Rancho La Habra

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A Vision for a Better La Habra

The owners of Westridge Golf Club have recognized that higher water costs and the declining popularity of golf are threatening the future of the golf course. An economic analysis by Pro Forma Advisors confirms this, concluding, “At this time, the outlook for improvement in [Westridge Golf Club’s] operating performance is highly uncertain. The golf market has remained relatively flat over the past several years, despite an improving economy, and irrigation water costs are likely to continue to increase.” This opened the door for planning to begin for Rancho La Habra – a new home community that is sensitively designed to make La Habra a better place to live.

News coverage of the decline in golf’s popularity and the economic evaluation of Westridge Golf Club prepared for Lennar are available on the Resources tab.

Today, unless you pay up to $70 each to play, you can’t walk onto Westridge Golf Club. It is shut off from the non-golfing public and offers recreation for only a relatively few golfers. This recreation comes at a high cost – 90 million gallons of potable (drinking) water used every year to irrigate the greens and fairways, plus ongoing mowing and chemical spraying to keep the turf healthy. Golf course operating costs, especially for irrigation water, have risen dramatically, while both locally and nationally the number of golf rounds played has dropped. In the last decade, 7 million golfers left the game and more than 600 golf courses closed, including three in Orange County.
Tomorrow, with approval of the Lennar plan for Rancho La Habra, the public will be able to enjoy a new City Park and trails as well as a new City Community Center, as a well-planned new-home community unfolds. Rancho La Habra is designed to use less water, provide financial benefits to the City and local schools, increase recreational opportunities in La Habra – and of course, offer homes with the newest designs and amenities to La Habra families who want to move up without moving out of town.

A New Neighborhood

Since 1954, Lennar has helped hundreds of thousands of families across America move into the next stage of their lives with a new home. Our core principles are quality, value and integrity.

This experience has been applied to create a dynamic vision for Rancho La Habra. With careful planning, fiscal benefits to the City and many new public amenities, Rancho La Habra is designed to be a good neighbor to established near-by residents.

Rancho La Habra, to be built where Westridge Golf Club is today (between Idaho Street and Beach Boulevard in southern La Habra), is proposed as follows:

  • 448 homes – 277 single-family detached and 171 townhomes in four distinctive gated neighborhoods.
  • Nearly 58% open space, with almost 40 acres of new City parkland, public open space and wildlife habitat.
  • Approximately 4.2 miles of proposed new public trails through the site, linking to and expanding the regional trails system.

A New Park for La Habra

The highlight of Rancho La Habra will be its massive new public City Park, 4.6 mile public trail system and new City Community Center – all provided at no cost to La Habra. Even the ongoing maintenance of the park will be free – it will be paid for by assessments on Rancho La Habra’s homes.

Among these new public open space recreational uses are:
  • (A) Community Center – The existing Westridge Golf Club clubhouse will be completely remodeled and given to the City to serve as a multi-purpose Community Center for all La Habra.
  • (B) Community Center Gardens – Surrounding the Wedding Lawn, with its beautiful views of the lake and mountains, will be a calming world with an outdoor reading lounge, relaxation niches, game courts and shaded seating. Hungry? There will be a barbeque and picnic area, too.
  • (C) Lake Park – The existing lake, downsized appropriately for these water-aware times, will be the centerpiece of Lake Park, complete with a boardwalk and a toy boat dock. Just off the lake will be the Grand Lawn for community events and an amphitheater and concert pavilion.
  • (D) Children’s Discovery Gardens – Education and fun intertwine here, with an educational demonstration garden and exhibits scattered along the extensive walking path network. For play, there will be a water play area, tot lot, toddler climbing wall and more.
  • (E) Fitness Gardens – The new park will help make La Habra healthier with a lawn for yoga, Zumba and Tai Chi, a cross-fit activity area, a conditioning wall and low ropes course. It will be the perfect place to stretch before taking off on the Rancho La Habra trail system. [Link to Trail System pop-up below]
  • (F) Open Space Exploration Park – Within the trails and open space in the park’s upper reaches will be meadow lawns for family gatherings, a canyon grassland with canopy trees, hills for King (or Queen) of the Mountain and play areas for Frisbee and hide and seek. Many of the property’s largest trees will be saved and replanted here.
  • (G) Trail System – In addition to the 1.6 miles of gravel trails throughout the park, the 2.6-mile Rancho La Habra multi-use trail system will provide all-weather concrete trails winding through the community from Idaho Street to Beach Blvd., sprinkled with vista points offering seating areas.

The Rancho La Habra Vision

These principles guided the planning of Rancho La Habra and our work with the City and neighbors:

  • Incorporate Sustainability into the Plan’s DNA: Incorporate water-saving and energy-saving design and
    technology into the site plan, open space management and the new homes.
  • be-a-good-neighborBe a Good Neighbor: Recognize the legitimate concerns of our neighbors, listen carefully, respond straightforwardly,
    and work to carry out the new community in a way that brings new benefits and amenities to La Habra.
  • Be a Partner with La Habra: Create a plan that generates positive cash flow for the City, brings new public parks,
    trails and open space, and supports essential services, like police, fire and schools. Encourage public participation and be a public participant.
  • Keep the La Habra Homebuyer in Mind: Propose a mix of homes at a range of prices, so La Habra residents who want to
    move to a new home without moving out of town can find a Rancho La Habra home that meets their needs.

More details on how we are working to incorporate the Rancho La Habra Vision into our plans are available on the Benefits and Facts pages of this website.

If you have questions or comments, please send them to us via the Contact Us/Comments page.