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112 new base housing units to be opened soon
Hammers pound away a steady beat in the unrelenting June sun as construction workers put the finishing touches on new houses. It's a sign of things to come for those stationed here.
Contractors finished work and people moved into homes on the first loop of the base's Phase 5 project in October 2006. The second loop of homes in this construction phase are scheduled for completion by August, opening up 51 new housing units here on Raymond Smart Circle, said Elfie S. Stoehr, base housing manager.
By the end of summer, the last loop of homes in the phase five plan will open up 61 more housing units on James Taylor Circle, Stoehr added.
As the new homes open, contractors will demolish older neighborhoods on base to make way for more construction with the Dunes housing area next on the demolition schedule. That leaves two remaining neighborhoods for demolition -- Desert Vista and Gunfighter Manor, said Stoehr.
The base's military housing construction plan includes eight phases spanning several years. To date, the base has about 350 new homes.
"The main goal is to provide quality housing for all our families," she added. "Currently, the schedule is to move families from the South Dunes into the new houses. After they are moved to the other neighborhoods, we go to the waiting list."
On average, the waiting time for base housing is about one to three months for most military families. Depending on preference or special circumstances, the wait can be a little longer, said Mary Dunn, housing facility manager.
At this time, the senior noncommissioned officers have the longest waiting list -- up to a year. Service members moving here can submit an advance application from their losing base. The member's effective date on the waiting list would be the day they depart the losing base. This helps cut down the waiting time for our inbound families, said Dunn.