San Elijo Hills, California
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| San Elijo Hills, California | |||
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| — Community — | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | California | ||
| County | San Diego | ||
| City | San Marcos | ||
| Elevation | 1,627 ft (495.91 m) | ||
| Population (2010)based on an estimate of 2.8 people per household | |||
| • Total | 7,467 | ||
| Time zone | PST | ||
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC) | ||
| ZIP code | 92078 | ||
| Area code(s) | 760, 442 | ||
| Website | http://www.sanelijohills.com/ | ||
San Elijo Hills is an affluent master-planned community in San Marcos, California, developed by San Elijo Hills Development Company and managed by HomeFed Corporation. The design of San Elijo Hills was influenced by the architecture and layout of California coastal cities that grew up in the early 1900s.
The master plan calls for a mix of 28 single-family and five attached-home neighborhoods surrounding a 70-acre towncenter that includes a 19-acre community park, two schools (elementary and middle), neighborhood retailers and services, urban-style residences and a classic town square.
The first residents moved into San Elijo Hills in 2000 and it is currently more than 75 percent complete (2010). San Elijo Hills will ultimately feature 3,400 residences, including single-family homes, estates, condos and apartments.
More than half of the property (1,115 acres) has been set aside as permanent open space and includes 18 miles (29 km) of hiking/biking trails, the 200-acre Double Peak Park (a city-owned interpretive park), and a planned equestrian center.
San Elijo Hills has picked up community design awards in the building industry, including the Gold Award in the “Master-Planned Community of the Year” category at “The Nationals,” a competition sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders, and a Gold Nugget Grand Award in the Community/Town Plan” category at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC). San Elijo Hills was also named “Best Master-Planned Community” at MAME, an industry competition that receives 500 entries from throughout Southern California.[citation needed]
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[edit] History
1994 - The San Elijo Hills Development Company purchased the 1,921-acre San Elijo Hills property and planning commenced.
1997 - The overall plan for the community approved by the San Marcos City Council.
1998 - The Tentative Map was approved; ground was broken; and grading commenced.
2000 - First homes sold in the neighborhood of Acacia.
2003 - San Elijo Hills named “Master Planned Community of the Year” in "The Nationals" competition at the National Association of Home Builders annual conference.
2003 - San Elijo Hills honored with the Gold Nugget Grand Award in the “Community/Town Plan” category at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC).
2003 - San Elijo Hills named “Best Master-Planned Community” at MAME, an industry competition that receives 500 entries from throughout Southern California.
2003 - Ground broken for the San Elijo Elementary/Middle School.
2004 - San Elijo Middle School opened, with both the elementary and middle school sharing facilities for two years, until the completion of the elementary school.
2004 - San Elijo Park, a 19-acre city park, opened.
2004 - The San Elijo Hills Community Association was awarded the 2003 Association of the Year Award by the San Diego Chapter of the Community Associations Institute. (The association is managed by Walters Management Company.)
2004 - San Elijo Hills Development Company installed a Peace Monument at the easterly entrance to the community’s town square on Sept. 11. The 20-foot (6.1 m)-tall monument features the following inscription: “Dedicated with gratitude to those who have sacrificed to preserve peace, with hope that such sacrifices will not be necessary in the future.”
2005 - San Elijo Hills’ sales reached the halfway point, with the sale of the 1,700th home.
2005 - San Elijo Hills Development Company started construction on the 1-mile (1.6 km) Twin Oaks Valley Road Extension, an $18 million project, jointly funded by San Elijo Hills Development Company and the city of San Marcos.
2005 - San Elijo Hills Development Company commenced construction on the towncenter’s retail component.
2006 - San Elijo Hills Elementary School was completed.
2008 - Albertsons grocery store opened in the towncenter.
2008 - San Elijo Road/Twin Oaks Valley Road extension opened.
2008 - A $5.9 million fire station opened in San Elijo Hills.
2009 - MarketWalk, a mixed-use residential/retail project in the towncenter opened.
2009 - Double Peak Park opened.
