While local Realtors are reporting a 13-year high for supply based on the most recent data from the local housing market, a pair of projects on the city’s horizon could add almost 800 more to the east side of the Santa Clarita Valley.
The first is one that hit the end of its comment period Monday, a new Belcaro senior community, which is being designed to be similar to the homes in Valencia of the same name, according to the developer.
New Urban West — which is also involved in the Sunridge project closer to the center of town — is looking to put 341 single-family senior homes on 193 acres east of Sand Canyon and Lost Canyon roads, north of Sand Canyon Country Club.
Adam Browning, president of New Urban West, said in a previous statement that the goal is to build “a vibrant, wellness-centered community for Santa Clarita’s seniors.”
“We’re using our highly sought-after, award-winning Belcaro Valencia community as the inspiration for this new, age-restricted community which prioritizes preserving over half of the land as open space and creating 4.4 miles of trails,” he wrote in March. “We believe Belcaro Sand Canyon will be a place where 55-plus Sand Canyon residents can downsize within the canyon they love, or families in the canyon can move their parents and grandparents to be close to them.”
The plan also extends Lost Canyon Road from its current terminus at Oak Springs Canyon Road to the project, requiring a bridge, according to Jason Crawford, the city’s director of community development. He also said plans are still being worked on in terms of what would be the responsibility for the developer.
New Urban West’s plans for the gated community qualify as a housing development, which means the developer can apply for a “density bonus.” Under state law, a density bonus allows a developer to put up more units than the original zoning calls for, which pushed the requested number of units from 284 to a possible 341, according to city records.
Crawford said Friday the project does not yet have a date for when it might be in front of the Planning Commission.
Golden Valley/Sierra Highway
Closer to the center of the Santa Clarita Valley, not too far from where the city is considering a massive, 6,500-home development being billed as Sunridge, a different home builder is hoping to create a 60-lot subdivision on just over 100 acres at the southerly intersection of Golden Valley Road and Sierra Highway, adjacent to State Route 14.
Plans for the area were submitted in June for a preliminary review at City Hall.
The proposed subdivision would consist of: 42 single-family residential lots, with a minimum of 5,000 square feet, totaling 7.14 acres; three multifamily apartment/condominium lots consisting of 336 units, totaling 13.41 acres; four town home lots consisting of 76 units, totaling 9.77 acres; two city park lots, totaling 17.29 acres; five private homeowner association lots, totaling 20.63 acres; one private street lot, totaling 0.81 acres; three open space lots, totaling 25.75 acres; and 8.58 acres of public street. There would also be the addition of less than an acre of private roads, according to the plans submitted for an entitlement application.
“The existing site is zoned Urban Residential 2 (UR2),” according to plans obtained by The Signal at Santa Clarita City Hall. “As part of the entitlement process, the project is requesting a General Plan Amendment and zone change of the northerly half of the site from UR2 … to UR4 (Urban Residential 4), for the allowance of density increase from 1.24 units per acre to 7.37 units per acre in order to accommodate the multifamily portion of the proposed development lots and units.”
Rae Price and Steve Letwinch, two of the applicants listed for the project, were not immediately available for comment Friday on the plans.
Real estate figures
The numbers show a relative glut in the Santa Clarita Valley’s real estate market, with the SCV office of the Southland Regional Association of Realtors reporting June had 949 active listings, which was more than 50% higher than last year’s figure for June. The SRAR represents approximately 10,000 Realtors and claims the region’s largest number of listings for its data.
It could mean that sellers have to adjust expectations somewhat, said Anthony Bedgood, president of the SRAR in the SCV, in a July 17 statement with the organization’s monthly report.
“It’s not like 2006, yet there’s no doubt the Santa Clarita market is changing, shifting, with more choices and opportunities for buyers and more challenges for sellers,” he said. “It’s taking longer to match buyers and sellers today, yet the changes washing over local residential real estate can be managed to the advantage of both parties if they have expert guidance and understand that what worked a year ago may not trigger a sale today.”
The median household income in the SCV, based on the SCV’s 2024 data, was $121,000, compared to $84,478 in the county and $92,190 for the state.
The market data indicates affordability for single-family homes still represents a challenge for most residents. The organization’s income-to-loan guide for June found an income of $233,024 was needed to qualify for an 80% loan of $720,000 on a Santa Clarita Valley median-priced single-family home of $900,000.
