Clairemont, San Diego

Not to be confused with Claremont, California, the incorporated city in eastern Los Angeles County.

Clairemont
Community of San Diego
Coordinates:
Country	United States of America
State	California
County	San Diego
City	San Diego
ZIP Code	92117, 92110, 92111
Area code(s)	858
Website	sandiego.gov/clairemontmesa

Clairemont Mesa is a community within the city of San Diego which has a population of 80,000 and encompasses approximately 13.3 square miles. Clairemont Mesa lies south of State Route 52, west of Interstate 805, east of Interstate 5, and north of the community of Linda Vista. The community of Clairemont Mesa can be subdivided into the neighborhoods of North Clairemont, Bay Ho, Clairemont Mesa East, Clairemont Mesa West, and Bay Park.

Clairemont Mesa is one of the first post-World War II suburban developments in the City of San Diego, with many of its homes built in the 1950s and 1960s. Even though Clairemont is primarily a residential community, there are several significant commercial centers which serve the area and are located at the intersections of major transportation corridors, such as Clairemont Drive and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, as well as Balboa Avenue and Genesee Ave. Smaller pockets of commercial development are interspersed throughout the community and along Morena Boulevard.

Etymology

Developers Lou Burgener and Carlos Tavares called their community Clairemont after Tavares' wife, Claire.

History

Clairemont Development in the 1950s (Courtesy of San Diego Historical Society)

In 1950, Carlos Tavares and Lou Burgener developed what became San Diego's largest post-war subdivision. Originally dubbed, "The Village Within a City", people started living in Clairemont in May, 1951.

Clairemont's design represented a new concept in community living because it did not incorporate the traditional grid system of uniform blocks and streets. Instead, winding streets and scenic view lots took advantage of the canyons and bluffs overlooking Mission Bay. The first homes, built by Burgener and Tavares Construction Company, had highly customized floor plans.

The developers assembled the necessary acreage to develop Clairemont from three primary land holdings: the Peavey Cattle Ranch, Mission Bay Heights (owned by the Hazard Family), & Tecolote Heights (owned by Jack & Dan Danciger).

Before any homes were built in the new development, Tavares & Burgener invested $125,000 in off-street improvements including sewers, water, and access roads; this was necessary because the proposed development was not adjacent to any developed areas. The original Subdivision map that used the name “Clairemont” for the first time was approved and recorded by the County of San Diego on October 16, 1950. The map was named “Clairemont Unit #1, Map #2725”. This is the area in Clairemont that includes Deerpark Dr., Burgener Blvd., and Grandview St. from Field St. to Jellett St. According to Burgener, "Between 1952 & 1954, seven homes were constructed a day". It is also noted that Clairemont was the largest development of its kind in the country.

Within a few years, several thousand houses had been constructed, including single family homes, duplexes and apartments. Since Clairemont was somewhat removed from the city proper, commercial business and retail shopping, schools, libraries and other city amenities were designed into the overall plan. Although the concept of suburban living is commonplace today, this approach was considered novel and Tavares' vision for Clairemont had far-reaching implications for San Diego as it stretched the city limits outward and began the now familiar pattern of migration from city to suburb.

San Clemente and Tecolote Canyons were designated parks in the 1970s.

Milton Street was the only access from Old Highway 101 (Morena Boulevard) up to the new subdivisions. The 1950s and early 1960s added many new shopping centers and access roads to crisscross the area. Many of the original shopping centers have been redeveloped.

Geography

The area is largely defined by its prominent topography. Developed areas of Clairemont Mesa sit primarily atop mesas punctuated by several major canyon systems, with San Clemente Canyon to the north and Tecolote Canyon weaving through the center of the community. Many of the neighborhoods in the western portion of the community enjoy views of Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

Tecolote Canyon Golf Course is located within the southern portion of Tecolote Canyon. There are streams and trails that extend into finger canyons in the area. Wildlife is seen throughout the canyons; this includes coyotes, wild green parrots and the owls which Tecolote Canyon is named after. Trails extend through the bottom of the canyons for hiking or mountain biking.

Notable residents

• Adam Gnade, novelist
• Cleophus Prince Jr., the "Clairemont Killer,"
• Kendra Wilkinson, model and television personality

Education

San Diego Unified School District operates public schools in the Clairemont neighborhood.

• Marston Jr. High
• James Madison High School
• Clairemont High School
• Alcott Elementary
• Health Sciences High and Middle College School
• Lindbergh/Schweitzer Elementary School
• Whitman Elementary
• The Child's Primary School
• Maria Montessori Schools
• CPMA Middle School (Creative Performing Media Arts)
• Innovation Middle School
• San Diego Mesa College

External links

• Clairemont Community News (News source)
• Clairemont Newspaper
• City of San Diego Webpage - Planning Department