2010 - MarketWalk was honored as the Best Designed Mixed-Use Project in the Building Industry Association of San Diego’s inaugural Icon Awards competition.[citation needed]
[edit] Geography
San Elijo Hills is located on coastal foothills in the southwest quadrant of the city of San Marcos, near the communities of Elfin Forest and Carlsbad. The orientation and elevation of the community, which reaches 1,644 feet (501 m), provides panoramic ocean views and backcountry views from many vantage points. San Elijo Hills encompasses the highest point in coastal North San Diego County.
[edit] Climate
San Elijo Hills has a Mediterranean climate that is characterized by warm, dry summers and mild winters, with most of the annual precipitation falling between November and March. Average rainfall is approximately 9 to 13 inches.
[edit] Trails
San Elijo Hills has 18 miles (29 km) of interconnected hard-surface and decomposed granite trails that are popular for hiking, biking and horseback riding. The 2.25-mile (3.62 km) Ridgeline Trail meanders along the Cerro de las Posas/Double Peak ridgeline and offers panoramic views in all directions. On an exceptionally clear day, hikers can see from Palos Verdes (Los Angeles County) to the Coronado Islands off the coast of Mexico.
Other trails include Canyon Trail, Copper Creek Trail, Discovery Trail, Double Peak Trail, Garden Trail, Lake San Marcos Trail, Lake View Trail, Ocean View Trail, Quarry Trail, San Elijo Road Trail and Sunset Trail.
[edit] Parks
Double Peak Park
Double Peak Park is a 200-acre interpretive park occupying the 1,631-foot (497 m)-high Cerro de las Posas summit, one of the highest peaks in coastal North County. The park was built by San Elijo Hills Development Company in 2009 and is owned and operated by the city of San Marcos. The park features a 150-seat concrete, terraced amphitheatre for interpretive ranger talks, a group picnic shelter and individual picnic tables, an adventure play area with a rock-climbing structure and a large teeter-totter-like play structure that flexes and bends, restrooms, a home for the resident park ranger, and a parking lot. The park offers an obstructed 360-degree view that encompasses the Coronado Islands in Mexico, Catalina Island, and backcountry views of Big Bear and San Jacinto.Much of the park remains natural open space, crisscrossed by trails and populated by native Coastal Sage Scrub and Chaparral. Trails within the park connect to the city of San Marcos’ 55 miles (89 km) of trails, including San Elijo Hills’ 18 miles (29 km) of trails.
San Elijo Hills Park
The highly amenitized, 19-acre San Elijo Hills Park fronts on the town square. Built into the hillside on several levels, the city of San Marcos park includes a lighted soccer field, two lighted baseball diamonds that meet the specifications for adult league play, picnic/barbecue areas for large and small groups, tot lots, a children’s water “sprayground,” an enclosed dog park, jogging paths, acres of rolling lawn, and a plaza for community-wide events. Located in the center of the 1,920-acre community, the park is also the main trailhead for the network of 18 miles (29 km) of trails that wind through 1,115 acres of open space. The park’s 6,500-square-foot (600 m2) Community Center, operated by the city of San Marcos, has facilities for classes, parties and special events.
[edit] Neighborhoods
San Elijo Hills is designed for 3,400 residences, including single-family homes, estates, condos and apartments. More than 2,550 homes are occupied (2010). As a result of the community’s topography and careful grading, there are ocean views from 26 of its 28 single-family home neighborhoods.
San Elijo Hills’ residential architecture was inspired by Southern California neighborhoods that grew up in the early decades of the 1900s—communities such as Pasadena, San Marino, Claremont, Coronado, Kensington, Mission Hills and old La Jolla. What distinguished those communities was an eclectic mix of architecture that ranged from bungalows influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement to English Country and from Spanish Colonials to French Provincials.
Based on historical research and market studies, San Elijo Hills Development Company selected a similar palette of architectural styles that include: American Arts and Crafts, including Prairie (advanced by Frank Lloyd Wright), California Bungalow and Craftsman style; Northern European, including French Country, English Country and an Old World style; and Southern European, represented by Spanish Colonial, Mission, California Monterey and Italian Renaissance.
