Fanita Ranch Lives: Santee Development Planned Since 1982

HomeFed visited the Santee City Council meeting last week to tell council and the public that the developer still plans to build the 1,380 unit Fanita Ranch housing project in Santee. The project has seen a rough patch in the last decade- but that hasn't deterred the project that's been in a planning phase since 1982.

The 2,600-acre housing development that was proposed for undeveloped land in the north of Santee got through certain environmental review and city approval processes before being shutdown in court in 2012. As part of that court decision, the city was required to set aside any ordinances or resolutions concerning the Fanita Ranch project, which was done at the meeting.

Paul Borden, HomeFed Corporation CEO told the Daily Transcript:

“ 'I’m confident we will build Fanita Ranch,” Borden said. “I just don’t know how long it will take.' ”

The HomeFed representative at the council meeting was just as confident of the project's future.

The project was getting close to the time to build when the economic crisis struck the region in 2008. HomeFed Corporation acquired the property in a foreclosure auction in 2011 for $12.35 million.

At that time, city officials insisted that the project remained a valid one for the Santee's future and had nothing but praise for the arrival of HomeFed as a white knight to keep everything on target for construction as the economy rebounds.

When it purchased the project HomeFed said it has "acquired the property with the intention of modifying and completing the necessary entitlements to develop the property as a master-planned community, although there can be no assurance that the company will be successful in these efforts."

Different issues have plagued the project, including court findings that the fire prevention portion of the EIR was inadequate, issues with guarunteeing a long-term water supply for the new residents, and claims of encroaching on the habitat of the endangered Quino Checkerspot Butterfly.

Van Collinsworth, executive director of Preserve Wild Santee and oppenent of the project, commented on the will of Santee residents concerning the project when HomeFed acquired it in 2011.

"Development remains unlikely," he said. "To get development, the City Council would have to break its vow to abide by the Fanita Ranch Guiding Principles within the General Plan by introducing higher density with greater impacts that the people of Santee have rejected with the ballot."

Homefed seems ready for a drawn out fight, having previously told Santee Patch, "we have a really long-term view of real estate development."

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