RANCHO SANTA FE — The Rancho Santa Fe Art Jury unanimously approved Phase 2 plans for a proposed retirement and memory care community, bringing the project one step closer to final approval.
Silvergate Rancho Santa Fe has been in the design stage since Solana Beach-based AmeriCare Health and Retirement Inc. purchased nearly 29 acres at the northeast corner of Calzada del Bosque and Via de la Valle in 2021. If it receives all necessary approvals and permits and is built, it would be the first residential retirement community in Rancho Santa Fe.
Phase 2 planning addressed community input regarding architectural consistency with Rancho Santa Fe, landscaping and lighting, according to an announcement from AmeriCare. About 400 new trees will be planted on the campus based on feedback from the Art Jury.
Phase 1 planning, which examined the project’s overall footprint and building mass, was approved by the Art Jury in March — but only after 6 acres outside the Rancho Santa Fe Protective Covenant were removed from the plans because of jurisdictional questions.
The proposal moving forward to final review by the Art Jury includes 44 memory care units, 94 apartments and 30 cottages.
If the proposal receives final approval from the Art Jury, it will go before the full Rancho Santa Fe Association Board of Directors. If the board approves it, the project would then go to San Diego County for review.
“Throughout this process, we’ve listened carefully, worked collaboratively and made meaningful changes that have improved the entire project,” said Greg Petree, president and chief operating officer of AmeriCare, in a statement. “We’re extremely encouraged to receive another unanimous Art Jury approval and look forward to continuing that collaboration through Final Review.”
The project has received a mixed reception from local residents. Some have objected to the proposal’s scale and nature, while others have told The Coast News they welcome an amenity that would allow them to remain in the community they have called home for many years if they can no longer care for themselves at home.
Property owners created the Rancho Santa Fe Protective Covenant in 1928. The Rancho Santa Fe Association administers the covenant. The Art Jury serves as the association’s planning board, which is considered a homeowners association under state law.
