Real Estate Round-Up: Fallbrook revitalization taken on by residents

Housing is either the recipient of, or stimulus to, a community’s vibrancy. In other words, housing, in one way or another, has an impact or is impacted by everything that happens in a region.

When the economy of a region slows down, housing follows suit. When school performance declines, housing prices fall. When homelessness increases, businesses suffer, and housing prices fall.

On the other hand, when communities find solutions to these issues, those communities improve and so do home values. I hope you haven’t turned me off just yet, because what I’m about to share with you is inspiring and exciting.

Fallbrook is on the cusp of an incredible reformation. This community has always had a core of residents that are involved and that put boots on the ground, along with their pocketbooks. This union of groups and individuals form the infrastructure that has developed, maintained and improved Fallbrook, over the years.

This group, I am happy to say, is growing and becoming more organized, as a result of the emphasis Supervisor Jim Desmond is placing on the residents taking an active role in what our future looks like.

Why does this matter? Fallbrook isn’t incorporated. We do not have a city council. We do not have a tax base to support our town. We rely on the county to fund our requests, on an as needed basis. With the creation of Desmond’s Fallbrook Revitalization Committee, on April 11, much can change.

All members of the community were invited to meet San Diego County staff at this gathering. These are the people that are responsible for everything from Planning and Land Use, to Health and Human Services, to Public Safety. Community members were given the opportunity to share their concerns.

The concerns were catalogued and categorized and then valued based on how the group ranked them. At the end of the meeting, four subcommittees were established:

Public Health will focus on senior citizens services and 24-hour urgent care.

Public Safety will focus on homelessness, fire safety and gang prevention.

Infrastructure will focus on the Village area needs, parks and agriculture, and infrastructure as a whole pertaining to sidewalks and roads.

Housing will focus on housing affordability and availability.

Each subcommittee will identify issues within their area of focus and discuss solutions that they believe will improve or correct the situation. They will elect a chair, and a “lead” for each issue within the subcommittee. The county staff will work with them as needed to guide them with their plan.

The requested “action” will then be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for funding or policy decisions. The committees become a voice of Fallbrook, with a direct connection to Desmond and the Board of Supervisors. Fallbrook has been given the ability to participate in what the future will look like. We will choose to thrive.

Another reformation pertains to Fallbrook High School. The process of selecting a new superintendent is underway. The school board has been working with a consulting company and has organized meetings for community input. Stakeholders, including parents, teachers and other community members, were invited to share their vision for the future of the high school; what is working and what needs to be improved upon. This new leadership is crucial to the future for our children and the health of our community.

And finally, a collaborative group of community organizations and individuals have been exploring the development of a process to secure ongoing funds to support construction, maintenance and operation of community facilities in Fallbrook. For over 50 years, these activities have been serviced by local, volunteer groups. If approved, by the county, and then by the residents, it would create an ongoing source of funds to support these activities.

All these decisions and commitments will impact the value of housing in Fallbrook. Knowing Fallbrook, as I do, and feeling the heartbeat of the many residents involved in these activities, inspires and excites me, as I look to the future.

I moved here, with my husband and two young sons, in 1992. I was impressed by the schools and the community then, and I continue to be amazed by the commitment of our residents to work toward achieving the very best we can, now.

At a time when it is in fashion for people to look to government to fix all their problems rather than look to themselves to find the solutions, Fallbrook, as one would expect, is jumping in, and doing what it takes to make our future great!