New development in Fresno will help meet the demand for housing west of Highway 99

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A new housing development is popping up in a part of Fresno where there is a lack of supply and a high demand.

"We actually pre-sold twenty homes before even opening up the model complex. So typically you don't see that high volume of sales without any model complex," said Peter Castanos.

Castanos is one of the owners of Wathen Castanos Homes. His company came up with the blueprint for creating "Westerra."

The development west of Highway 99 near Bryan and Ashlan Avenues will have at least seven hundred lots.

Castanos worked with the city for the last 18 months on mapping out the project.

"Working with the city on these different elements on where to put them along with the engineers on the lot and the spaces in the community," said Castanos

Those elements include a neighborhood park, trails and easy access to nearby schools in Central Unified.

"That's what families want to see in their neighborhoods nowadays," says Fresno City Councilmember Esmeralda Soria. "And so it just makes a complete neighborhood having an area where they can gather, where their kids can play and that connects the neighborhood to the rest of the city."

"Westerra" is on the western edge of the district represented by Council Member Soria.

She says this project is just one piece of the "West Area Specific Plan."

The plan for West Central Fresno will provide predictability for developers who want to invest in business and housing.

"If we look at the amenities west of the 99. They aren't very many and so we are hoping the west area specific plan will provide the opportunity for us to plan for the future of this area," said Soria.

Homes in the "Westerra" development will be built in three phase in the next few years.