History of The Ridges

and The Ridges Homeowners Association (RHOA)

The Ridges Limited Partnership (RLP) was established to develop a premier, residential community in west Omaha, to be located on one square mile of property bordered by Pacific St to the north, West Center Rd to the south, 180^th St to the east and 192^nd St to the west.  Development plans included high-quality, upscale homes of varying sizes in thirteen distinct, but fully integrated subdivisions to be situated around a private, full-service country club and golf course.  Over 8,000 trees were planted by RLP throughout the square mile.  Sanitation Improvement District (SID) #367 was established to install and maintain streets, sewers and the like.  The Ridges encompasses almost 350 acres and the country club and golf course comprises nearly 200 acres.

The first residents of The Ridges began moving into their new homes in 1993.  In 1994, the annual Metro Area Builders Association’s (MOBA) Street of Dreams showcased new homes in The Ridges’ Cherry Ridge subdivision and again in 1999 in Fairway Ridge.  Many homes in The Ridges have been featured in MOBA’s annual Parade of Homes over the years as well.  Shadow Ridge Country Club & Golf Course (SRCC) opened its doors for business in 1990.  Although SRCC is an asset and an integral part of the community experience at The Ridges, it is a privately-owned business and a separate entity from The Ridges and RHOA.  Roughly one third of The Ridges’ residents enjoy full or social memberships at SRCC, whether dining and attending social events at the clubhouse, swimming, playing tennis or enjoying a round of golf on the 18-hole championship golf course.

The Declaration of Covenants for The Ridges was first filed with Douglas County in February 1993.  As additional subdivisions within The Ridges were developed, corresponding Covenants and Amendments were also filed.  RHOA was established with the filing of the Covenants.  Articles of Incorporation are filed with the state of Nebraska registering RHOA as a not-for-profit corporation.  All residential lot owners within The Ridges are automatically members of RHOA.  As per the Covenants, RHOA has as its purpose, “the preservation of the values and amenities of The Ridges, the maintenance of the character and residential integrity of The Ridges, and the promotion of the health, safety, recreation, welfare and enjoyment of the residents of The Ridges”.  Since being named the Declarant by RLP in July 2009, all powers, duties and responsibilities of RHOA are exercised and administered by the RHOA Board of Directors. 

Lot owners are entitled to cast one vote per lot to elect the RHOA Board of Directors.  Board elections are held once every two years at the annual meeting to fill a maximum of nine board positions.  The Board of Directors determines policy and makes decisions concerning RHOA business and affairs.  Open positions may be filled by appointment until the next election.  All Board of Director positions are volunteer and currently held by residents of The Ridges.  Since 2002, the Board of Directors has employed property management to oversee day-to-day business and to implement board policies and decisions.   

A minimum of five members are required to serve as the Design Review Board (DRB) for The Ridges.  DRB members meet monthly to review new home plans and any proposed changes or improvements to the exterior of existing homeowner properties.  DRB members are appointed by RHOA Board of Directors, with one position on the DRB reserved for a representative of SRCC.  All DRB positions are volunteer and currently held by residents of The Ridges.  
  

In March of 2007, the city of Omaha annexed the square mile encompassing The Ridges and SRCC, thus dissolving the SID which had served this area.  At present, the 700+ families who live in The Ridges are represented by two Omaha city council members.  Crimson Ridge, South Pine Point, Whispering Pines, Cherry Ridge, Shadow Ridge Estates and Whispering Hollow (north of Woolworth Ave) are represented by District 6 city councilman Franklin Thompson.  City councilwoman Jean Stothert represents District 5, which includes South Ridge, Saddle Ridge, West View Ridge, Shadow Lakes, Fairway Ridge, Double Creek Estates, Clubside Townhomes and Whispering Hollow (south of Woolworth Ave). 

General Information about The Ridges and RHOA

The Ridges is comprised of 795 lots in the following 13 subdivisions, plus 2 “grandfathered” lots near Whispering Pines, for a total of 797 residential lots:

            Cherry Ridge (CHR)                                                  107 lots

            Clubside Townhomes (CTH)                                      13 lots

            Crimson Ridge (CRR)                                                70 lots

                        and Crimson Ridge Extension (CRE)               42 lots

            Double Creek Estates (DCE)                                27 lots

            Fairway Ridge (FAR)                                                 83 lots 

            Saddle Ridge (SAD)                                                  75 lots

            Shadow Lakes (SHL)                                                58 lots

            Shadow Ridge Estates (SRE)                                    18 lots

            South Pine Point (SPP)                                             22 lots

            * South Ridge (SOR)                                            41 lots

            West View Ridge (WVR)                                            38 lots

                        and West View Ridge Extension (WVE)           17 lots 

            Whispering Hollow at The Ridges (WHH)                   132 lots

            Whispering Pines (WHP)                                           52 lots

                        and “grandfathered” home and lot                2 lots

* South Ridge, located at the southeast corner of The Ridges, is undeveloped at this time, except for streets, street lights and utilities.  It is zoned residential and platted for 41 single-family lots.  It is currently for sale as a 13-acre parcel.  Individual lots are not yet available for sale.

