Over one hundred people attended our March meeting to hear Toll Brothers speak about the future of Porter Ranch. Toll Brothers has just completed their acquisition of Shapell's Homes. Jim Boyd, Regional President, made a presentation showing some of Toll Brothers recent projects across the United States, focusing on their quality and luxury. Their construction spans 19 states and 50 markets with projects ranging from urban apartments, country clubs, and active adult communities. Their average home price is $639,000. Their nearest project to Porter Ranch is Pinnacle at Moorpark, large single family homes. Toll Brothers was named Builder of the Year for 2012 from Professional Builder Magazine.

After the presentation, Boyd took questions. Stakeholder Al Cohen inquired about Toll Brothers efforts to minimize traffic congestion. Boyd replied that they would be focused on safety during construction and homeowners mostly should not have to drive through construction zones. Irv Cohen requested a presentation to the Land Use Committee and expressed concern about urban high density. Boyd commented that they were "not planning on increasing density." They will not be building urban high density in Porter Ranch; they will build single family homes. PRNC Board Member Pat Pope came back to the topic of traffic and inquired whether Toll would be keeping a commitment Shapell made regarding a traffic signal. Boyd responded that they would be "keeping Shapell's commitments," particularly as far as infrastructure, street or traffic improvements are concerned. Having completed the Shapell purchase only a few weeks ago, they were not prepared to answer Neil Estrin's question about where the next project would be, nor were they familiar with the Rim of the Valley project. They do incorporate solar and recycle water in some projects. Regarding Bella Vista, they indicated that they may change the product they will offer there, but it would be consistent with the current development. And most importantly, they are committed to quality and honoring Shapell's warranties.

More questions? fsu [at] tollbrothers.com (Contact Frank Su) at Toll Brothers.

View the Toll Brothers Presentation. Be patient, the file is large!