Sausalito at Stonegate

irvinehomeowner said:
irvinehomeshopper said:
To be fair with the comments not every village should get its own retail center. Retailers will only lease spaces with critical population mass near by. Laguna Altura currently does not have enough population to justify retail strip mall. Building a vacant mall is bad for the image.
Tell that to the Orchard Hills shopping center. :)

A strip mall on the other side of the 133 (that is zoned for business) should have been built. It would service both Quail Hill and LA.

Except orchard hills shopping center isn't vacant.
 
bones said:
irvinehomeowner said:
irvinehomeshopper said:
To be fair with the comments not every village should get its own retail center. Retailers will only lease spaces with critical population mass near by. Laguna Altura currently does not have enough population to justify retail strip mall. Building a vacant mall is bad for the image.
Tell that to the Orchard Hills shopping center. :)

A strip mall on the other side of the 133 (that is zoned for business) should have been built. It would service both Quail Hill and LA.

Except orchard hills shopping center isn't vacant.
It was at first. And businesses have closed and open there quite a bit (although the same can be said for Crossroads).
 
irvinehomeowner said:
bones said:
irvinehomeowner said:
irvinehomeshopper said:
To be fair with the comments not every village should get its own retail center. Retailers will only lease spaces with critical population mass near by. Laguna Altura currently does not have enough population to justify retail strip mall. Building a vacant mall is bad for the image.
Tell that to the Orchard Hills shopping center. :)

A strip mall on the other side of the 133 (that is zoned for business) should have been built. It would service both Quail Hill and LA.

Except orchard hills shopping center isn't vacant.
It was at first. And businesses have closed and open there quite a bit (although the same can be said for Crossroads).

Or woodbury or a lot of other centers. That's retail. High turnover.
 
No Quarter said:
If you run a business and you produce less units, the marginal cost per unit is higher than if you produce more units.  The fixed cost is the same regardless.  Building homes is no different, the land is only 1 input that goes into the equation.  Site prep, utility relocation, contract letting for labor & materials, 3rd party negotiations for permitting, zoning, environmental studies, community outreach, marketing, staging of materials, sequencing of tasks, integration activities and management of vendors all need to occur. Building 600 hundred homes vs. 200 would mean the builder is able to negotiate lower rates for materials and labor.
I understand what you're saying, but I don't think the original number was 200. From what I remember looking at the plans, it looked like there was originally going to be some attached housing so for all we know, the original number was also 600 but detaching them required using up the open space.
Yes, i do know folks at TIC.  You may know people over there too.  Ask your people about this and we can compare notes.
I don't know anyone at TIC... but maybe that's why I can be less biased towards their practices. Maybe you can ask them how many units did the original LA plan have.
Just as I don't claim to know everything that happens in your neighborhood, I would think that its very disingenuous for you to claim that you are sure what residents over here think.  How is that possible that you speak for the majority of residents unless you live here and are talking to them regularly?  I would counter that you are only speculating what people here think, unless you are the NSA. 
Disingenuous? There is a difference between saying "I'm sure SOME" and "speak for the majority". Spying accusations aside, I'm just using common sense that there is always *some* people who are unhappy with any situation.
Again with the paseo? Why get hung up on something that didn't happen?
I'm not hung up, I was just asking you (objectively) if you thought the original plan was better than the current one. It's okay, you're not being graded.
In the interest of full disclosure, where in Irvine did you buy?
I bought long ago. I have lived in Woodbridge, Northwood, Quail Hill, Westpark II and few others. Not sure how where I live is relevant to whether or not *you* prefer more open space in your neighborhood but if you're asking me... YES... I prefer more open space than more density.
As far as the mello roos, how are you sure that the prices of Lambert Ranch didn't have the cost of what mello roos would have been baked in?  You indicated that you thought William Lyon was doing that in their development.  Why would the New Home Company not seek the same sort of margin?
I believe LR has gone on record saying that what would otherwise be MRs were incorporated into pricing. I think I have a post here somewhere where I also questioned that because I didn't think there was very much MR costs to begin with.
Is that better than paying for infrastructure? Are those people getting ripped off as well?
But look at the pricing/sqft difference. For $1mil+ in LR, you get a much larger home and lot than the WL projects. LR pricing is actually in line with other TIC projects at the same prices points but without having to pay MRs, so maybe they're actually getting a better deal.

My question wasn't comparing LA to LR, my question was about the amount of MRs comparing LA to Stonegate or any other TIC project where you pay for MRs. If the MR costs are the same, what exactly are you paying for in LA? No schools, less public roads, less infrastructure. And if they did build more homes than originally planned, MRs should be even lower right? I think it's an honest question but if you don't want to answer it, that's fine.
 
No Quarter said:
There is no doubt that a smaller development would have been more expensive.  That's why this one was priced the way it was.  It only had 600 units vs. the normal development that TIC has pursued in Irvine.  Your own point above about what the market would bear is likely how they arrived at the number of units necessary to arrive at the highest price point that the market would bear.

So it really comes down to TIC wanting to maintain the maximum profit margin at the highest price the market will bear.

