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About The City
"A Small City with the Soul of a Small Village" is the City motto. Rancho Santa Margarita was designed to be an "urban village," offering the best of two worlds: all of the advantages of a small city with the quality of life of a small village. As a master planned community it offers employment, schools, shopping, and recreation amenities with beautiful residential neighborhoods creating an ideal hometown environment.
Rancho Santa Margarita sets in a valley and upon rolling hills against the foothills of the Saddleback and Santa Ana Mountains and the Cleveland National Forest. It is located between the cities of Mission Viejo and Coto De Caza in the southern portion of Orange County. The city has a population of approximately 49,898 and encompasses about 15 square miles. Rancho Santa Margarita was founded in 1985 and the first homes were sold in 1986. In 1989 the citizens formed the Community Civic Association for the purpose of providing a political voice in behalf of the community. In 1995 the Rancho Santa margarita Cityhood Committee, a separate organization, began the process of converting the town into a city. Rancho Santa Margarita officially became a city on January 1, 2000. The City was named for a rancho in San Diego County, the Rancho Santa margarita y Las Flores but it is situated on land that was part of the Mission Viejo Rancho thus the City seal carries the brand of both ranches.
As a master planned community the parks, roads, sites for schools, stores, and recreation areas were all laid out before any work began. Roads and arterials are cleverly designed to keep heavier traffic away from residential areas. The four major shopping centers are conveniently situated. The Rancho Santa Margarita area is quite picturesque, the master planners in appreciation of the beauty that nature created dedicated more than 50% of the land to open space and recreation. Land was set aside for greenbelts, parks, bike and jogging paths, and recreational facilities which includes a 13-acre community lake with a swim lagoon and beach club, community parks and the Tijeras Creek Golf Club. Rancho Santa Margarita´s master plan also included a traditional "town center" as the focal point of activity, where residents and visitors can enjoy shopping, dining and cinemas.
Most of the neighborhoods in Rancho Santa Margarita are homeowner associations and many of these are gated communities. Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation, is one of the common areas in Rancho Santa Margarita , and includes a 13 acre lake, swimming lagoon, 4 community pools, and 10 community parks with numerous sport fields. There are also five other master associations, which include Dove Canyon, Rancho Cielo, Robinson Ranch, Trabuco Highlands, and Walden. These associations have parks as well, several of which have public access.
The dominating architectural style of the City is Early California honoring the days of the ranchos and missions. The Early California style seems to be the perfect compliment to the mountains, canyons, arroyos and woodlands. The wild life of that era: deer, mountain lions, bobcats, hawks and even rattlesnakes can still be spotted now and then, even though the community is located in heavily populated Orange Country.
About The People
The residents of Rancho Santa Margarita tend to be well-educated and employed in professional or managerial positions. It is demographically a young city with a median age of 32 and a median income of about $84,159 per year almost double of the national standard.
The area is an upscale community, drawing newcomers with its hometown atmosphere and family oriented environment. The prices of homes reflect the desirability of the area. In recent years there has been a very steady and strong appreciation in home values making homeownership in Rancho Santa Margarita not only a wise choice for quality living but a wise investment as well. Most homes in the city are owner-occupied whether in a multi-unit complex or in a single family home. A starter property is considered to be a one-bedroom, one-bath home in a multi-unit complex with prices starting around $350,000 and a single family home, typically being a three-bedroom, two-bath home starting around $600,000. Contact me for more information on the area, market conditions or availability.
Economic Development
The City's Planning Department implement and manages the strategies of the General Plan and physical growth of the community. Rancho Santa Margarita has a pro-business policy and works with businesses through several of its programs to succeed. In addition the City does not require businesses to obtain a business license. Rancho Santa Margarita works actively with the South Orange County Regional Chamber of Commerce to promote and support the business community.
The Santa Margarita Center, the city's 700 acres commercial and business center is expected to provide an estimated 30,000 jobs to the community by 2010. Rancho Santa Margarita currently has a well balanced mix of industries and supporting services. Employment is evenly distributed with each of the following categories providing 15 % of jobs to the city's workforce. Industries: educational, health and social services; Manufacturing; Professional: scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services. Retail: services and trade; and Finance: insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing provide about 12% of the jobs.
Welfare and Safety
Rancho Santa Margarita is a general law city and operates under a council-manager form of government. The City is a contract city with Police services provided by the Orange County Sheriff Department and Fire Protection services provided by the Orange County Fire Authority. Rancho Santa Margarita is one of the safest cities in California with a very low incident of crime.
The City is dedicated to maintaining an atmosphere of security and a sense of community between its citizens and law enforcement. The Rancho Santa Margarita Police Services Division provides a variety of community policing programs for the public including crime prevention, community awareness, and Business Watch and Neighborhood Watch programs. The Chief of Police is the Department Head for Police Services and is responsible for the day-to-day operation of law enforcement services in the City. The Chief oversees a staff of five sergeants, two investigators, fifteen deputies, one motorcycle deputy, three traffic enforcement deputies, one administration and school resource deputy, one deputy assigned to the Directed Enforcement Team, two community services officers, one investigative assistant, one crime prevention specialist and one administrative assistant. The City's Police services with the support of the citizens work together to keep their community a safe place to live, work and play.
