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It was supposed to be Nevada County's most luxurious housing development. It would eventually have 300 homes, affordable only to the most affluent buyers. Its world-class golf course would compete only with the dazzling 28,000-square-foot clubhouse.
Today, DarkHorse is more like a tired pony. Its 1,046 acres only have 20 houses on them - and three of those have no water or sewer connections.
It does have a golf course, but the much-touted golf clubhouse was never built. In its place sits a trailer.
Asphalt streets - one ironically named Street of Dreams - twist between the exposed dirt hills, peppered with live oak trees and the occasional minimansion. The surprisingly sparse landscape is evidence of the many promises broken by the DarkHorse developer.
Facing foreclosure, developer Ed Fralick leaves a scantly populated development and its homeowners in limbo.
Those 17 families who now occupy their homes are less bitter than one would think, hoping that foreclosure might bring in a new developer with the funds to complete the project.
But where did DarkHorse go wrong? Some neighbors have their own ideas.
Did the county play a role?
"First of all, the county should not approve the sale of lots without the infrastructure being completed," said Gary Davis, one of 17 homeowners living in the mostly vacant development.
Today, DarkHorse is more like a tired pony. Its 1,046 acres only have 20 houses on them - and three of those have no water or sewer connections.
It does have a golf course, but the much-touted golf clubhouse was never built. In its place sits a trailer.
Asphalt streets - one ironically named Street of Dreams - twist between the exposed dirt hills, peppered with live oak trees and the occasional minimansion. The surprisingly sparse landscape is evidence of the many promises broken by the DarkHorse developer.
Facing foreclosure, developer Ed Fralick leaves a scantly populated development and its homeowners in limbo.
Those 17 families who now occupy their homes are less bitter than one would think, hoping that foreclosure might bring in a new developer with the funds to complete the project.
But where did DarkHorse go wrong? Some neighbors have their own ideas.
Did the county play a role?
"First of all, the county should not approve the sale of lots without the infrastructure being completed," said Gary Davis, one of 17 homeowners living in the mostly vacant development.
"Everything has been much slower in developing than we thought when we first purchased," added Davis' wife, Vicki Hawkins, secretary/treasurer of the DarkHorse Homeowner's Association.
"We bought our home in March and the road was not put in until October the next year," said Davis. "We had no water, the utilities were not installed. We had no telephone service for a year and no television. We were told over and over again that the utilities would be completed when we moved in, and they weren't.
"Three of the houses were told that water was in, along with power and sewage, but there wasn't (when they moved in)," Hawkins said. "All of the houses built here, with the exception of phase-three lots, have utilities now."
The initial plan
Originally, Fralick had planned to develop the DarkHorse property in three different phases, according to Davis and Hawkins. The first phase was the construction of the golf course. Phase two was the first sale of select lots. Phase three was the sale of a different selection of various lots.
The phase-two lots and homes, such as Davis' and Hawkins' home, have completed infrastructures, but phase-three lots and homes are the ones without water and sewer connections.
"The county has stepped in, and they're doing whatever they can to help these people," Davis said, sitting in his dining room, overlooking the nationally recognized 18-hole golf course. "NID is also doing everything they can to get water to the structures. It's just not happening fast enough."
"Electricity, water and sewage, that's what phase-three owners are waiting for," Hawkins added.
Problems with last phase
"We bought our home in March and the road was not put in until October the next year," said Davis. "We had no water, the utilities were not installed. We had no telephone service for a year and no television. We were told over and over again that the utilities would be completed when we moved in, and they weren't.
"Three of the houses were told that water was in, along with power and sewage, but there wasn't (when they moved in)," Hawkins said. "All of the houses built here, with the exception of phase-three lots, have utilities now."
The initial plan
Originally, Fralick had planned to develop the DarkHorse property in three different phases, according to Davis and Hawkins. The first phase was the construction of the golf course. Phase two was the first sale of select lots. Phase three was the sale of a different selection of various lots.
The phase-two lots and homes, such as Davis' and Hawkins' home, have completed infrastructures, but phase-three lots and homes are the ones without water and sewer connections.
"The county has stepped in, and they're doing whatever they can to help these people," Davis said, sitting in his dining room, overlooking the nationally recognized 18-hole golf course. "NID is also doing everything they can to get water to the structures. It's just not happening fast enough."
"Electricity, water and sewage, that's what phase-three owners are waiting for," Hawkins added.
Problems with last phase
"The phase-three homeowners are having the most difficulty," said Eric Harvey, president of the DarkHorse Homeowner's Association and a DarkHorse custom home builder. "They desperately need to get the utilities in place so that they can live in their homes. That's one of our highest concerns."
Across from Harvey's large living room window, a massive house stands alone on a barren hillside. Although it appears completed, Harvey said the owners have yet to move in because it was built in phase three and is lacking all of the services the county requires for a full-time residence.
"There were three (building) permits that were issued in stage three," Harvey added. "It's my understanding that there will be no more building permits issued until those services are in place."
Lacking services is only one of three major problems for DarkHorse residents, according to Harvey.
Broken promises
"As a resident, I have my own pains and troubles, but ... we really feel that the key components the community needs are those promises the developer made to us and has failed to follow through," Harvey said.
