A race for space

from an article in theluxurysource.com - for the luxury lifestyle

Preserved wilderness areas, parks, and greenbelts are just some of the elements desired by high-end buyers.

"Two of the most envied amenities today in the luxury market are open common areas and larger lots," says Keith Schneider, development coordinator for Diablo Grande, a sprawling 33,000-acre residential/resort community under development in Patterson, Calif.

Diablo Grande, situated in the Diablo foothills above the San Joaquin Valley, was developed by pharmaceutical magnate Donald Panoz and exemplifies the race-for-space attitude of much of the luxury market. As one of Diablo Grande's major selling points, Panoz says, approximately 60 percent of the acreage will not be developed. Acres of permanent wildlife habitat, major ridgelines, wetlands, grazing land, and creeks will be untouched.

"Our goal is to enhance the land, and that's really what our future residents are drawn to," says Schneider. "Adding to the wide-open space appeal are larger lots." Diablo Grande offers quarter-, half-, and one-acre lots as well as three-acre estate lots on a ridgeline overlooking the community.

The ambitious master plan includes an amenities lineup that looks as if it were culled from a listing of quintessential baby boomer tastes and desires. The plan calls for six golf courses, five residential villages, a winery with acres of vineyards, a town center, a shopping center, a research and development campus, an equestrian center, a resort hotel, a European spa, executive conference facilities, a tennis complex, a polo field, and hiking trails.

Schneider expects that Diablo Grande's residents will comprise second home buyers, empty nesters, and telecommuters who have offices in their homes. The latter market is expanding, Schneider says, because technology allows some businesspeople to live virtually anywhere.