The Orange County Sheriff Department is responsible for all public safety and law enforcement needs including crime prevention. Law enforcement services include patrol, criminal investigations, traffic enforcement and traffic accident investigation as well as parking enforcement.
Rancho Santa Margarita is equally dedicated to fire safety strategy providing a variety of community fire safety programs including business inspection and emergency plan check, the Water Watcher Program, community CPR and the Junior Firefighter Program. The city's Battalion Chief is the Department Head for Fire Services and is responsible for the day-to-day operation of fire services in the City. The Orange County Fire Authority is responsible for providing for the the enforcement of fire safety laws, fire prevention and suppression.
Commuting
The City of Rancho Santa Margarita is situated in south-east Orange County; one hour from San Diego and Los Angeles via the Foothill Eastern Toll Road (241) and Interstate 5. The community benefits from two major transportation improvement programs: the Foothill Circulation Phasing Plan (FCPP), and the Foothill Transportation Corridor, one of Southern California's proposed superhighways. FCPP's comprehensive network of roadways and road extensions will link the town to the region's many cultural, civic and retail facilities.
The City is conveniently located near Mission Viejo which gives the residents access to alternative transportation including a commuter railway system. The City offers a Senior Mobility Program which is funded both by the City of Rancho Santa Margarita and Orange County Transit Authority. The program provides senior citizens discounted taxi rides to Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo Mall, John Wayne Airport or anywhere throughout the city of Rancho Santa Margarita.
Rancho Santa Margarita access air service from nearby John Wayne Airport or drive to Los Angeles International Airport about an hour away. Amtrak and bus services are easily accessible in nearby communities.
Stellar Schools
Rancho Santa Margarita is served by two outstanding school districts: Saddleback Unified School District and Capistrano Unified School District. Both are among Orange County's best and have an excellent reputation. Students attending Rancho Santa Margarita schools normally will score higher on national standardized tests and college entrance examinations. The schools are new and are some of The most technologically advanced in Orange County. Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate school is one of the most technologically advanced schools in the state of California and was named a California Distinguished School receiving the Blue Ribbon Award in 2005. It is also one of the rare schools with separate facilities for the school theater and the school gym.
For those preferring an alternative to public education Rancho Santa Margarita has several outstanding private schools.
Nearby colleges and universities in close proximity to Rancho Santa Margarita include Saddleback College, Irvine Valley College, Orange Coast College, California State University-Fullerton, and the University of California - Irvine.
Recreation
The City of Rancho Santa Margarita is quite proud of its Parks and Recreation Department, as it should be for a city only seven years old the services and programs are impressive. The City is "committed to facilitating activities that grow strong families, promote healthy lifestyles, and support the strong sense of community shared by the residents of Rancho Santa Margarita."
The City in conjunction with the County has established its first library, the Rancho Santa Margarita Branch Library.
Being a young city not only in age but also demographically the city pays attention to its youth and has already established a Skate Park, a true necessity in meeting a progressive community's needs. The city has also made sure that its canine population is well provided for with the establishment of the Rancho Santa Margarita Dog Park. There are currently nine neighborhood parks throughout the city.
The Bell Tower Foundation Regional Community Center serves as an old fashioned town center serving the social, cultural, and civic needs as well as a wellness center for the City and the entire community. As the name implies the town center is located in the central heart of the city in the Civic Plaza.
The city's annual events are: summer concerts, a Fourth of July Celebration by the lake and the traditional Fourth of July parade, and Santa's Workshop.
There are outstanding recreational opportunities for this small city. There is a wide choice of dining experiences. Shopping is convenient with a variety of stores and a regional mall in nearby Mission Viejo. The city offers excellent biking and jogging paths and wide open spaces with trails for leisurely hiking. The Rancho Santa Margarita Lake offers swimming and small boating opportunities with excellent picnic areas and pathways.
O'Neill Regional Park is close by in beautiful Trabuco and Live Oak Canyons with overnight camping facilities, nature trails and picnic areas with barbecues, horseshoe pits and a playground .
Some of the best beaches in California are with in a few minutes of the city. Everything from the desert to the sea and the mountains, too, are within an easy drive of the city. Cultural and Recreational options abound throughout Orange County and the easily accessible counties of Los Angeles and San Diego. There is even Las Vegas style gaming.
Golfing is a popular pastime and Rancho Santa Margarita is home to a very outstanding and unusual golf course, Tijeras Creek Golf. One of the unusual elements is that is actually the site of the original mission to the area which was later relocated to San Juan Capistrano! The other is the course itself, which is tame on one hand and wild on the other.
Rancho Santa Margarita offers the best of everything including ideal weather, warm comfortable summers and mild winters. The quality of life is superb with a balanced mix of homes, shops, entertainment and recreation.
Rancho Santa Margarita has grown into a mature community with a sense of luxurious living , its serene and peaceful neighborhoods nestled alongside well-maintained open spaces. It has become a community of choice for both relocation and retirement. Please feel free to contact me if you would like more information on Rancho Santa Margarita or its surrounding communities.
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