Construction on the 95-unit townhome project on Base Line Road and Towne Avenue has been halted. The developer, William Lyon Homes, broke ground on the project in early 2015 and had nearly completed two showcase homes. 

Construction at the site has been limited or absent in recent weeks.  According to Brian Desatnik, development director for the city of Claremont, the homebuilders had recently indicated they were going to temporarily suspend construction.

“The last we heard a couple of weeks ago was that they were going to finish up the two buildings that were there and then put the project on hold for 60 days to reassess the market,” Mr. Desatnik said.

Mr. Desatnik, who later followed up with the developer, related that no additional explanation was given other than that the developers were evaluating market conditions and that the project is on hold.

“No timeline was given regarding the future of the project,” Mr. Desatnik said.

In February 2014, the Claremont City Council cast a divided 3-2 vote to change the zoning designation of a portion of the six-acre lot to allow the construction of the complex on the former strawberry patch.

By September 2014, the city issued a permit for the demolition of a concrete and stone water tank, fencing south of the tank and several ornamental trees that lead to the former location of the strawberry shed.

Grading for the site began in January 2015 for Meadow Park, which was to offer eight different townhome designs as well as a recreation area with lap pool, barbecues and cabanas.

An interest list for purchasing a Meadow Park townhome had been started last year, according to a previous report in the COURIER. However, an online search shows no record of the project on the William Lyon home page. When a user clicks the “join the interest list” tab, the Claremont project is not an option.

Additionally, the Meadow Park Claremont page on Facebook, which was last updated in August of 2015, does not have a direct link to the project.

Several calls to William Lyon Homes had not been returned as of press time.

—Kathryn Dunn

editor@claremont-courier.com

For mobile users, use this video link: https://vimeo.com/155901910