The area just south of Verdemont,
around Cal State San Bernardino, was quickly filling with apartment
buildings and modest housing tracts, and Verdemont residents dreaded
what they saw coming.
It took a lawsuit to change the course. A judge halted development
until the city updated its general plan to determine what kind of
development would be allowed.
In public hearings, some residents fought to preserve Verdemont's
rural character, arguing for lots no smaller than 1 acre. Others
wanted urban-size lots to maximize the sale prices of their land.
A compromise was struck, and after the 1990s recession, Verdemont
boomed.
Today, it bristles with new housing: big homes behind landscaped
walls in compounds called Paraiso, Verdemont Heights Estates and
the like.
Equestrian trails with white split-rail fencing loop through new
neighborhoods. Small parks and greenways sprout.
"We're building a city up here, a city within a city," Councilman
Chas Kelley told me on a recent tour.
Last week, the planning commission approved the latest feather in
north San Bernardino's cap: a gated community of 54 upscale homes
to be built by Toll Brothers, a nationally known builder of luxury
homes.
Planning Commissioner
Mike Sauerbrun praised Toll's "absolutely
beautiful homes" and called the project "the most exciting
thing that's come to this town" yet.
Commissioner Larry Heasley said he hopes it will attract more builders
of luxury homes.
The community will be called the Pinnacle at University Park, signifying
the pinnacle of luxury -- with prices from $700,000 to $1 million
-- and its location on a plateau above Northpark Boulevard.
Developer James Watson said Toll Brothers was attracted by the proximity
of Cal State, envisioning a synergy with the rapidly expanding university,
and the spectacular views of the mountainous Cajon Pass.
Nearby along Northpark, Watson plans the Promenade: a center with
shops, restaurants, artists' studios and living spaces, townhomes
and a 4,500-square-foot luxury condo where university officials can
entertain. Walking trails, parks and public art will be among the
amenities, Watson said.
For years, San Bernardino's judges, lawyers, executives and business
owners who once lived near the Arrowhead Country Club have been selling
and moving to Redlands.
Some believe the Toll Brothers project signals San Bernardino has
turned a corner and could reverse that trend.
"I think what you're going to see is a change over the next
five to 10 years," said Arrowhead Credit Union President and
CEO Larry Sharp.
Development will follow
the 210 freeway, as it did in north Fontana; upscale homes and
stores will reach San Bernardino, he said. "I
think you'll see people coming back the other direction" from
Redlands to San Bernardino.
Homes for buyers with
high incomes will help the city's economy grow, said Mike Gallo,
president and CEO of Kelley Space & Technology
Inc. |
