UPDATED: Builder Buys 28 Acres in San Juan Hills

EDITOR'S NOTE: Updated to include comments from a city planner and a representative from the new owner.

A nationwide homebuilder bought Wednesday a 28-acre parcel of land poised for 132 homes in the San Juan Hills tract, the company that brokered the deal announced.

Taylor Morrison of Scottsdale, Ariz.  bought the property, which is already graded with infrastructure installed, from Pacific Communities of Newport Beach, according to The Hoffman Company, a land brokerage firm in Irvine.

Officials did not disclose the purchase price.

Shari Fobel, who works in the marketing department at Taylor Morrison, said the project will be called Campanilla at San Juan Hills. The project is divided into two "products:" 98 smaller homes between 1,800-2,200 square feet and 32 larger homes between 2,600-3,100 square feet.

Construction on the model homes will begin in April, with sales starting in late July, she said.

"W'ere getting a lot of calls already," Fobel said.

A Planning Commission agenda item from 2009 described the future development as “detached condominiums.” They’re planned near the intersection of Camino del Rio and Vista Granada. Hoffman said some homes will have views of the below.

According to city documents, the original project got the green light in 1989, but the developer ran into a “water table issue.” The report did not describe the problems in any detail. The city has zoned the property for medium density residential uses, meaning no more than five units an acre.

Bill Ramsey, a planner with the city, said the project wasn’t controversial but did generate some interest and involvement by the adjoining homeowners associations. The design issues were worked out to everyone’s satisfaction.

“Taylor Morrison made a smart move in acquiring this property, which is one of the few ready-to-go project sites in South Orange County,” said Jim Gallagher, one of The Hoffman Company brokers involved in the sale. 

Original plans for the new home community feature a recreation center and seven floor plans ranging from 1,700 to 3,000 sq. ft. Some of the lots would have golf course frontage. City documents describe three distinct architectural styles, “Santa Barbara,” “Tuscan” and “Spanish.”

“We absolutely are seeing a real flight toward quality A-plus locations like coastal Southern California,” said Tom Dallape, a principal of The Hoffman Company. “After a relatively slow 2011, there are signs the land market is turning and buyer activity is picking up for 2012.”

Taylor Morrison’s website lists six communities it has for sale in Southern California, with another three to ramp up in the coming year. It concentrates its efforts in Orange County, North San Diego County and the Inland Empire, with prices ranging from the low $200,000s to more than $1 million.