Tustin SFR Community Gains Entitlement Approvals After Long Process

Kingsbarn's Cypress Grove residential community has finally received entitlement approvals from the City of Tustin, as regulations in the state can cause frustrations for developers.

The community is being designed to serve first-time homebuyers and first-time move-up buyers, with pricing expected to be at market rates.

The approval marks a key milestone as Kingsbarn advances the 145-market-rate-home project toward construction and the delivery of much-needed homeownership opportunities in the local housing market.

Construction is currently anticipated to begin this summer.

Housing approvals in California can test developers' perseverance, according to Jeff Pori, CEO of Kingsbarn.

He told GlobeSt.com that it took about a year to secure approval for 145 lots in Tustin. By comparison, in Laguna Hills, it took three years to gain approvals for 259 home lots and 221 multifamily units.

The home lots in Tustin and Laguna Hills are their only current single-family rental lots.

"California is not a business-friendly state at all," he said. "More investors than ever want out of California. The upfront costs and timeframes associated with developing and constructing real estate projects are significant and often make projects impractical. Same as it ever was."

Also, Kingsbarn is working on entitlements for townhomes in Kings Beach, Lake Tahoe, which will include a hotel and workforce housing apartments.

"Those lots are probably still 18 months from being entitled," according to Pori.

Additionally, Kingsbarn was just approved for a multifamily site in Escondido, across the street from City Hall.

Cypress Grove comprises 62 three-story single-family homes and 83 three-story townhomes. The community will feature a variety of architectural styles. The townhomes will feature a Spanish architectural style. The single-family detached homes will consist of farmhouse, craftsman and abstract traditional styles.

A one-quarter-acre recreational park is planned as a central amenity in the neighborhood.

This project supports the City of Tustin's Strategic Plan, which aims to create economic and neighborhood projects by enabling the redevelopment of an underutilized office complex into a walkable residential community, helping to address the region's housing demand while supporting nearby businesses and services.