All lots located in Clubside Townhomes, Crimson Ridge, Saddle Ridge, Shadow Lakes, Shadow Ridge Estates, South Pine Point, West View Ridge and Whispering Pines are fully developed.  Undeveloped lots are still available and for sale in Cherry Ridge, Crimson Ridge Extension, Double Creek Estates, Fairway Ridge, West View Ridge Extension and Whispering Hollow. 

Whispering Hollow at The Ridges, (formerly known as Brookfield at The Ridges), and Whispering Pines are gated communities within The Ridges which are members of RHOA and also have their own homeowners’ associations.  Whispering Hollow’s HOA, Brookfield at The Ridges Homeowners Association (BHOA), and Whispering Pines’ HOA, Whispering Pines Townhome Owners Association (WPHOA), provide additional services exclusively to the benefit of their residents such as homeowner lawn care, additional landscaping maintenance and snow removal from private streets, sidewalks and driveways.  Common areas located inside the gated communities are owned and maintained by their own homeowners’ associations for the exclusive use of their residents.  Cherry Ridge residents contribute to a pool association which maintains two pools located within Cherry Ridge for the exclusive use of their residents.

Nearly 25 acres of common area property (CA) are owned and maintained by RHOA for the use and enjoyment of all residents of The Ridges.  This CA acreage includes a 4.5 acre park located just south of Center Ridge Dr, with soccer and baseball fields, a playground and picnic area and 13.7 acres just south and east of the park with two stocked, fishing ponds with fountains.  Additional small areas of CA in West View Ridge, Crimson Ridge Extension and Cherry Ridge are also owned and maintained by RHOA and are open to all residents of The Ridges.  Since annexation of The Ridges by the city of Omaha in 2007, subsequent dissolution of the SID, and by agreement with Omaha Public Works, roughly 20 acres of right-of-way in and around The Ridges are also maintained by RHOA.

Four primary entrances lead in to the three primary streets in The Ridges:  Shadow Ridge Dr, Center Ridge Dr and 189^th St.  The landscaped primary entrance areas with bronze statues welcome residents and visitors alike at Shadow Ridge Dr and 180^th St, Center Ridge Dr and 180^th St, Shadow Ridge Dr and 192^nd St, and 189^th St and Pacific St.  19 secondary entrance areas are located throughout the neighborhood to help identify subdivisions within The Ridges.  The “Four Corners” intersection is located at the 4-way stop in the center of The Ridges at Shadow Ridge Dr and 186^th St.

Services provided to residents of The Ridges include:

• Weekly mowing, trimming and weed prevention treatments of some easements and public right-of-way areas (ROW) in and around The Ridges and all RHOA-owned common areas (CA)
• Regular planting, trimming, weeding, treatments and watering of annual and perennial beds
• Premium tree care, including pruning, treatments, removal and planting by certified arborists
• Premium mulch for perennial beds and trees
• Regular watering of lawns and plants
• Maintenance and repair of extensive sprinkler system
• Maintenance and repair of wells and/or meter pits
• Maintenance of two stocked, fishing ponds
• Maintenance and repair of three fountains
• Maintenance and repair of 18 entrance signs, spot lights and four bronze statues
• Water and electricity expense
• Maintenance and repair of park equipment, including playground, picnic areas, baseball and soccer fields and weekly trash removal
• Scheduling of organized sports team practices at ball fields
• Maintenance and repair of all homeowner mailboxes
• Sidewalk snow removal along the three primary neighborhood streets
• Twice weekly property inspections of the entire neighborhood (every street and all ROW, easements and common areas) for maintenance and repair needs and covenant violations
• Twice weekly trash pick-up along the three primary streets, all entrance areas and common areas
• Social events such as the annual picnic, Easter egg hunt, gingerbread house decorating party and Crimson Ridge camp out
• Seasonal lighting displays at primary entrances
• Regular security patrols by off-duty professional police officers
• Oversight of all tax/accounting, insurance, legal and city/county/state obligations
• Publication of quarterly newsletter, monthly email updates and website maintenance
• 24-hour emergency contact number for neighborhood issues

Homeowners are assessed dues annually to pay for the above mentioned services.  Annual dues are determined each year by the RHOA Board of Directors based on projected expenses for the upcoming year.  Additional assessments are occasionally necessary to pay for capital improvements and/or repairs.  Currently, annual dues are $475 per homeowner lot.  For more information, visit The Ridges website at www.ridgeshoa.com or contact the property manager or a board member at RHOA@ridgeshoa.com.