It’s full steam ahead in the push to develop Santa Clarita Valley’s east end as county planners resurrected two longstanding housing projects near Vasquez Canyon.
Planners with the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning on Tuesday approved time extensions requested by the Santa Barbara developer of two unrelated building projects about a mile apart, off of Sierra Highway near Vasquez Canyon Road.
One project calls for 24 homes to be built on 28 acres on Vasquez Canyon Road west of Sierra Highway. The other one calls for construction of one multi-family residential unit containing 31 detached condos on the east side of Sierra Highway, just south of Quinn Drive.
County planners gave both projects a new lease on life – at least for another year.
Both projects were launched before the economic downturn of 2008, then sidelined after the recession and housing market crash.
“We would love it if there was a qualified builder out there who wanted to pick it up,” said
Jarrett Gorin who designed both housing projects for Vanguard Planning LLC, based in Santa Barbara.
Gorin said he applied for one-year time extension on both projects with the hope they could get built in what he now considers better economic times.
“The housing market is looking really solid right now, so we’re optimistic,” he said.
On Tuesday, regional planners approved one-year time extensions on both projects.
“It wouldn’t be unusual for two different builders to each pick up one of the projects,” Gorin said, noting stark differences in the housing projects.
Gorin described the project on Vasquez Canyon Road as having large one-story homes on large lots.
He managed the acquisition of the project’s 28.5 acre property between May and November of 2005 while serving as President of Centerpoint Development Partners of Santa Barbara.
And, although Centerpoint ceased operations during the review of this project, its capital investor retained Vanguard Planning to complete the discretionary entitlement process.
Grading of the hilly terrain is one of the factors regional planners expect to see addressed as the project moves forward.
The Vasquez Canyon Road project was extended until at least March 31, 2018.
Vanguard’s other project calls for building 31 detached home on Sierra Highway near Quinn Drive. It was given a time extension valid through Apr. 6, 2018.
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