The sound of hammers and saws in east Hughson are signs of an economy coming back – with the fulfilling of a pent-up demand for more housing in Stanislaus County.
There is a waiting list to buy the homes in Kaufman & Broad’s new Fieldstone subdivision in Hughson. Sold signs are up in several homes standing in the framing stage.
“They are selling like hotcakes,” said Hughson’s Community Development Director Rachel Wyse. “I think most of them are sold. It’s crazy.”
The Hughson City Council approved the 69 lots in 2006, originally the Euclid South Development. The mortgage crash of 2008 halted construction. The agreement with Florsheim Homes was amended in December 2017 and the final map was approved on March 9, 2020. Buildout is expected to happen by year’s end.
KB Homes is offering four ranch style floor plans, priced starting at $437,990.
The Courier was unsuccessful in contacting KB Homes for comment. The Hughson sales office may be reached at 404-5515 and is only showing models only by appointment at 1622 Legacy Way. Hours are Mondays, 1 to 6 p.m. and Tuesdays through Sundays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Hughson is primed for additional new home in other infill areas, such as the Euclid North Development approved in 2007 and amended in November 2017. K-B Homes has purchased the building site of 50 lots which is expected to begin construction in 2022. The Hughson City Council granted an additional extension on Monday to keep the project current.
Parkwood Development, approved by the City Council in November, will bring 299 new homes to the 56 acres on the corner of Hatch Road and Santa Fe Avenue.
“We anticipate buildout within the next five years,” said Hughson City Manager Merry Mayhew.
Building is also taking place on a 20-unit apartment complex on Walker Lane.
Beyond those three projects, Hughson will be debating its future growth plans as it updates its General Plan.
“Our General Plan was last updated in 2005 and much has changed in the last 15 plus years,” said Mayhew. “We are planning to begin a General Plan update this year and issues surrounding growth limits will be reviewed at that time.
“Other than the three developments that have been approved, the city does not have any other large sites for residential development.”
Despite the fact that houses are in short supply, there is currently no building taking place in Ceres, nor will there be for some time, said Ceres City Manager Tom Westbrook. There have been no building projects proposed for the West Landing area in southwest Ceres nor any activity in the lots approved years ago for Copper Trails and Maple Glen.
“It’s pretty much stagnant,” said Westbrook. “There are some folks that are interested maybe having some initial discussions on bringing that back on line. I think they’re trying to forecast when the interchange will be constructed and then their project ready to build – but that’s still a couple of years away; nothing really happening at the moment.”
In May the Ceres Planning Commission will be asked to approve the first tentative subdivision map for 20 acres of the Whitmore Ranch Specific Plan which was annexed to the city in 2019. The city annexed 94 acres to the city limits that will yield up to 441 new dwelling units south of Whitmore Avenue between Moore Road and Cesar Chavez Junior High School.
The annexation included La Rosa Elementary and Cesar Chavez Junior High School campuses as well as lands presently zoned for agricultural use.
The plan calls for:
• 28 acres earmarked for the development of low-density residential uses, or 196 single-family homes with an average lot size of 5,000 square feet;
• 6.6 acres of medium-density residential uses, or 85 dwelling units with an average lot size of 3,000 square feet;
• 6.4 acres of high-density apartment or condominiums that could result in 160 living units;
• 5.2 acres of open space, including a bike and pedestrian corridor leading to the junior high’s western boundary.
