TX, 01/06 ( Valley Morning Star )- im and Susan Wierschem spent eight years traveling across the United State in their RV.

During their journeys, the couple, originally from Wisconsin, stopped at different RV parks and resorts, seeing a variety of facilities and amenities available for retirees.

Now, the Wierschems are adding their own twist to retirement by investing in the development of a new community here.

The Wierschems are developing Sonshining RV Wintering Community Subdivision. The age-restricted manufactured home and RV park community is designed for people over 65 years old.

The new subdivision will offer several choices of housing types including manufactured home lots, RV lots, park model lots and site built homes, Susan Wierschem said.

The 84-acre subdivision will be developed on the north part of the city near FM 491 and Mile 10 Road.

Wierschem said she and her husband toured the Rio Grande Valley but couldn’t find “the right space,” until they visited Mercedes.

“Once we saw it, we thought it would be the perfect area for what we wanted to do as far as development,” Wierschem said.

According to city documents, the entire subdivision will have 620 lots, including 144 home sites, 75 mobile home sites, 366 recreational vehicles sites, 14 greenspace-park areas, nine common parking areas and 12 commercial lots.

The concept is to provide small lots to older residents who don’t necessarily want to maintain a large yard, according to city documents.

The average home site is 3,000 square feet, the average RV site is 2,200 square feet and the average mobile home site is 3,200 square feet.

“It’s going to be a mix of things,” she said. “I think people might be scared to try it, but we’re optimistic.”

Wierschem said prices of lots and membership fees for the Sonshining Retirement Association will be announced later in the year.

But community residents will own their lots, Wierschem said.

RV owners who later decide to build houses can be accommodated without leaving the community, Wierschem said.

Wierschem said she envisions Sonshining as being a gated community where residents feel secure, but open enough for everyone to feel welcomed.

“I want it to be like how communities used to be,” Wierschem said. “Where people helped their neighbors.”

Wierschem said although the community is for people over 65, there will be playgrounds for visiting grandchildren.

“As far as amenities, we’re going to have the usual and more,” Wierschem said.

The amenities will be constructed in two phases, which when completed will include both an outdoor heated pool and an indoor lap pool.

The commercial lots will be located along the entrance off FM 491.

But Wierschem said what makes Sonshining different from other residential areas is that it will not be an RV park.

“We will offer opportunities for people to build a home,” she said. “And it will be a gated community.”

This is the Weirschems first development, and although the couple said they never thought they would develop a retirement community, they’re looking forward to the challenge.

Later this month, the city will extend water and sewer services to the development although the area is outside city limits.

With the Palms at Mid Valley golf course near the site, the area is ideal for development, City Manager Ricardo Garcia said.

Mayor Pro Tem Ruben “Chano” Guajardo said commissioners are in support of bringing new projects to the city.

“Especially one as structured as a retirement community,” Guajardo said. “And retirement communities are not as common, so when we were approached with the idea, we said, ‘Let’s get it done.’”

A groundbreaking ceremony for the project is scheduled for early February, Wierschem said.