A Santa Monica-based developer known for high-end residential development throughout Southern California is seeking neighborhood support to redevelop the Carmel Mountain Ranch Country Club as housing.
The club was closed last July due to declining patronage and the rising cost of irrigation. It’s the seventh golf course in the San Diego area to close in the past several years.
“We look forward to working with the residents of Carmel Mountain Ranch to create a plan for the property that will add value to the community and leave a large
portion of the site as permanent open space,” said Jonathan Frankel, director of forward planning for New Urban West, which has opened an office in Rancho Bernardo.
The company released few specifics, saying only that the plan will be based on community input and will likely include housing, open space, recreational amenities and social spaces.
“Our goal is to put together a plan that incorporates the values of the community through input and collaboration,” said Frankel.
A initial presentation to the Carmel Mountain Ranch/Sabre Springs community planning committee was scheduled for Wednesday night.
Last year, after the club closed, some neighborhood residents expressed concern about its possible redevelopment as housing. Since then the lack of housing in San Diego and other large California cities has become a major political issue, with both Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Gov. Gavin Newsom championing new construction.
New Urban West has major projects in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Burbank and Escondido, including redevelopment of the former Escondido Country Club, which will be renamed The Villages.
