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JOHNNY CASH RENDERING: ROMO STUDIOS, LLC
“ BlackPine has gotten our reputation and our name by our architectural style and details, and I don’ t think this community will let anybody down in that regard,” Kuntz says.
The New Home Company is also eyeing Folsom, with its third project in the area: the master-planned community Russell Ranch.
“ It’ s been a joy to work with the City of Folsom,” says Kevin Carson, president of The New Home Company Northern California.“ And, so, things are progressing along on schedule and on budget, so that’ s all really good news for us.”
Carson calls Folsom a“ great market to be in,” adding,“ It’ s got great schools, great sense of community, great shopping, a great hospital... There’ s just so much that Folsom has to offer.”
Russell Ranch comprises 430 acres, and is planned for 903 homes. It will also include a community clubhouse and a trail system.“ It will be an actual neighborhood that we’ re creating,” Carson says.
Currently, some aspects— including sewer, water and drainage— for Russell Ranch are underway. Intract improvements will begin next year, with home construction starting late next year. Homes in the first phase are set to open in 2019.
“ Everybody that’ s going from Sacramento to Tahoe on Highway 50 passes this hillside, so for generations and generations people are going to see what we put on that hillside... So we’ ve really created a community that’ s going to work with the terrain there and give homeowners a beautiful view of the valley, but also give the hillside a really nice, landscaped feel to it,” Carson says.
And, according to Carson, Folsom is a great city for homebuilders.
“ For the last 30 years I’ ve been building in Folsom, and enjoyed and had success with every one of them, because people want to live in Folsom,” Carson says.
Folsom isn’ t the only area building new homes, however. Homebuyers in El Dorado Hills will also be able to pick from additional options within Serrano, the
THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE PRISON
Folsom’ s newly completed Johnny Cash Trail has something for everyone
Music lovers, art buffs and outdoor enthusiasts now have an opportunity to cross paths along the recently completed Johnny Cash Trail in Folsom. The 2.5-mile span, which connects with existing trails to create uninterrupted access from Folsom Lake to Historic Downtown Folsom, will mix together public art, music history and nature to honor the musician’ s ties to Folsom and its infamous prison.
According to City of Folsom Parks and Recreation Director Robert Goss, one of his staff members made the suggestion of dedicating the trail to the musician and the City took some time to make sure the trail would do Cash’ s story justice.
“ It’ s one thing to make the dedication— there were logical and obvious and very good reasons to do it— but then once you’ ve got it, what are you going to do with it?’” Goss says, adding that his own love for cycling, and his department’ s dedication to supporting and encouraging public art while managing open spaces, helped create the inspiration that tied the project together.“ Now we’ ve got this inspiration, well let’ s make something of it. Let’ s use the trail and the prison site and the influence that Johnny had on the city, and let’ s tell that story— or at least some important chapters of it— through public art, and that concept got some traction very quickly.”
Goss notes that about 90 percent of the trail is located on Folsom Prison property, which means the public will now have access to an area that has previously been off limits. And residents and visitors, alike, will continue to see new progress in the years to come as the eight art installations from local and national artists get underway and the proposed 3-acre Legacy Park begins its own construction phases.
When it comes to the potential economic benefit of the trail and its many artistic and historically significant elements, Goss says,“ There isn’ t any one economic development activity that makes a humongous difference. Collectively they make a big difference … We believe enough in the project and that it will become a tourism draw that we’ re putting parking for three tour buses in the parking lots of the park … We know that, once it’ s complete, there’ s going to be plenty of interest and we are indeed planning for it.” For more info: folsomcasharttrail. com
- Jennifer Snyder
November 2017 | comstocksmag. com 91