The coast is clear, for development.
Marblehead Coastal is a striking swath of empty land in San Clemente west of the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway stretching to Pacific Coast Highway. The site is 248 acres of dirt. All is quiet amid surrounding homes, shops and offices.
It’s one of the last stretches of Orange County coastline that hasn’t been developed. But that should start changing this year.
Irvine-based developer SunCal Cos. plans to buy the site and get the land ready for 313 homes, according to the company and industry sources.
SunCal, which could close escrow next month, is set to turn around and sell part of the site closest to the freeway to Newport Beach-based Craig Realty Group, sources said.
Craig Realty plans to build a 600,000-square-foot outlet mall,the first such shopping center in the county. Plans also include a 14-screen movie theater and four restaurants.
Marblehead is one of three coastal projects set to be developed after years, even decades, of haggling with the California Coastal Commission and local cities. All of the developers had their plans for homes and other development cut back during that time.
Now the coastal projects are moving forward.
Bulldozers last week began moving dirt on the 121-acre Dana Point Headlands project, and the commission earlier this month approved a 349-home project overlooking the Bolsa Chica Wetlands.
David Soyka, director of marketing with SunCal, declined to give specifics about the Marblehead acquisition, except to say the deal is “under contract.”
SunCal typically buys land and prepares it for developers who plan to build homes, shopping centers and offices.
Irvine’s Lusk Co., which is selling the land with partners, has spent more than a decade planning and battling for approvals to develop Marblehead.
San Clemente Mayor Joe Anderson said he remembers discussing the project when he was on the City Council in the early 1990s.
He said city officials are looking forward to shops and homes, but “it’s hard to maintain a level of excitement” after so many years of talks. Plans have been scaled back, he said. Initial plans were for closer to 500 homes.
That’s nothing compared to the Bolsa Chica wetlands. In the 1980s, developers planned to build nearly 6,000 homes, several marinas and hundreds of acres of commercial buildings.
Two weeks ago, the Coastal Commission approved Irvine-based California Coastal Communities Inc.’s plan to build 349 luxury homes on 68 acres of the upper bench of the Bolsa Chica Mesa.
Jim Johnson, former chief executive of Lusk, died last year just as his marquee project finally was coming together.
Johnson and others changed their plans after the Coastal Commission unleashed heavy criticism during a public hearing in 2001. New designs preserve natural land and have won over some critics.
“We’d love to see them break ground as soon as possible,” said George Buell, a city planner.
He said city officials are impressed with the latest designs and had expected work to be under way by now. He said Lusk has all the major approvals it needs from the city.
In February, the Coastal Commission gave a sort of final approval for the project, with a long list of conditions. The commission now is reviewing design plans to make sure they conform to earlier approvals.
Mayor Anderson said he hopes the commission will finish its review in 60 days and issue a building permit.
Lusk brought in some financial partners on Marblehead during the past decade or so. The land is owned by a partnership that includes Lusk. It’s hired Irvine-based O’Donnell/ Atkins to sell the land, sources said.
Open space, a wildlife habitat and a sports park next to Shore Cliffs Middle School also are set for Marblehead.
