Page 2 - Santaluz Book

Santaluz
24 hour gate-guarded golf community of 836 homes on 3,800 acres east of Rancho Santa Fe. There are 1,500 acres of open space with dramatic ridgelines, deep ravines and gentle hillsides. The density is the same as the Rancho Santa Fe Covenant (1 home per 4 acres). The landscape is natural, native California. The hub of the development is an 11-acre village green, 19,000 square feet community center, including a gymnasium, a small multi-purpose room, workout facilities, pool and café. Nearby, there are 6 tennis courts, a 35,000 square foot clubhouse and a private 300-acre Rees Jones championship golf course. Santaluz is a “dark sky community,” with lights strategically placed to face the ground which allows for breathtaking views of the night sky. Santaluz is located in the 92127 zip code.
Santaluz has been awarded the:
“Best Master-Planned Community” by the Building Industry Association “Golden Nugget Award for Best Land Plan” by the Pacific Coast Conference
The History of Santaluz
Santaluz is a master planned community which derives its name from “sacred or holy light,” which translates into a quality of light that constitutes natural beauty.
History in this area was first reported shortly after the Mexican-American War in the 1880’s when the US government acquired portions of three Spanish ranchos raising cattle and sheep along the San Dieguito River Valley.
The federal government conveyed a large portion of this land to Peter and Angela Lusardi, who are said to have owned most of the Santaluz property from 1890’s to the early 1900’s. In the 1920’s. Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and his wife Mary Pickford purchased 3,000 acres in San Diego County, including a portion of Santaluz. They called the area Rancho Zarro, taken from the Fairbank’s “The Mark of the Zarro.” The couple viewed this area as a retreat and planted acres of beans and vegetables to feed cattle which roamed the area. The property was sold in 1952 and the area northwest of Santaluz became known as Fairbanks Ranch.
The property changed hands many times but development didn’t start until Taylor Woodrow Homes and DMB Associates joined together in the late 1990’s. They built their own quarry and crushed their own rocks to compliment the natural landscape. They designed a resort community with a clubhouse and amenities, an 18 hole championship golf course, and highlighted the natural landscape of chaparral, grasslands and verdant knolls.
A few years later the developed the 11-acre Village Green, surrounded by luxury homes of many different styles blending beautifully with the natural terrain. It was designed with the 1930’s architect in mind, as there are no sidewalks, but in their place, meandering gravel paths.
03/2019 - INFORMATION IS DEEMED RELIABLE, BUT NOT GUARANTEED. 1