4S Ranch, California

Infobox Settlement


imagesize =
image_caption = 4S Ranch from Black Mountain summit
official_name = 4S Ranch

4S Ranch is an unincorporated community in San Diego County, California, United States.

To the east of 4S Ranch is the San Diego community of Rancho Bernardo. To the west is the Santa Fe Valley. Lake Hodges forms the northern border of the community while Black Mountain Ranch and Rancho Penasquitos are to the south.

4S Ranch is one of only five communities in San Diego designed and built according to strict "fire safe" construction standards. These standards resulted in not a single home being lost or even damaged in any of these communities during the October, 2007 fires which affected much of Southern California and burned over 2000 homes elsewhere throughout Southern California. [http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20071025/news_1n25stay.html#] [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/weekinreview/28odonnell.html?_r=1&oref=slogin] The "Shelter in Place" construction concept of these communities was tested and passed through the fires without any damage. [http://www.rsf-fire.org/education/programs/adult_shelterinplace.asp]

Although adjacent to other popular communities (Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Carmel Valley, Rancho Penasquitos, Rancho Santa Fe) in suburban San Diego, 4S Ranch is the only community among these that has been built to be sufficiently protected from wild fires such that it has been deemed a "Shelter in Place" community. [http://www.rsf-fire.org/assets/documents/education/preparedness/SIP_for_web.pdf]

The ZIP Code is 92127 and the community is inside area code 858.

History

The origin of the name 4S Ranch is not specifically known. The first recorded owner of Rancho San Bernardo, as the area in which 4S Ranch is currently located, was by an Englishman named Joseph Snook (who later became a Mexican citizen and changed his name to Don Jose Francisco Snook). After the collapse of the California mission system around 1840, Snook obtained a land grant to build his own rancho where 4S Ranch now stands. Many now believe the "S" in 4S Ranch stands for "Snook". The "4" may stand for "4 Snooks", after Snook and his three brothers. Contrary to myth, Snook and his wife never had any children. After his death, Snook's nieces and nephews sold the property to James McCoy for $4,020.

The property changed hands several times over the next 100 years. In 1938, the property was sold to the Ralphs family, owners of the southern California grocery chain. In the early 1980s, the Ralphs family agreed to develop the southern portion of their property (what is now the 4S Ranch master planned community by Newland Communities) and retain the northern convert|1200|acre|km2 as a family retreat.

Transportation

Main thoroughfares

Camino del Norte provides the primary access for the community.

Other major roads providing access to 4S Ranch are Rancho Bernardo Road (to the Northeast), Carmel Valley Road (to the South), and Camino del Sur (to the West).

Community events

Fall FestivalMerchant stands and food with rides and games.

Parks

4s ranch city park heritage park poiner park 4s ranch sports park patriot park

Schools

4S Ranch is served by the Poway Unified School District.

High schools

Del Norte High School (This school is planned to open in 2009)

Middle schools

Oak Valley Middle School

Elementary schools

Stone Ranch Elementary School
Monterey Ridge Elementary School

4S Ranch Community Organizations

Youth Sports

* [http://www.4sfootball.com 4S Ranch Youth Football & Cheer]

* 4S Ranch Little League Baseball

* Boys and Girls Club Basketball

Service Clubs and Civic Groups

Scouting

4S Ranch County Library

http://4sranchlibrary.pbwiki.com/

References

* [http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040815/news_m1m15history.html San Diego Union Tribune Article about Joseph Snook and the 4S Ranch name]
* [http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/97fall/snook.htm San Diego Historical Society article about Joseph Snook]

External links

* [http://www.sdncc.com/communities/4SRanch/ San Diego North Chamber of Commerce's community profile of 4S Ranch]
* [http://www.4sranch.com/ 4S Ranch's Website]