CANTARINI RANCH
CARLSBAD, CA
CANTARINI RANCH
CARLSBAD, CA
Property Description
The 140-acre Cantarini Ranch (CT 00-18, FEIR 02-02) subdivision was approved in 2004/05 by the City of Carlsbad for development of 105 half-acre lots with ~55 acres of natural “HMP” open space. The property’s higher elevation and gently rolling hills provide sweeping pastoral and blue-water vistas. This carefully planned neighborhood brings the rural-estate vision of Carlsbad’s Sunny Creek Specific Plan (SP 191) to life, with half-acre minimum lot sizes, over-sized front- and side-yard building set-backs, expansive open space and an extensive trail system.
The Zone 15 / Sunny Creek area, with Cantarini Ranch at the center, is an ~ 850-acre rural refuge bounded by the Agua Hedionda Creek riparian preserve on the west, large natural “HMP” open space preserves on the south and east, and College Blvd. (future) on the north. The Sunny Creek area represents the last large coastal development opportunity in north San Diego County.
Development of the Sunny Creek area will include construction of the last section of College Blvd. (“Reach A”), which will provide residents with convenient access to Carlsbad’s pristine beaches, high-wage employers and a wide array of superior quality public services and amenities, including abundant parks & hiking trails, world class golf, resorts, restaurants, breweries, shopping, live entertainment and Palomar Airport.
Updates
In June 2024, Ledcor submitted its formal application for development of the former Walmart site (17 acres, NE corner of College and El Camino Real). The project is described as 330 for-sale residential units, which represents a town house product at a density of approx. 20 dwelling units per acre.
As previously noted, the traffic service failures and increasing safety hazards on El Camino Real and Cannon Road underscores the need to complete the last section of College Blvd. (“Reach A”) as part of any new traffic-generating local development. How that is to be accomplished will likely be part of this new project’s environmental analysis and entitlement process.
In the mean time, the 156-unit 4K Partners apartment project is still working its way through the City’s arduous review process. In addition to bringing much needed new attainable and affordable housing units to the market, the off-site improvements and development impact fees provided by these two projects could be the impetus to finally completing Carlsbad’s “missing link”.
Market/Economy
Despite concerns about tarriff policies and inflation lingering near 3% , the U.S. economy has grown well through the first 3 quarters of 2025, with the stock market reaching record highs. Recent indications of a slowing jobs market has prompted the Fed to acknowledge a need to shift monetary policy to a more accommodating stance. As a consequence, as many as 3 cuts of 25 bps to the Federal Funds rate are expected through year-end 2025.
While cuts to the Federal Funds rate do not directly effect the long end of the yuield curve, expectations of inflation moving down to the 2% target, coupled with a substantial cooling in the housing market, has resulted in both the bell-weather 10-year Treasury and mortgage rates declining. Nevertheless, few analysts expect the 30-year fixed mortgage rate falling significantly below 6% during 2026.
Absent significant gains in jobs and incomes, or significant declines in home prices, the housing market will continue to perform at its current slower pace.
Disclosure & Contact Info
The information and images presented on this web site are for general information purposes only. While we believe the information provided is accurate, we do not guarantee it. Please direct inquiries and comments to: David Bentley, President - Bentley Equity, Inc. - 760-809-5216 - benteq@roadrunner.com. For information regarding the developer of the Zone 15 projects described herein, visit our web-site: www.dmbentley.com.