This month I was saddened by the loss of Mr. Curt Noland, President and Senior Development Officer for Home Fed Corporation, the Master Developer for the award winning San Elijo Hills.
Having grown up with the nickname “Dirt”, by his siblings, it is no wonder Curt became an award winning community planner. With a career spent creating homes and communities in San Diego County, he will be best known by San Marcos residence for San Elijo Hills, the picturesque community each of us calls home. The skills he honed during his career helped shape his vision for San Elijo and a quote from 2003 makes that apparent: “I learned the importance of evaluating the significant attributes and resources of a property and developing designs to enhance those attributes. I also learned the importance of weaving open space through the development to create a design that looks like the neighborhoods have always been there”. I believe each of us would agree that aspiration was accomplished.
Having grown up in North San Diego County I can remember coming to “Questhaven” to hike, play, and see if the urban legends were true; for those who also grew up here you know the tales of which I speak. It still astonishes me that those hills and trails have been transformed into an environmentally sensitive community with all the charm of a small coastal village. San Elijo Hills is a blend of charming homes interwoven with two school campuses, open space, trails, parks, and a quaint town center.
Featured in the town center is the community Christmas tree. In a press release from 2005 Mr. Noland is quoted with saying, “When we landscaped the town square, we planted a pine tree to be used as a Christmas tree for the community. We selected a small tree on purpose, so we could tie the growth of the community to the growth of the tree. During one of the tree lighting ceremonies, I was struck by the transformation in the community. San Elijo Hills use to be my community, my responsibility, an object of my affection, a reality based on my vision. I realized that it was no longer my community. It was the residents’ community. It would grow in response to their vision and commitment”.
I am blessed to call San Marcos home and equally blessed to live in San Elijo Hills, with great neighbors and friends. My daughter plays in a cul-de-sac and on any given day I am warmed with the joyful sound of children playing. I have said a few prays thanking Mr. Noland for that gift and I continue to pray for comfort for his family during what I can only imagine is a very difficult time. Curt leaves behind a wife and three sons who I am sure will be a bigger legacy than even the greatest of communities could ever be. Family and friends are the true measuring stick of a life well lived, and we are fortunate enough to be left with an exceptional community in which to raise our children and build friendships that will carry on through the generations. We have Mr. Curt Noland to thank for that gift; so thank you Curt, you will be missed.
Kristal Jabara
Council Member
City of San Marcos