While working with land planner and New Urbanist Peter Calthorpe of Calthorpe Associates of Berkley, the company discovered that these neighborhoods shared another similarity – the relationship of the home to the street.
Calthorpe pointed out how the generous use of front porches, stair seats, front-facing windows and street-visible front doors, combined with narrower streets and the de-emphasis of garages all contributed to a livable residential street scene.[citation needed]
San Elijo Hills’ exploration of residential architecture resulted in a Residential Design Guidelines document, authored by Roger Basinger, the design principal and co-founder of Architects BP Associates, Inc. of San Diego. The guidelines define how individual homes fit within the neighborhood character and how the mix of architectural styles creates neighborhood diversity. All homebuilders in San Elijo Hills are required to adhere to the guidelines. As a result, San Elijo Hills has a timeless architectural look that reflects its coastal location and Southern California’s architectural history.[citation needed]
Many of the major home-building companies in the country have elected to build in San Elijo Hills, including Beazer Homes, Bridge Housing, ColRich, Continental Homes, D.R. Horton Homes, John Laing Homes, Lennar, Pulte Homes, Richmond American Homes, Ryland Homes, Shea Homes, and Standard Pacific Homes.
Existing neighborhoods include...
Acacia
Altaire
Atherton
Azure
Calistoga
Cambria
Carmel
Cedar Crossing
Copper Creek
Creekside Cottages
Crest View
Luminara
Mariners Landing
Masterpiece
Meridian
Morgan's Corner
Palisades
Promontory Ridge
Sagewood
Saverne
Springfield
Symphony
Terraza
Village Square
Waterford
WestCliffe
WestRidge Cottage Homes
WestRidge Village Homes
Woodley's Glen
[edit] Town Center
The 70-acre towncenter is designed to blend commercial, residential, educational and recreational uses, creating gathering spaces and giving the community an identifiable heart.[citation needed] The San Elijo Hills Towncenter, which surrounds a classic town square with a monumental fountain, is essentially complete. It contains a 19-acre community park, a 30-acre educational campus with two schools, urban-style condos, services and a variety of retailers, including a 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) Albertsons grocery store.
The architecture includes several traditional “Main Street” styles, giving the impression that the Towncenter grew organically over time and creating a definable civic presence.[citation needed]
The unique[citation needed] design of the towncenter, which features two one-way roads (couplets) criss-crossing the town square, was the brainchild of land planner and New Urbanist Peter Calthorpe of Calthorpe Associates of Berkeley. This design eliminated the traffic congestion and unsightly nature of a major traffic signal at the intersection of San Elijo and Elfin Forest roads. This simple technique also enabled San Elijo Hills Development Co. to increase walkability, slow traffic, and create a Main Street feeling by facing stores on the two-lane streets.
Splitting the roads in the Towncenter narrowed the right-of-way considerably, which encourages pedestrian movement. By layering the streetscape – with parked cars, trees, sidewalk and street-level shop entrances topped by two- and three-story buildings – it creates a human-scale pedestrian promenade. The design also creates a freer flow of traffic, since the one-way traffic plan allows for free left turns, when traffic permits.
(The San Elijo Hills Towncenter is the first implementation of Peter Calthorpe’s one-way couplet design, part of his Urban Network, a holistic design arguing that fundamental changes in land use development patterns cannot be realized without also changing transportation systems and road design.)
[edit] Demographics
[edit] Current estimates
There are approximately 7,467 residents in San Elijo Hills, based on an estimate of 2.8 people per household. As of October 2010, there are 2,550 occupied households, according to San Elijo Hills Development Co.[citation needed]
[edit] Media
[edit] SanElijoLife.com
SanElijoLife.com provides community news, photos, videos, and a directory of resources for residents of San Elijo Hills. The site is independent from the developer and the HOA. The site is supported by paid advertising "Enjoy Life in The Hills"
[edit] Economy
[edit] Personal income
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[edit] Real estate
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[edit] Education
San Elijo Hills is served by the San Marcos Unified School District, which provides education from Kindergarten through 12th grade.
