Star Ranch envisions the creation over time of a quaint back country village in Campo valley. It is more than just a planned community with well-defined boundaries and authentic rural design, Star Ranch represents a dramatic departure from the piecemeal development which characterizes Alpine and other rural areas of the County. The 2,160 area Specific Plan is uniquely positioned to address social and infrastructure needs and over time improve the quality of life for local residents without inducing unbridled growth. Star Ranch will remain a quiet but economically healthy village enclave in the midst of picturesque Campo, which is assured by the site constraints of adjacent public lands, topography, water availability, respect for sensitive lands, and the very-large lot requirements (down zoning) by the County’s General Plan Update.

Residential Village:

Star Ranch is unique in that it is designed to provide a range of residential densities and housing types built around a working cattle ranch. The Specific Plan, currently under review by County staff, provides for the construction of approximately 423 village residential units which will support the Cameron Corners country town. These residences include housing for senior citizens located near a modern medical center, town homes, and medium and smaller lot single-family homes to serve a broad cross-section of the next generation of Campo residents.

Development of the village neighborhoods will be phased over a number of years allowing the community to become acclimated to the project. The residential areas will be rural in character without curbs and sidewalks. The project also includes a small grouping of 25 equestrian estate lots tucked into the site’s central valley which will be out of view of the village and be reserved for owners of the operating ranch. An additional 12 two-acre lots along Buckman Springs Road will provide lots large enough to accommodate a single family home and individual horse corrals

Village Country Town:

The village country town that we envision will meet the daily needs of Campo and Star Ranch residents with services and amenities right here in our own area, instead of contributing to traffic and air pollution by traveling in and out of the region. The 14-acre village center proposed by Star Ranch, will be safely separated from the main highway and linked to a community park and the community trail system. The village center will be designed with pedestrian-friendly streets, on-street parking, street-oriented storefronts, and off-street parking located behind buildings. Equestrian facilities will be provided in the village center making it possible to “ride into town.” The new “main street” will be shared with existing commercial property owners to enhance commercial properties already in the area. Village residences are also planned to be within walking distance of either the village country town center, the existing Campo Elementary School and Library.

Sustainability:

Preserving the cattle ranch provides many sustainable benefits including protection of the rural agricultural identity, fuel management (from cattle grazing), and reduced water requirements when compared to the typical golf course development.  The ranch environment will also provide a unique rural experience for the local residents and visitors to the area. A majority of homes will overlook the scenic pastures of the working cattle ranch with views of open pastures and valleys. By retaining the cattle ranch, the project’s open space will be preserved in a natural state, while the land remains productive and dedicated to agricultural use. More than 75% of the ranch will be preserved in open space, including the Campo Creek Meadow.

Other features benefiting area residents will be hidden in the project’s “green” infrastructure. Water will be provided from on-site wells and distributed to village residents through a centralized treatment and distribution system. This eliminates the proliferation of unregulated wells. Wastewater from the village areas will be treated with state-of-the art technologies to provide high quality reclaimed water. The reclaimed water will be used to irrigate common landscaped areas and parks, thereby returning water back to the Campo groundwater basin. Other examples of “green infrastructure” include vegetated swales along the streets; bio detention basins to treat runoff before percolation into the groundwater; and use of native drought tolerant landscaping in all developed areas and parks.