History

A Landscape that Reflects Its Roots

The texturally rich crests and valleys that now comprise Santaluz began their development history shortly after the Mexican-American War in the 1880s, when the U.S. government acquired portions of three Spanish ranchos that raised cattle and sheep along the San Dieguito River Valley.

The federal government began issuing deeds to various individuals who acquired title to the property, including Peter and Angela Lusardi, who are said to have owned most of the Santaluz property from the 1890s to the late 1920s. Then along came the original Hollywood power couple: silent screen stars Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and his wife, Mary Pickford. They purchased 3,000 acres in northern San Diego County including a portion of Santaluz.

The pair saw the area as a retreat and honored the land’s agrarian ancestry by planting thousands of citrus trees and acres of beans and vegetables to feed cattle that still roamed the area. By the time the property was sold in 1952, Fairbanks and Pickford had long divorced (Fairbanks passed away in 1939) and the area northwest of Santaluz would become the development called Fairbanks Ranch.

The property continued to change hands without much other change until Taylor Woodrow Homes, Inc. and DMB Associates, Inc. joined together in the late 1990s to design a resort community that returned the landscape to its native state of chaparral, grasslands and verdant knolls. A few years later, they unveiled a rustic-yet-sophisticated village green surrounded by luxury homes blending beautifully with the land’s natural contours. Santaluz allows residents to connect – with the land and with each other.

The centerpiece is a championship-worthy, 18-hole golf course designed by Rees Jones. It too works in concert with the native flora and fauna to create an unrivaled showcase and a challenging game of golf for members of the Club.

The team named their master planned community Santaluz, which translates to “sacred light” – a quality of light that constitutes natural beauty. Residents refer to the open plains, majestic views and large, circular lot sizes as a “luxury of space.” It’s that reverence for the area’s natural splendor and dedication to environmental conservation that distinguishes this upscale residential community from all others.