The community of Rancho Santa Fe, there’s nothing quite like it in Southern California. There’s no denying, life in the Ranch is deeply rooted in the hearts of its residents, old and young alike. Maybe it’s the sheer beauty of the landscape and the privacy it affords. Maybe it’s the friendships forged here over time. Perhaps it’s the feeling of driving home and knowing you’re exactly where you belong. In any case, for those who call it home, the Ranch is a close-knit community unlike any other.
As the vision of Silvergate Rancho Santa Fe, our proposed senior living community, has emerged, we’ve had the privilege of hearing from many longtime residents about how special the Ranch is and what this community means to them. Many ask: “Why should growing older mean having to leave the Ranch?”
For these residents, the answer is about more than finding a new place to live. It’s about having the opportunity to remain close to the friends, organizations and traditions that have shaped their lives, even as their housing needs change.
Take longtime resident Kathy Stumm. She has lived in the Covenant for more than 40 years and is passionate about remaining in the ranch as she ages. Her words at a recent Art Jury meeting captured what so many other Ranch residents have expressed:
“Many of us have lived in this community for decades. Most of us remain active in the community — in our church, the golf club, the tennis club, the senior center and more. As we grow older, we’d like to stay involved in the organizations that are so important to us here in the Ranch. A community like Silvergate would make that possible.”
Kathy reminds us of something truly important: Many seniors still have much to contribute to a community they spent years helping to build. Their age doesn’t change the important role they still want to play in the community. In fact, it’s clear that their ongoing involvement enriches the very character of the Ranch.
Then there’s Fran Johnson and her husband, Bill, who have lived here for more than three decades. Like many of their friends, they are thinking about what the next chapter of retirement looks like. They said:
“We have deep roots here. Silvergate has planned the perfect spot for exactly what we and many of our neighbors are looking for.”
Those words — “deep roots” — have lingered with us. When you’ve spent three or four decades living somewhere, home becomes much more than just a house. It’s intertwined with the relationships, organizations, traditions and experiences surrounding it.
Kathi Mallick, another longtime Ranch resident, expressed her thoughts rather memorably:
“I’ve heard the saying ‘You can do everything in the Ranch, EXCEPT grow old here.’”
After more than 30 years in the Covenant, maintaining her four-acre property has become increasingly challenging for Kathi. Her hope is straightforward:
“Downsizing yet remaining near my friends in our community would be a fabulous long-term option.”
Perhaps no resident has expressed the emotion behind this more simply than 35-year resident Stacy Smith, who said:
“My home and love for Rancho Santa Fe is in my heart and soul. To be able to live out the last chapter of my life in my happy place would be heaven!”
It’s hard to ignore these sentiments. Ultimately, Silvergate Rancho Santa Fe isn’t about buildings and landscape. It’s about Kathy continuing to participate in the organizations she loves. It’s about Fran remaining close to the friends and activities that have filled her life for decades. It’s about Stacy being able to spend another chapter of her life in her “happy place.” It’s about having a place to call home for every chapter of life.
In my last letter, I wrote about preserving the character of the Ranch. These residents certainly remind us that the character of Rancho Santa Fe resides in its people. Preserving that character also means preserving the connection older residents have to a community they helped build.
Silvergate will provide an opportunity to honor both — to evolve thoughtfully, welcome another generation and allow those who came before to remain part of the community they know and love. Let’s give seniors a chance to call Rancho Santa Fe a home for every chapter of life.
With sincere appreciation,
For Silvergate Rancho Santa Fe
Greg Petree, President & COO AmeriCare Health & Retirement, Inc.
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