[edit] San Elijo Middle School
The school, which opened in 2004, is located in the San Elijo Hills Towncenter, as 1600 Schoolhouse Way, San Marcos CA 92078. The school was designed by HMC Architects to reflect the design philosophy of San Diego architect Irving Gill. The middle school also served as the elementary school until San Elijo Elementary School opened in 2006. These two schools share a 30-acre educational campus.
[edit] San Elijo Elementary School
Grades: K - 5
School Type: Public
Student Enrollment: 1100
Students Per Teacher: 17 - 35
The elementary school opened in 2004, sharing facilities with San Elijo Middle School for two years. In 2006 construction of the new elementary school was complete and students moved into the new facility at 1615 Schoolhouse Way, San Marcos CA 92078. As of August 2010, the school had approximately 950 students, a teaching staff of 41, and a STAR/API score of 942.
[edit] San Marcos High School
San Elijo Hills is served by San Marcos High School, located approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) away at 1615 San Marcos Blvd., San Marcos CA 92078. As of August 2010, the school reported a population of approximately 2,050 students. The school works in liaison with Cal State San Marcos and Palomar College to provide students with a strong foundation in secondary education, including a coordinated, sequential 9-12 Humanities Program. SMMS has a number of specialized offerings, including Bio Tech Lab, Genetics, TV News Production, Computer Assisted Drafting, Digital Video Production, and Computer Animation. Its Telecommunications Academy teaches students advanced computer skills and gives them internship experiences. Support programs include GEAR UP, AVID, tutoring, SAT and ACT Prep, Seven Habits for Highly Effective Teens, Summer Scholars, and a full range of Advanced Placement and Honors classes. There are more than 30 clubs and organizations and a full range of athletics and performing arts options.
[edit] California State University, San Marcos
CSU San Marcos is a four-year, public, comprehensive university, located approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) from San Elijo Hills. Founded in 1989, the university occupies a 304‐acre campus overlooking the city of San Marcos. Students benefit from the latest facilities and equipment, a superb faculty that enjoys teaching, and a rigorous academic program that prepares students for a successful life in and out of the workplace. A recent survey reported that its annual spending in the region was $161 million, generating a total impact of $307 million on the regional economy. 85 percent of CSUSM's alumni stay in the region.
[edit] Culture
[edit] San Elijo Hills Homeowners Association
The San Elijo Hills Homeowners Association sponsors a community newsletter and website and organizes a number of community events, including a golf outing, Concert in the Square, Oktoberfest, Tree Lighting Ceremony, Independence Day Celebration, and Easter Egg Hunt.
[edit] San Elijo Hills Foundation
The San Elijo Hills Foundation is a California public non-profit organization, created to support and enhance the quality of education and community life within San Elijo Hills. It was established in 2004, with seed money coming from The San Elijo Hills Development Company.
[edit] San Elijo Hills Women’s Club
The San Elijo Hills Women’s Club (SEHWC), a multi-generational set of women, is a philanthropic/social group.
SEHWC’s primary philanthropic areas of interest include: • foster family agencies; • international refugees resettlement assistance programs; • micro-loans for women both in the USA and developing countries; • help for parolees, the homeless and the unemployed re-entering the community; and • food assistance for senior citizens living in poverty
[edit] Sports
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[edit] The Academy at San Elijo Hills
The Academy at San Elijo is a non-profit community-based youth sports organization.
[edit] AYSO Region 1505
AYSO Region 1505 provides a youth Soccer program in San Elijo Hills and the surrounding communities. Established in 2005 as the first youth sports program in San Elijo Hills, the organization fielded 75 teams with more than 600 players in 2010. AYSO Region 1505 is an all-volunteer organization. AYSO has been a tradition in the city of San Marcos for more than 30 years with more than 2,800 AYSO soccer players in the city.
[edit] San Elijo Flyers
The San Elijo Flyers is a powered radio-controlled flying group for RC Plane and Helicopter enthusiasts.
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Public transportation
The community is served by the North County Transit District
[edit] Footnotes
