ROSSMOOR : Community Happy With Its Identity
It is an island of unincorporated land in a sea of cities, a distinctive neighborhood that seems to define suburbia with its customized homes set back from the street by large expanses of well-tended lawns.
It is Rossmoor, the largest developed community in North County not included in any city’s boundaries. Nestled between Seal Beach and Los Alamitos on the border with Los Angeles County, the 30-year-old community has managed to hang on to something it considers important--its own identity.
“We’re very comfortable with the way things stand,” said Duane Mahlen, president of the Rossmoor Homeowners Assn. “It is a relatively stable community, and people here live a simple life. They go to work, raise their kids, participate in community activities.”
Rossmoor was built by developer Ross W. Cortese, better known for the two Leisure World developments in Laguna Hills and Seal Beach. The first homes in Rossmoor were put on the market in 1959, commanding prices of $19,000 to $25,000.
“It was the move-up place for people from (other areas),” said local real estate agent Suzanne Martz.
With a very small commercial area and the majority of its 1,150 acres devoted to low-density, single-family residences, Rossmoor is still a place people ask to see first when looking for a new home, Martz added.
Today, homes in the community go for an average of $350,000 to $450,000. Home values soared last summer, but the market has recently begun to level off, according to Martz. She said one of the reasons that home values increased so tremendously in the neighborhood was that appraisers began calling the homes “custom,” as opposed to “tract.”
“Because of all the remodeling that has been done to these homes, they do not have your standard floor plan,” Martz said. “The value of one home I know of in Rossmoor shot up almost $200,000 last summer alone.”
One of Rossmoor’s most distinctive characteristics is the longevity of its residents. In the 1980 census, 71% of Rossmoor’s residents said they had lived in the same house for at least five years. The countywide average was 41%.
Los Alamitos has made several attempts to annex Rossmoor, the last of which was in 1980. Each attempt has failed after being put to a public vote, according to the county’s Local Agency Formation Commission.
In one such attempt, Los Alamitos asked to have Rossmoor included in its “sphere of influence” because the two shared common urban-service providers and mutual social and economic ties, a LAFCO official said. Rossmoor successfully countered that it should not be included in any city’s boundaries because of its “own unique character.”
There are distinguishable differences between the two. According to Martz, an average three-bedroom home in Los Alamitos costs about $285,000, while the same house in Rossmoor would sell for about $350,000.
Also, the median household income for Rossmoor residents is 28% more than in neighboring Los Alamitos--$53,807 a year compared to $38,713. And Rossmoor is 92% white while Los Alamitos has a white population of 77%, according to the National Planning Data Corp.
Mahlen says he cannot say for certain that Rossmoor will always remain unincorporated, but for now, at least, residents are content with the status quo.
“Who’s to say in 10 years’ time what will happen?” he said. “I think I can say that, for at least the foreseeable future, things will remain as they are now, and happily so.”
ROSSMOOR AT A GLANCE
Estimated population is 10,987 residents. Its population is older (with a median age of 42.3), more affluent (with a median household income of $53,807 a year) and less ethnically diverse (with a white population of 92%) than the rest of the county on average.
Built by developer Ross W. Cortese in the mid- to late 1950s. The first homes were offered for sale in 1959 with price tags between $19,000 and $25,000. Homes today go for $350,000 to $450,000.
Despite several attempts by Los Alamitos to annex the community, Rossmoor remains the largest unincorporated development in northern Orange County.
Residents tend to be loyal to their community, with more than 70% having lived in the same house for at least five years, according to the last census. The countywide average is 41%.
The average household size is 2.76 persons compared to 2.61 in Los Alamitos.
Source: National Planning Data Corp. and local community group
