New Community Offers Preserved Habitat

SAN CLEMENTE, CA—Taylor Morrison has begun the final stage of development for Sea Summit at Marblehead here, a coastal residential community that has undergone four decades of planning and approvals. The 248-acre property includes 116 acres of protected mesa and canyon habitat.

The community features 308 luxury, single-family residences, a network of oceanfront trails and a private resort club. It offers four neighborhoods of resort-style homes from 1,785 square feet to 5,000 square feet, designed by Robert Hidey Architects and Mark Scheuer Architect. All neighborhoods offer walkability to community amenities, shopping and dining, as well as the coastal trail network. Prices range from the low $1-millions to the low $3-millions, and sales open this summer.

Summit House, a private club and an approximately 6,500-square-foot recreation center, will feature a fitness center, pool and community gathering places, including lounge, patios and fire pit. Sea Summit will also contain a network of community parks totaling 12 acres that includes an active sports park, two neighborhood parks, a private “passive-use” park and a nature park. Uses include active play fields, passive turf areas, basketball courts, playgrounds, picnic tables, benches, walkways and bicycle paths.

Another amenity also opening this year is Plaza San Clemente, a 580,000-square-foot shopping center set on 52 acres within the community. Developed by Craig Realty Group, the center will be easily accessible from the residences of Sea Summit. It will include more than 70 high-end, outlet-style shops and ocean-view restaurants.

One of the key elements to Sea Summit is its preservation development of habitat and trails. Most of the residences are bordered on three sides by protected mesas and canyons, which enhance native and endangered species. Four miles of trails weave through the coastal habitat, with trails that loop along the plateau facing the ocean and descend sandstone bluffs via stairways to PCH and existing beach trails. Several trail areas are open to bicycles. The preserved areas include three detention basins. In addition to cleansing groundwater runoff, these ponds offer habitat for ducks and other waterfowl.

Perhaps the most interesting fact about Sea Summit is that it took 40 years of planning—one of the longest development periods for any successful coastal project in California. Phil Bodem, division president of Taylor Morrison, tells GlobeSt.com, “The history of this development has been quite a saga. At various times in the past three decades, over 2,000 homes, a hotel, and even the Richard Nixon Presidential Library were proposed by a series of developers. Multiple planning and approval hurdles delayed the project, and the recession brought it to a complete halt. But in many ways, oversight by public entities such as City of San Clemente and California Coastal Commission, combined with years of public input, has perfected the community plan. What we finally have in Sea Summit at Marblehead is a place that protects the natural habitat, allows for recreational uses, and offers pristine canyon and ocean views for Sea Summit residents.”