Otay Ranch, San Diego County's top-selling planned community for the past three years, is introducing its third village, just as its first village nears completion.

"The new village of Hillsborough will exemplify smart planning at its best," said Kent Aden, executive vice president of The Otay Ranch Co., developer of the 5,300-acre community. "Hillsborough is planned to feature a lively town center with a 10-acre elementary school site, a 7.6-acre city park, a private swim club, a 3-acre retail center and a transit stop within easy walking distance of a variety of homes."

The city of Chula Vista park, designed by Van Dyke LLP, will be the recreational and social hub of the village, offering active and passive outdoor environments. Planned sports facilities include two basketball courts, softball field, soccer field, tennis court, as well as separate playgrounds for toddlers and children.

Located south of the recently opened Olympic Parkway just east of the new Otay Ranch High School, Hillsborough will have French Country architectural styling woven into the design of homes, businesses and civic buildings. The richly detailed exteriors will be accented by the use of wrought iron, shutters, rustic elements and deep colors.

In addition to its pleasing architecture, Hillsborough will feature amenities that encourage pedestrian activity and impromptu socializing. Some of the homes are designed with front porches and others are designed to de-emphasize the garage.

One neighborhood will offer garages tucked in the rear with alley access, creating larger front yards and spacious side courtyards. Homes will be separated from the street by tree-shaded sidewalks and parkways.

"The opening of Hillsborough will expand the residential housing options in Otay Ranch, creating opportunities for a range of household types, family sizes and incomes," Aden said. "In addition to single-family detached homes, there will be a variety of townhomes and condominiums from which to choose.

Hillsborough's first two neighborhoods, Willowbrook by Oakwood Development and Cambria by Trilogy Development, have recently opened, featuring spacious single-family, detached homes with architecture that complements Hillsborough's inviting French County theme.

Willowbrook, ranging from 2,287 square feet to 2,500 square feet, features four or five bedrooms and up to 3.5 baths. Prices start in the mid-$400,000s. Cambria offers homes ranging from 2,875 square feet to 3,525 square feet, with up to seven bedrooms and four baths. Home prices start in the mid-$500,000s. Several other neighborhoods, offering attached and detached homes, are scheduled to open this year.

As the village of Hillsborough takes shape, Otay Ranch's first village of Heritage will be completed this fall with the opening of Heritage Towne Center. The $30 million mixed-use center, developed by The Otay Ranch Co., includes approximately 38,000 square feet of retail and office space and affordable housing for seniors.

The opening of Heritage Towne Center this fall will mark the completion of Heritage, Otay Ranch's first village. The $30 million mixed-use center includes street-level retail and office space and affordable housing for seniors on the upper two floors.

The center's 60-foot-tall clock tower overlooks a large plaza for community gatherings. Approximately 85 percent of the center has been leased. Future tenants include Cotixan Mexican Restaurant, Nail Image Salon, Fairlane Cleaners, Elena's Hair Salon, Wiggles and Giggles, a children's activity center, and Kid's Depot, a 10,000-square-foot day-care center.

The development team includes Lorimer Hayes Architects of San Diego and Rimrock Construction Inc. of Newport Beach. John Still of Flocke & Avoyer is the exclusive leasing agent.

Designed to resemble traditional American Main Streets, the center has an eclectic architectural design that makes it look like the center grew over decades. The center is the final component in Heritage's village activity center.

Other amenities include Heritage Park, the 10-acre city park that includes a community center, outdoor amphitheater, naturalistic pond and a variety of sports and play areas; Heritage Elementary School; and Sharp Rees-Stealy, a $12.5 million medical facility that offers a variety of primary and specialty care services.

While each village in Otay Ranch is planned to be architecturally distinctive, each village shares Otay Ranch's pedestrian-friendly orientation and environmental sensitivity.

As part of its pedestrian-friendly design, Otay Ranch features landscaped and illuminated paseos, designed for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Hiking trails are planned to circle most villages and provide easy access for pedestrians and bicyclists to get from village to village. More than half of the property is also being set aside as open space.

For every acre developed in Otay Ranch, 1.18 acres is being set aside in the Otay Ranch Nature Preserve. Ultimately, land contributions by The Otay Ranch Co. and other developers will lead to the creation of an 11,375-acre nature preserve, which is equivalent to 18 square miles or more than eight times the size of Balboa Park.

Otay Ranch's design, which offers a vibrant street life and inviting public places, has not gone unheralded. The community is earning attention from a number of urban planning groups and the media for its pedestrian-friendly design.

Otay Ranch was the only planned community visited during The National Association of Real Estate Editors' recent convention. Earlier this year, professional planners from throughout the state visited Otay Ranch as part of the American Planning Association's California Statewide Conference. The community was also showcased during the national Partners for Smart Growth conference, sponsored by the Urban Land Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency's Smart Growth Network.

"Even The New York Times ran a story examining Otay Ranch's pedestrian-friendly design in comparison to other neo-traditional communities across the country," Aden said.

What has caused all this interest?

"Otay Ranch is a new community that looks and behaves like a well-established, small town where schools, parks and soon-to-open shops are all just a short walk away, where neighbors congregate on front porches, and where trails and greenbelts connect key destinations," he said. "Otay Ranch sets the stage for social connectedness. Impromptu socializing just happens when people meet on the sidewalk, see each other on their front porches, come together at classes in the park and happen upon each other on the trails. The design of Otay Ranch makes it easy to be neighborly."

Metz is principal of Metz Public Relations.