Comments on: Developing Valencia: The End of an Era http://scvtalk.com/2010/01/12/developing-valencia-the-end-of-an-era/ a blog for SCV nerds by SCV nerds. Blogging Santa Clarita daily since 2006 Wed, 23 May 2012 01:25:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Warsaw Realtor http://scvtalk.com/2010/01/12/developing-valencia-the-end-of-an-era/comment-page-1/#comment-9901 Warsaw Realtor Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:58:54 +0000 http://scvtalk.com/?p=1364#comment-9901 Having grown up in the Valencia area, I couldn't agree more - it's time we demand that this infrastructure development is properly managed. Great article! Having grown up in the Valencia area, I couldn’t agree more – it’s time we demand that this infrastructure development is properly managed. Great article!

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]]> By: mike http://scvtalk.com/2010/01/12/developing-valencia-the-end-of-an-era/comment-page-1/#comment-7090 mike Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:34:06 +0000 http://scvtalk.com/?p=1364#comment-7090 the paseo was the best idea NL&F ever had. The newer the development, the less a priority, unfortunately. Those old areas of Valencia have a really cool system. the paseo was the best idea NL&F ever had. The newer the development, the less a priority, unfortunately. Those old areas of Valencia have a really cool system.

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]]> By: Jim Farley http://scvtalk.com/2010/01/12/developing-valencia-the-end-of-an-era/comment-page-1/#comment-7086 Jim Farley Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:49:09 +0000 http://scvtalk.com/?p=1364#comment-7086 We're in agreement spineflower. "Valencia" is not what it used to be. I live in Northbridge which I believe is the last tract built by NLF before it sold to Lennar. While Valencia did not live up to the grandios goals envisioned in the 60's, at least it kept the Paseo system and is one of the nicer devolpments in the valley. The Paseo system disappears in the tracts built by Lennar to the North after Northbridge Pointe. I have major concerns about the Newhall Ranch development and its impact on our valley. Now it's been reported Lennar turned a profit for the last quarter 2009. I hope that is not a sign the development is comming sooner. We’re in agreement spineflower. “Valencia” is not what it used to be. I live in Northbridge which I believe is the last tract built by NLF before it sold to Lennar. While Valencia did not live up to the grandios goals envisioned in the 60′s, at least it kept the Paseo system and is one of the nicer devolpments in the valley. The Paseo system disappears in the tracts built by Lennar to the North after Northbridge Pointe.

I have major concerns about the Newhall Ranch development and its impact on our valley. Now it’s been reported Lennar turned a profit for the last quarter 2009. I hope that is not a sign the development is comming sooner.

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]]> By: spineflower2 http://scvtalk.com/2010/01/12/developing-valencia-the-end-of-an-era/comment-page-1/#comment-7081 spineflower2 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 05:18:34 +0000 http://scvtalk.com/?p=1364#comment-7081 Jim, the approved housing OUTside City limits is several times that you cite for inside the City. We can fill demand for another 15 years if we didn't build a single new house. Do you think an out of state builder corporation cares what they do to the home values of existing residents? Of course not! They are here to sell new homes and get out of town before the next bubble bursts. NLF isn't even building Newhall Ranch; they are just obtaining entitlements and selling it to other builders for completion. This is NOT your dad's "Valencia" at work... Jim, the approved housing OUTside City limits is several times that you cite for inside the City. We can fill demand for another 15 years if we didn’t build a single new house.

Do you think an out of state builder corporation cares what they do to the home values of existing residents? Of course not! They are here to sell new homes and get out of town before the next bubble bursts. NLF isn’t even building Newhall Ranch; they are just obtaining entitlements and selling it to other builders for completion.

This is NOT your dad’s “Valencia” at work…

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]]> By: spineflower2 http://scvtalk.com/2010/01/12/developing-valencia-the-end-of-an-era/comment-page-1/#comment-7080 spineflower2 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 05:15:51 +0000 http://scvtalk.com/?p=1364#comment-7080 I don't care whether the unneeded new houses are inside or outside of NLF's land ownership... they add supply without demand and depress prices. This is another example of corporate welfare at the expense of existing homeowners. Do YOU feel like making a donation of thousands of dollars to NLF (in the form of lost equity)? I don't. NLF has bloated population projections using outdated models and wishful thinking supplied by SCAG and the rest of the building industry lobby. Don't be fooled. And remember, these are the same clowns that overbuilt and contributed in a big way to the housing bubble due to oversupply. Why believe their supply/demand projections now? About like believing GM's marketing experts, or the bank's self-regulators. I don’t care whether the unneeded new houses are inside or outside of NLF’s land ownership… they add supply without demand and depress prices. This is another example of corporate welfare at the expense of existing homeowners. Do YOU feel like making a donation of thousands of dollars to NLF (in the form of lost equity)? I don’t.

NLF has bloated population projections using outdated models and wishful thinking supplied by SCAG and the rest of the building industry lobby. Don’t be fooled.

And remember, these are the same clowns that overbuilt and contributed in a big way to the housing bubble due to oversupply. Why believe their supply/demand projections now? About like believing GM’s marketing experts, or the bank’s self-regulators.

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]]> By: Jim Farley http://scvtalk.com/2010/01/12/developing-valencia-the-end-of-an-era/comment-page-1/#comment-7077 Jim Farley Wed, 13 Jan 2010 04:29:07 +0000 http://scvtalk.com/?p=1364#comment-7077 I went through my ballots for the Open space initiative and have found how many single family residents and condos have already been approved by the city, for building in the city, as of 2008. Most of these have not yet been built. Whitaker Bermite - 2911 NLF(Lennar) River Village - 1089 NLF (Lennar)Soledad Village - 407 PacSun LLC (Golden Vly Rnch) - 499 Keystone - 499 Soledad Canyon Ari LLC - 147 If my math is correct that is a total of 5552 residences that are already approved within city limits. I know a few have been built in River Village, but most of the land over there looks pretty barren. I have to be honest in that I don't know the status of all the others, but I believe that the majority of the approved houses have not yet been built. SpineFlower is right on in the statement that thousands have been approved and not yet built. I went through my ballots for the Open space initiative and have found how many single family residents and condos have already been approved by the city, for building in the city, as of 2008. Most of these have not yet been built.

