New houses open in south Madera County
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
A crowd gathers during the ceremony at the Riverstone, just west of State Route 41 and Avenue 12.
Fresno-based McCaffrey Homes cut a ceremonial ribbon Friday for the first of what is expected to be approximately 6,578 dwellings in an ambitious building project in lower southeast Madera County, just east of Madera Ranchos.
“We’ve always known it’s the best area that there is, and we choose to live here,” said Madera County District 1 Supervisor Brett Frazier at the ribbon-cutting. “And now I think everybody else is going to see exactly why this is the place to live in the Central Valley, if not just the state of California.”
The neighborhood, Santerra in Riverstone, is the first to open in Riverstone, a community construction project headed by Riverstone Development. The area is a five-minute drive away from the River Park and RiverView shopping centers in Fresno.
Construction on the Santerra neighborhood, which has more than 100 homes, began last year, and residents will begin moving in this spring if weather permits, according to McCaffrey Homes vice president Karen McMcCaffrey. By then, she said, more homes in Riverstone are expected to be built.
Starting in the low $300,000s, the Santerra collection features four vibrant one and two-story floor plans that range in size from 1,598 to 2,880 square feet and go up to 5 bedrooms and 3 and a half baths.
The houses include a casita or idea room, which Shelly Hogan, vice president of sales for McCaffrey Homes, calls “the next big thing in home design.” The room exists separately behind the main building and has its own bathroom and walk-in closet. It “can be used as an art studio, office, pub room and more.”
Another feature is The Lodge, a nearby resort-style community clubhouse, expected to open this spring. Other anticipated amenities include parks, hiking and biking trails, a community farm, olive and citrus groves, on-site schools and commercial and mixed-use space.
Madera County supervisors Robert Poythress (District 3), David Rogers (District 2) and Tom Wheeler (District 5) attended the Friday ribbon-cutting along with a multitude of area dignitaries. The ceremony kicked off this weekend’s grand opening, which will be today and Sunday.
For information, visit www.McCaffreyHomes.com or call 673-7533.
