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Compromise opens door for resident ownership at Oak Tree Ranch

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By Joe Naiman

A compromise between County of San Diego staff and the Caster family that owns Oak Tree Ranch will allow units to be converted to resident ownership.

San Diego County supervisors in May expressed support for converting 119 Oak Tree Ranch units off Black Canyon Road to resident ownership, but they were unwilling to override county counsel’s advice that approval of the proposal violates state law. Instead, they continued the hearing so Oak Tree representatives could provide a new map that covers only the 199 unit spaces and not the entire 255 spaces allowed in a 1965 zoning variance.

Oak Tree Ranch.WEBOn July 9, the supervisors approved the map allowing private ownership for the 119 existing units.

“We compromised and settled to get to what we got. We got past all the major objections,” said Oak Tree Ranch president Bert Caster. “Now we’ll be able to move forward.”

Although Oak Tree Ranch is considered a mobilehome park, the units are manufactured homes with garages. Homes were on 119 spaces until the October 2007 Witch fire destroyed some of the units, and only 75 spaces currently have homes. Driveways allow for two guest parking places per home in addition to the two or three cars which can fit in the garages.

“It’s a wonderful place, and the Casters have provided a wonderful environment for people,” said Supervisor Dianne Jacob.

In 1965, the supervisors granted a variance for the site that permitted 255 home spaces in the 2200 block of Black Canyon Road. The original map to convert the units to resident ownership covered the entire 255 potential homes rather than the 119 existing units.

Although a change to resident ownership would not require California Environmental Quality Act review in the absence of future expansion, the potential additional Oak Tree Ranch units caused county staff to determine that CEQA analysis for the remaining 136 spaces would be required.

Although Caster has no immediate plans to develop the remaining 136 spaces, he and his consultants were concerned that a map including only the 119 homes would create infrastructure complications when a separate map for the remaining units was processed. The two-month continuance allowed for the unresolved issues to be addressed to the satisfaction of Caster and the county.

“This is just a really phenomenal thing that we can figure this out,” said Supervisor Dave Roberts.

“It’s going to do exactly what the residents who live there wanted,” Jacob said.

“Good for all of us, really,” Caster said.

Caster and the Oak Tree Ranch residents still need state Department of Real Estate approval before the residents will be able to purchase the land under their homes. Caster estimates that the Department of Real Estate process, which will not require a hearing, will be completed within nine to 12 months.

After Caster sells enough of the 119 existing units to the residents, he will begin the process of developing the remaining 136 units.

“We’ll go through this process some time again in the future, but we know the rules will be a lot clearer,” he said.

Caster expects that development on the 136 spaces will begin in two to three years. A discretionary permit will be required for a new map that will convert those lots to resident ownership.

“Long battle, but it looks like it was successful in the end,” Caster said. “I’m pretty happy, pleased that the residents are going to be able to own their own homes.”

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