With a retail-like showroom filled with a wide range of design choices, KB Home is changing the way its customers personalize their homes as it announces the grand opening of its Design Studio in Valencia
“Today, consumers expect personalization at every turn; however, in homebuilding, most believe a personalized touch only comes with a custom home,” said Keltie Cole, president of KB Home’s Los Angeles and Ventura County division.
At the studio, homebuyers can explore a variety of design options, from flooring, countertops and cabinetry to lighting, appliances and fixtures, with the support of a design consultant who can help them make decisions that fit their style and price point, Cole explained.
“Through interactive displays and online design checklists, KB homebuyers will discover new ways to get inspired and see their selections firsthand,” Cole added.
KB Home chose to locate the studio in the SCV due to its central location to KB Home’s buyers, according to Cole.
“Santa Clarita, from a lifestyle standpoint, has been recognized as a perfect commuter market for the L.A. (County area),” added Tom Grable, Tri Pointe Homes Orange and Los Angeles County division president.
The SCV is a family-oriented community that provides a more tranquil, serene lifestyle for raising a family, out of the hustle and bustle of the dense, urbanized city area, while still allowing for easy accessibility to L.A., Grable noted.
This sentiment is true for many of the area’s builders and developers, many of whom are focusing efforts on the local community, such as Santa Clarita-based homebuilder Williams Homes, who has multiple ongoing projects in the SCV, including working with Family Promise to construct a transitional house for low-income and homeless families.
“We’ve been here 25 years, and we’ve made a huge commitment to staying in and growing in this community,” said Dan Faina, Southern California division president for Williams Homes.
But while Santa Clarita is one of, if not, the strongest market for residential development in California right now, opportunities are running out, according to Mackey O’Donnell, a senior vice president of Land Advisors Organization.
The SCV’s desirability, combined with a shortage of available land that can be developed, has led to prices being driven up — both for homebuyers and developers, O’Donnell added, noting that developments will continue, but at a higher density than what’s been seen in the past.
Even so, the SCV is bustling with new construction activity, as new home developments continue to crop up across the valley.
Developments currently under construction in the SCV
Construction of Vista Canyon, the car-optional community in Canyon Country, has continued to make progress, with retail, commercial and homes continuing to be occupied.
The 185-acre, mixed-use, pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly community includes townhomes, single-family residences and luxury apartments, as well as commercial space, a new transit center and more than 21 acres preserved for recreation.
Across town near Magic Mountain, the Valencia project has a similar all-inclusive community feel, consisting of approximately 15,000 acres and approximately 21,500 planned homes, along with 11.5 million square feet of commercial space, new schools and 10,000 acres of open space, among other amenities.
Construction on the first phase of the Valencia project is underway, and the community is set to open to the public soon.
Just north of that, on the northern border of the Valencia Commerce Center in Castaic, Williams Homes is set to break ground on 15 model homes at its Williams Ranch community later this month, according to Faina.
The 430-acre community is set to include 497 homes with a minimum lot size of 7,000 square feet, along with a private recreation center, citrus orchards and vineyards, a 5-acre park and nearly 5 miles of walking trails.
Home production is set to begin in December, with the first move-ins scheduled for summer 2022, Faina said.
Heading east into the northern region of the SCV, the Skyline Ranch community is continuing to take shape, as Skyline Ranch Road, the connection between Sierra Highway and Plum Canyon Road, opened just last month.
The 2,173-acre community has 1,221 units, consisting primarily of single-family homes and detached condos, as well as a 55+ gated community, public park, elementary school site and 1,667 acres of open space, according to Grable.
Development is currently underway with nearly half of the homes built and occupied, according to Jason Crawford, city of Santa Clarita planning, marketing and economic development manager.
In Newhall, grading is underway on Dockweiler 21, which is set to include 93 single-family condos and an on-site recreation center.
Construction of model homes for KB Home’s Trenton Heights community on the 19-acre site is anticipated in the first quarter of 2022, according to Crawford.
Grading is also underway at The Highlands, located at the top edge of Tesoro Del Valle in Valencia.
The 1,270-acre community is set to include 820 homes, 365 of which will be an age-qualified community, according to O’Donnell.
New developments coming soon
Over in Saugus, the development of a 75-acre residential community was approved by city planning commissioners last year.
The Bouquet Canyon project is set to construct up to 375 attached and detached, two-story housing units, along with dedicated open space areas, trails and recreation areas.
Located south of the intersection of Bouquet Canyon Road and David Way, the project would include the realignment of Bouquet Canyon Road and signalized connection to Copper Hill Drive, according to Crawford.
Adjacent to Vista Canyon in Canyon Country, another multi-family residential development was also approved by planning commissioners, Crawford said.
The 20.4-acre MetroWalk project is set to construct up to 498 residential units, consisting of a variety of housing types, including townhomes and apartments, with affordable senior apartment options, as well as a nearly 1-acre publicly accessible park adjacent to the future Vista Canyon Metrolink station.
Further north along Highway 14 in Canyon Country, Williams Homes recently took ownership of the Park Place Estates project at the point of extension for Shadow Pines Boulevard in Canyon Country and is working on plans to develop 492 single-family homes, according to Faina.
The project consists of 500 gross acres, 75% of which is to be preserved as open space, including a 16-acre proposed public park, Faina said.
Land development is set to begin after grading permits are acquired in early 2022, with Williams Homes planning to bring its first homes to market in the first half of 2023, Faina added.
Almost directly adjacent to the Williams Homes project is Spring Canyon, a nearly 500-home project that’s been in the works for 17 years, with a homebuilder recently going under contract for the first phase of 208 lots and scheduled to begin grading next year, according to O’Donnell.
Plans for Spring Canyon approved by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors in 2019 were considered state-of-the-art in terms of sustainability, including solar panels for homes, charging stations for electric vehicles and gray water recycling for lawns, among other environmental protections.
