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| Tracy Press, Tuesday, January 21, 2003 |
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| MOUNTAIN HOUSE BECOMING A REALITY |
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A milestone in the development of the Tracy area was reached Saturday, when concrete was poured to form the foundations for the first homes to be built at Mountain House.
The significance is that the eight model homes now under construction will be the first of up to 12,000 homes planned at the major development 3 miles northwest of the Tracy city limits. Eventually, in two decades or so, Mountain House could have a population of 42,000.
Plans for Mountain House have been in the mill for some 15 years, so the actual start of home construction isn't anything that has blossomed without prior notice in the farmland northwest of Tracy. But the characteristics and size of Mountain House make what has been described as a "new town" a unique, major element in the urbanization of the Tracy area. One important characteristic is that Mountain House is being constructed in an unincorporated area in the county. County supervisors and their staffs have overseen the structural and financial planning for this major development. Supervisors themselves are directors of the Mountain House Community Services District, which serves as a quasi-municipal government for water, sewage, storm drainage and streets.
Trimark Development Co., principal developer of Mountain House, has worked closely with the county over more than a decade to reach the point where homes can be constructed. The owners have demonstrated the financial strength and long-term commitment to reach this point, and plans for the layout of Mountain House and the initial homes to be built by Greystone Homes indicate that it will be a quality project.
As construction of homes at Mountain House begins to gain momentum, the obligation of the county to make sure the integrity of what has been promised as a separate, stand-alone development needs to be monitored closely. There will be all kinds of proposals advanced for development on the fringes of Mountain House, and county officials will have to determine how these proposals square with their promises to concentrate development within the boundaries of the community services district.
As construction of homes starts at Mountain House, the need to carefully plan for the area west of Tracy becomes an even more important imperative. |
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