SLO County Golf, Wine & Real EstateGolf, Wine & Real Estate News and Events Blog
Woodlands Village Center ApprovedFriday, February 23, 2007Residents of the eventual 1,320-home Woodlands development in Nipomo will soon have more amenities, thanks to the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission's Thursday approval of a commercial center in the project.Developers of The Woodlands project were approved to develop a "village center," which includes 11 buildings totaling 124,000 square feet, providing space for 20 two-bedroom "affordable" rental apartments, a sheriff's substation and assorted office and commercial ventures. Once completed, both the substation and residential building will offer underground parking for tenants. The buildings will be developed in a "U" pattern to face a center outdoor plaza area that may someday provide room for concerts and art shows. Restaurants will be encouraged to utilize buildings that face the green lawn for outdoor eating areas. The entire development is located in the interior of the Woodlands project on Via Concha, approximately one-half mile east of Highway 1. Commissioners praised the project for its architecture style and the 20 affordable units that will be provided to area residents. The project's specific plan required developers to provide mixed-use buildings with retail and service opportunities in a location that's easily accessible to a majority of the residents. There are another 20 affordable units in the project, which are also being built by the village center to allow residents easy access to the shopping center and transit stops. Before the buildings can be occupied, improvements to Mesa Road, which is the primary east-west connection from the village center to Nipomo, need to be completed. In addition to the village center, The Woodlands' master plan calls for 1,320 homes, four golf courses, a business park, a 500-room hotel, riding and walking trails and a 12-acre park. The project is being built south of Willow Road, and stretches east from Highway 1 about 1.5 miles. More than 150 homes are already under construction or complete, and about 85 families have been living in the homes for more than a year. The first 18-hole golf course, the Monarch Dunes, was also opened last year. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Labels: Monarch Dunes, Nipomo, The Woodlands, Trilogy Central Coast Sideways Wine Bar Opens in SolvangMonday, February 19, 2007The town of Solvang recently rolled out the red carpet for the opening of the Sideways wine bar, named after the Academy Award-winning film.Located about 1 hour south of San Luis Obispo, the Sideways wine bar - also referred to as Tastes of the Valleys - features wines from 15 central coast wineries. Acting as both a wine shop and a tasting bar, Tastes of the Valleys offers customers a chance to taste wine and purchase bottles from its selection of 72 wines. The bar will promote wine tasting education, and cater to first-time wine tasters as well as experienced drinkers. After the success of the movie, which was filmed in Santa Barbara County about three years ago, the owners of Tastes of the Valleys bought the rights to the name "Sideways" from Fox, partner-owner Dave Chambers said. The original plan was to open a wine club, but the idea turned into a bar. The Sideways name has been a big draw for both wine and movie enthusiasts, Moy said. The bar opened on Jan. 12, and has done better in the past month than the owners expected. Moy said a grand opening party will take place within the next month and a half. The bar will also begin offering wine tasting classes after the grand opening. Tastes of the Valleys features wines from such popular producers as Au Bon Climate, Qupe and Lane Tanner, offering a large number of pinot noirs, chardonnays and Rhone varietals. Almost all are local wines produced in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County. Prices for wine tasting range from $15 to $18, and bottles cost an average of $35 per bottle. Although the wine is expensive, the owner says the high prices are justified since they do not produce wine and must purchase it wholesale, They claim pour more wines than anyone else and they guarantee you'll get what you like. Depending on the success of the first location, Tastes of the Valleys would like to expand to other locations. In Solvang - a popular destination for wine tasters - 16 new tasting rooms are expected to open by this summer. Tastes of the Valleys, a Sideways wine bar, is located at 1672 Mission Drive in Solvang, CA, and is open from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Wine Labels: Central Coast Wine, Sideways, Solvang, Wine Bar SLO Among 10 Best Cities for Rising Home ValuesWednesday, February 14, 2007Business 2.0 magazine ranks the top 10 cities for buying property now. Experts say that while these locales may not be immune to the current housing malaise, eventually property values in these places, for a variety of reasons, are likely to zoom.Here's the list, along with the projected gain in home prices: 1. Panama City, Fla.: 72 percent projected gain in home prices over five years. A new airport that will be built next year will open the area to vacationers and residents. 2. Vero Beach, Fla.: 64 percent. Demand for housing along with moderate property taxes and beautiful weather will drive growth. 3. Bridgeport, Conn.: 63 percent. Proximity and the staggering home prices in other parts of Fairfield County are making this hardscrabble area appealing to New York City commuters. 4. Lakeland, Fla.: 59 percent. This growing area is only 30 minutes from Tampa via Interstate 4, but prices are 80 percent lower. 5. McAllen, Texas: 57 percent. A Hispanic baby boom and rising incomes are driving demand for bigger homes. 6. San Luis Obispo, Calif.: 40 percent. Compared to southern California, the prices here are low and the developing wine industry adds to the appeal. 7. Wilmington, N.C.: 37 percent. With great golf, mild weather, and its proximity to water, this area is a great retirement community. 8. Manchester, N.H.: 35 percent. This city was the winner of Money Magazine’s best place to live in America. It's within commuting distance of Boston, but home prices are a fraction, and there’s no income or sales tax. 9. Fort Collins, Colo.: 28 percent. This winner of many best lists has great schools, low crime, and good jobs — plus 40 parks within the city limits. 10. Atlanta, Ga.: 24 percent. Commuting is a bear here and many newcomers to the area are driving up prices in close-in suburbs as the area’s overall economic fortunes continue to rise. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Real Estate Labels: Real Estate Market, San Luis Obispo La Purisima Rated among America's Toughest 50 Golf CoursesMonday, February 12, 2007To help you discover what you're really made of, Golf Digest Magazine has identified 50 of the toughest courses in the country in it's March 2007 issue. These are courses that grab you by the collar on the first tee, slap you around for five hours, then reluctantly agree to let you limp your sorry carcass back into the clubhouse for resuscitation.Our own La Purisima Golf Course in Lompoc, CA was rated number 33! La Purisima, locally known as "La Piranha", was described by Golf Digest as "The Bethpage Black of the West Coast". They shared that there are plenty of terrific Santa Ynez Valley wineries nearby to soothe the pain. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Labels: Course Reviews, Golf Digest, La Purisima |
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