Regardless of cost, TIC will always charge the maximum it can get from the market and at a level allowing for timely completion of the project.  They made a conscious design choice that reduced their costs (ensuring max profit) at the expense of some open space. I realize this is something that every business/developer does---it is what it is.

Does this mean LA is bad? Certainly not. I'm sure it is great community and the people who purchased there are happy. In the big picture, it doesn't matter what I or other pundits post. Just enjoy your home.
 
Oh... and in the interest of full disclosure and irony, Laguna Altura is still on the edge of my list of where we are thinking about buying (despite my misgivings).

I'll be that one person complaining about walking around the Great Wall of Altura to get to the pool. :)
 
irvinehomeowner said:
Oh... and in the interest of full disclosure and irony, Laguna Altura is still on the edge of my list of where we are thinking about buying (despite my misgivings).

I'll be that one person complaining about walking around the Great Wall of Altura to get to the pool. :)

I thought Laguna Altura has sold out. Other than perhaps the model 1 residence at Siena.

I think you and NQ both have valid points on how choosing LA has its pros and cons, but I think we can all face the music when it comes to the Irvine Company, they're going to try and squeeze us for each and every dollar that they can. If I was running a business, I'd do the exact same thing unless I knew that somehow that my short term plans was going to affect the ability for me to continue doing exactly what I have been doing. They're not just monkeys deciding how to develop their land, a lot of thought I'm sure has led to what we see today. Not saying its the best for us buyers, but I sure don't blame them from changing their plans in LA. I wish it remained the same, but we can only speculate what would have happened otherwise...
 
I just checked via Google Maps and from where I lived in Woodbury to the Ralphs was 1.0 miles.  From Modena in LA to the Albertsons in QH shopping area the distance is 1.9 miles.  The difference is .9 miles.  The feel is probably much different in Woodbury because you are walking through the neighborhood versus walking next to empty space as you would for the first section in LA.  (Depending on where in Stonegate, it is also approximately 1.1 miles to Ralphs)

Just wanted to throw that out because people are always talking like LA is miles away similar to how FHR is in the boonies when it's pretty much the same distance to the Spectrum as Westpark, haha.
(Sidenote: I just literally heard a commentator on the Travel channel say, "No one walks in LA." haha)

I really liked LA as I drove through there to look at the models. I could easily see my wife and I enjoying walks around the neighborhood.  If No Quarter was there to give me motivation, I may be able to walk the extra "long" .9 miles to QH shopping center, haha.  ;)

Then again, I am not as picky/idealistic as some of the other people here.




 
you cannot have both: walk-ability and seclusion(?). Shady and the two Turtles are the best neighborhoods in Irvine, but you cannot really walk to any retail centers. I would've have bought in LA had 405/133 not being so close.
 
Coleman said:
I just checked via Google Maps and from where I lived in Woodbury to the Ralphs was 1.0 miles.  From Modena in LA to the Albertsons in QH shopping area the distance is 1.9 miles.  The difference is .9 miles.

The biggest difference is from LA to go anywhere you need to cross a freeway.
 
test said:
Coleman said:
I just checked via Google Maps and from where I lived in Woodbury to the Ralphs was 1.0 miles.  From Modena in LA to the Albertsons in QH shopping area the distance is 1.9 miles.  The difference is .9 miles.

The biggest difference is from LA to go anywhere you need to cross a freeway.

Well actually, you can only cross the 133 on the Westside of Laguna Canyon Road, so you may actually be crossing something other than a freeway as there is a sign that states "Freeway Ends 1/2 miles" right after you pass the 405.  :D    haha :p
 
They were going to connect lake forest drive so you won't have to cross a freeway to get somewhere. Yeah somewhere is lake forest but you can avoid the freeway Did they finish that yet?
 
Marty said:
They were going to connect lake forest drive so you won't have to cross a freeway to get somewhere. Yeah somewhere is lake forest but you can avoid the freeway Did they finish that yet?

Yup it opened recently.
 
Also TIC is building a retail center at irvine center drive and research. There will be more options for LA without crossing a freeway. I could hit the gym, daycare and food without crossing a freeway from LA
 
Just walking from your house to the LA entrance gate is a hike.

NQ you are right, Irvine in general is not walkable.  I don't know why earlier you said LA is very walkable and now admit it's not.

This is an example of a walkable community right next to Irvine:
Land+Use+Update+2013.jpg

 
thedude111222 said:
these must be the homes planned near maricopa and saratoga? I remember the master plan a while back having homes on real cul-de-sacs here.
Getting back to the subject,

thedude111222@ Yup, Sausalito is to be built just north of Maricopa next to Saratoga.  First floor of model homes are up just across from swimming pool.  Sausalito sign is posted if you peek inside.
 
Irvine_Dreamer said:
thedude111222 said:
these must be the homes planned near maricopa and saratoga? I remember the master plan a while back having homes on real cul-de-sacs here.
Getting back to the subject,

thedude111222@ Yup, Sausalito is to be built just north of Maricopa next to Saratoga.  First floor of model homes are up just across from swimming pool.  Sausalito sign is posted if you peek inside.

The lots backing Portola will get a constant parade of garbage trucks going up Bee Canyon..but then it will probably be below street level.. might not see it but still can hear or even "feel" it
 
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