. CID’s are organized for the purpose of financing a wide range of public-use facilities and establishing and managing policies and public services relative to the needs of the district. In this case, the CID encompasses the island, the footprint of the causeway and a small sliver of land where the causeway will meet the mainland.
Under the CID, Isla Del Sol condominium owners will pay an additional $800 to $900 per year in real estate property taxes over the next 20 years to Miller County. The county will then disburse payments to the CID board, which also will establish a special reserve fund for maintenance of the causeway as well as for a portion of Knox Road leading to the causeway.
After property owners in the Frelich’s Resort subdivision, located along Knox Road, expressed concern that they would lose their existing community boat ramp if the causeway was built, Rockwood Bank also redesigned the mainland access point. The bank tore out the old ramp, which was crumbling and falling apart, and built a new 20-foot-wide ramp with concrete aprons and a community parking area. The bank also improved a portion of Knox Road as well as the circle drive that serves the subdivision. Rockwood will not be reimbursed for those costs.
Brown and Frisella, commonly referred to as “The Condo Guys,” are currently the developers at Lands’ End, Sunset Palms and Monarch Cove. They also own ProBuild Construction Services and Property Management Professionals, (PMP), which, founded in 2009, also manages seven other condo associations consisting of more than 800 homeowners.
For more information, visit isladelsollakeozarks.com or call Tina Stotler at The Property Shop at the Lake at 573-480-7760.
Offering world-class attractions and natural beauty, Isla Del Sol offers premier luxury waterfront condominiums at the Lake of the Ozarks that puts you in reach of it all. Give us a call today @ 573-552-8418 or visit our website to see what we can offer you!
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