Whitaker Bermite – 2911
NLF(Lennar) River Village – 1089
NLF (Lennar)Soledad Village – 407
PacSun LLC (Golden Vly Rnch) – 499
Keystone – 499
Soledad Canyon Ari LLC – 147

If my math is correct that is a total of 5552 residences that are already approved within city limits. I know a few have been built in River Village, but most of the land over there looks pretty barren. I have to be honest in that I don’t know the status of all the others, but I believe that the majority of the approved houses have not yet been built. SpineFlower is right on in the statement that thousands have been approved and not yet built.

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]]> By: Jeff http://scvtalk.com/2010/01/12/developing-valencia-the-end-of-an-era/comment-page-1/#comment-7072 Jeff Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:38:06 +0000 http://scvtalk.com/?p=1364#comment-7072 That's just it, they weren't smart growth. or they were about as smart growth as Palmer's Las Lomas was "smart." One thing that always really pissed me off whenever I heard "Built as Promised" is the fact that NLF never built sidewalks in the Industrial Center. I mean seriously, no sidewalks. What the hell? I realize people don't walk much there but when they do, there's nothing to walk on. That’s just it, they weren’t smart growth. or they were about as smart growth as Palmer’s Las Lomas was “smart.”

One thing that always really pissed me off whenever I heard “Built as Promised” is the fact that NLF never built sidewalks in the Industrial Center. I mean seriously, no sidewalks. What the hell? I realize people don’t walk much there but when they do, there’s nothing to walk on.

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]]> By: spineflower2 http://scvtalk.com/2010/01/12/developing-valencia-the-end-of-an-era/comment-page-1/#comment-7070 spineflower2 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:27:09 +0000 http://scvtalk.com/?p=1364#comment-7070 Also, the original Valencia had canals. Really. Canals. It was to have a lot of water features and even travel between areas by small boats. Just the thing in this water-poor region! And NLF had the audacity to use the slogan "Valencia, built as planned" in their advertisements of a couple of years ago! Also, the original Valencia had canals. Really. Canals. It was to have a lot of water features and even travel between areas by small boats. Just the thing in this water-poor region!

And NLF had the audacity to use the slogan “Valencia, built as planned” in their advertisements of a couple of years ago!

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]]> By: spineflower2 http://scvtalk.com/2010/01/12/developing-valencia-the-end-of-an-era/comment-page-1/#comment-7068 spineflower2 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:22:19 +0000 http://scvtalk.com/?p=1364#comment-7068 The "Village" concept is just a way to cluster higher density than would otherwise be allowed by the General Plan. Don't be fooled. Also, does this valley, already with depressed housing prices, want to dump thousands of more units onto the market? Do you WANT to subsidize Lennar profits through your lower property values? There are thousands of APPROVED housing units that can be built as soon as the economy picks up and they perceive demand. This without a single Newhall Ranch house being built. Don't confuse "healthy local real estate market" with "new housing building boom." They are two different animals, one aiding the community, one enrichening an out of state corporation. The “Village” concept is just a way to cluster higher density than would otherwise be allowed by the General Plan. Don’t be fooled.

Also, does this valley, already with depressed housing prices, want to dump thousands of more units onto the market? Do you WANT to subsidize Lennar profits through your lower property values?

There are thousands of APPROVED housing units that can be built as soon as the economy picks up and they perceive demand. This without a single Newhall Ranch house being built.

Don’t confuse “healthy local real estate market” with “new housing building boom.” They are two different animals, one aiding the community, one enrichening an out of state corporation.

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]]> By: Jeff http://scvtalk.com/2010/01/12/developing-valencia-the-end-of-an-era/comment-page-1/#comment-7067 Jeff Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:13:21 +0000 http://scvtalk.com/?p=1364#comment-7067 Great post. I think it's a testament to NLF that Valencia has survived several boom and bust cycles since it was built 40+ years ago. Contrast that with many of the 'smart growth' developments in the Inland Empire that are now essentially ghost towns and will likely never recover. Hell in some areas they are destroying 5 year old houses rather than selling them. I love Valencia and aspire to live there someday but it's hard for me to reconcile its contradictions. If I were committed solely to driving a car forever, it'd be wonderful. But as a transit/alternate transportation advocate, it's incompatible with efficient transportation modes and I don't picture that ever changing, unless gas prices zoom north of where they were in 2008. I know Newhall Ranch is supposed to solve this problem through the "village" model, but, let's face it, people who buy in the suburbs don't want high density. Bottom line. Great post.

I think it’s a testament to NLF that Valencia has survived several boom and bust cycles since it was built 40+ years ago.

Contrast that with many of the ‘smart growth’ developments in the Inland Empire that are now essentially ghost towns and will likely never recover. Hell in some areas they are destroying 5 year old houses rather than selling them.

I love Valencia and aspire to live there someday but it’s hard for me to reconcile its contradictions. If I were committed solely to driving a car forever, it’d be wonderful. But as a transit/alternate transportation advocate, it’s incompatible with efficient transportation modes and I don’t picture that ever changing, unless gas prices zoom north of where they were in 2008.

I know Newhall Ranch is supposed to solve this problem through the “village” model, but, let’s face it, people who buy in the suburbs don’t want high density. Bottom line.

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