"People here bought damaged goods. They can't go get a building permit, they can't live in the home and that's just not right. Part of buying a home or lot is having those necessities in place and those are not there.
"Falling right behind these two important issues is the community landscape and completion of the golf course clubhouse. When all the homeowners bought lots, they were given a set of promises, and we'd like to see those promises kept. The clubhouse, landscaping and all the amenities as a whole," Harvey said.
A beautiful swath of land, cloaked in a prestigious golf course, the DarkHorse development is full of potential. But without attractions such as the multimillion dollar clubhouse, many owners carry the burden of great disappointment.
"One of the issues that comes up consistently is that most of the people who bought were told that the clubhouse would make the golf course one of the premiere facilities in California," Davis said. "Currently, it's a trailer. It was supposed to be 28,000 square feet."
Across from Harvey's large living room window, a massive house stands alone on a barren hillside. Although it appears completed, Harvey said the owners have yet to move in because it was built in phase three and is lacking all of the services the county requires for a full-time residence.
"There were three (building) permits that were issued in stage three," Harvey added. "It's my understanding that there will be no more building permits issued until those services are in place."
Lacking services is only one of three major problems for DarkHorse residents, according to Harvey.
Broken promises
"As a resident, I have my own pains and troubles, but ... we really feel that the key components the community needs are those promises the developer made to us and has failed to follow through," Harvey said.
"People here bought damaged goods. They can't go get a building permit, they can't live in the home and that's just not right. Part of buying a home or lot is having those necessities in place and those are not there.
"Falling right behind these two important issues is the community landscape and completion of the golf course clubhouse. When all the homeowners bought lots, they were given a set of promises, and we'd like to see those promises kept. The clubhouse, landscaping and all the amenities as a whole," Harvey said.
A beautiful swath of land, cloaked in a prestigious golf course, the DarkHorse development is full of potential. But without attractions such as the multimillion dollar clubhouse, many owners carry the burden of great disappointment.
"One of the issues that comes up consistently is that most of the people who bought were told that the clubhouse would make the golf course one of the premiere facilities in California," Davis said. "Currently, it's a trailer. It was supposed to be 28,000 square feet."
Eventually intended for a pro shop, restaurant and event center, residents had hoped that the clubhouse would bring much needed business to the development.
"I think that this whole area ... if we look at the region for dining and weddings and the other business DarkHorse could attract, if it had its clubhouse, I think the whole economics would fall into a better category," Harvey said.
Optimism for the future
Despite discomfort and broken promises, residents at DarkHorse still remain optimistic about the development's future.
"In all of this turmoil of foreclosure and lack of amenities, I feel that the entire community feels that this foreclosure is not necessarily a bad thing," Harvey said. "The previous owner was struggling and not keeping the promises originally made. I think the entire community is hopeful that the foreclosure would bring a new owner who would rapidly get those things into place for us," Harvey said.
"As homeowners, we love the area, it's a really close knit community and I think we speak for others who live here," Hawkins said, describing the place she and her husband have come to call home for the past two and a half years. "It's (buying real-estate) just like the stock market. When it drops you know eventually it will go back up. We feel the same way about the property value in here. Yes, this is very much a limbo time, but people are optimistic about the future," Hawkins said.
"I think that all of the property owners inside of DarkHorse have been negatively affected by the lack of a clubhouse and lack of utilities and services," Harvey said. "This (the foreclosure) could be a great time for DarkHorse if the right person comes in and does the right thing with the clubhouse, infrastructure, landscape and promotion.
"Everyone is really energized about the potential for a new owner. DarkHorse is a great community that's laid out well and full of good people. It just needs to be properly finished, and I think we will have a very bright future ahead," Harvey said.
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To contact Staff Writer Lindsey Croft, e-mail lcroft@theunion.com or call 477-4247.
"I think that this whole area ... if we look at the region for dining and weddings and the other business DarkHorse could attract, if it had its clubhouse, I think the whole economics would fall into a better category," Harvey said.
Optimism for the future
Despite discomfort and broken promises, residents at DarkHorse still remain optimistic about the development's future.
"In all of this turmoil of foreclosure and lack of amenities, I feel that the entire community feels that this foreclosure is not necessarily a bad thing," Harvey said. "The previous owner was struggling and not keeping the promises originally made. I think the entire community is hopeful that the foreclosure would bring a new owner who would rapidly get those things into place for us," Harvey said.
"As homeowners, we love the area, it's a really close knit community and I think we speak for others who live here," Hawkins said, describing the place she and her husband have come to call home for the past two and a half years. "It's (buying real-estate) just like the stock market. When it drops you know eventually it will go back up. We feel the same way about the property value in here. Yes, this is very much a limbo time, but people are optimistic about the future," Hawkins said.
"I think that all of the property owners inside of DarkHorse have been negatively affected by the lack of a clubhouse and lack of utilities and services," Harvey said. "This (the foreclosure) could be a great time for DarkHorse if the right person comes in and does the right thing with the clubhouse, infrastructure, landscape and promotion.
"Everyone is really energized about the potential for a new owner. DarkHorse is a great community that's laid out well and full of good people. It just needs to be properly finished, and I think we will have a very bright future ahead," Harvey said.
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To contact Staff Writer Lindsey Croft, e-mail lcroft@theunion.com or call 477-4247.
