By Mike Hazlip–
The sights and sounds of progress can once again be found at the former Sunrise Golf Course as work resumes on the 56-acre Mitchell Farms development.
Construction on the 260-unit housing development is back underway after Los Angeles homebuilder, KB Home, suspended all new development projects mid-March amid COVID-19 concerns. Photographs taken Saturday on Arcadia Drive show workers and earth moving vehicles are now back at the site.
The Sentinel reached out to representatives from KB Home and the City of Citrus Heights via email on Wednesday afternoon requesting an updated timeline for the project. Responses had not been received as of 2 p.m. Thursday.
Jeffrey Mezger, KB Home’s president and chief executive officer, told shareholders in an earnings call June 24, the company made the decision to halt its various development projects due to uncertainty in the market among other factors.
In a story last month, The Sentinel reported construction had stalled. Photographs from the site showed a conspicuous absence of workers and equipment.
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The Citrus Heights project includes plans for groupings of homes into several “villages,” with differing layouts and sizes ranging from around 1,400-square-feet to approximately 2,000-square-feet.
A popular aspect of the Mitchell Farms project has been the large amount of open space incorporated in the development, as a large swath down the middle of the acreage must remain undeveloped due to a 100-year flood plain associated with Arcade Creek.
Under an agreement with the Sunrise Recreation and Parks District, the undeveloped acreage will become part of the parks district.
