Cornerstone Communities, the largest private homebuilder in San Diego County, has purchased 44 acres of land in Otay Mesa, where it will build 450 all-electric townhomes for entry-level buyers called Candlelight. Land preparation will begin as early as September and the community is expected to be open for sale in the 3rd quarter of 2024.
“There is a pressing need for workforce housing in San Diego, so that’s what we’re building,” said Cornerstone CEO Ure Kretowicz. “The design, options and amenities reflect feedback from homeowners on our earlier projects and we think potential new buyers will be pleased with the real-world results.”
Four distinct neighborhoods with diverse architecture, amenities and home sizes are planned for the site: Maya with 122 homes; Sapphire with 106 homes; Indigo with 95 homes and Azure with 127 homes. All models feature 2,3, and 4 bedrooms and 2.5 to 3.5 bathrooms, and three of the four neighborhoods come with a private courtyard and upper deck or a balcony so that residents can enjoy the temperate California weather.
The three-story homes range from 1,344 to 1,904 sq. ft. and prices are expected to be in the mid-$500,000s to the low-$600,000s, well below the median price of homes sold in San Diego, which now stands at around $750,000.
“These homes were designed to meet the income parameters for middle income workers, something that is not easy to find in the San Diego metro area,” said Michael Sabourin, president and COO of Cornerstone Communities. “We anticipate interest from small families to partners or single professionals looking for a highly desirable location with rich amenities that is convenient to employment centers, shopping and transportation corridors.”
Kretowicz points out that “Candlelight will be an environmentally conscious community that supports a more sustainable lifestyle. All neighborhoods are equipped with high-speed fiber-optic cable and Cat-6 and RC6 cable outlets installed in the living room and all the bedrooms. The tree-lined paseo will be dotted with shaded outdoor workstations with seating where residents can connect with the free community Wi-Fi network. All homes feature solar power, electric heat pumps and air conditioning with programable thermostats and highly efficient, cost-saving appliances that run on electricity instead of natural gas.”
“The townhomes are designed in a fresh, contemporary style that has become a trend in Southern California,” said Jamie Starck of Starck Architecture and Planning, which designed three of the four neighborhoods at Candlelight.
“This is going to be a very interesting community with different building types and color solutions that have become popular with younger buyers in recent years,” Starck said. “The design is modern and tech-savvy with flexible living spaces and efficient energy that will keep down the monthly utility bills. It’s a very strong entry-level product that I think will be well received due to its price point.”
Candlelight amenities will include two pools with a spa and cabana, tot lots and a dog park. Meandering walkways will connect with existing hiking trails off-site. Cornerstone set aside more than 40 percent of the property for two environmentally sensitive open space preserves adjacent to the development.
Floor plans with upper decks feature an adjacent space for a work desk on the second floor; other options include space on the first floor for a home office with a closet and bathroom that has its own outside entrance for added privacy. The bottom floor also includes an oversized two-car garage prewired for an electric car charging station.
“The remote work lifestyle is more than a trend. It’s here to stay,” said Sean Whitacre of Dahlin, a architecture, planning and interiors firm. “Couple this with a younger generation of homebuyers who place connectivity and secure internet access high on their list of desired amenities, and there’s a demand you can’t ignore.”
About Cornerstone Communities
The management team at Cornerstone Communities is comprised of a seasoned group of development and building professionals possessing over 150 years of combined experience in the homebuilding field having developed, mapped, and/or constructed over 15,000 homes in over 60 developments throughout California and Nevada. Professional Builder magazine heralded the group as one of the nation’s Building Giants. Cornerstone has been consistently ranked as one of San Diego’s top privately held residential homebuilders by the San Diego Business Journal and was recently recognized as one of the Top 500 Privately-Held Businesses in the U.S. by DiversityBusiness.com. www.cornerstonecommunities.com