Harmon family members say the development of 63 new single-family homes on Oak Knoll Road in Poway fulfills their vision that their 11-acre former property would someday provide homes for future generations.
The project, dubbed Harmon Ranch and being built by Lennar Corp., got underway in late 2024 and is estimated to be completed in mid-2027, said Ryan Green, Lennar San Diego Division president.
Sherry Harmon-Urena, daughter of the late Ed and Juanita Harmon, said her parents would be proud of the project.
“Our childhood friends often referred to our home on Oak Knoll Road as the Harmon Ranch, as we had chickens, horses, dogs, cats, bunnies and a summer vegetable garden,” said Harmon-Urena, whose parents left the hustle and bustle of Orange County to live in Poway in 1966. “It was a great place to grow up.”
“The inclusion of the park areas and trail are thoughtfully planned amenities, making it feel blended with the neighborhood,” she said.
Courtesy Sherry Harmon-Urena
Sherry Harmon-Urena recalls growing up in Poway on a ranch-style property on Oak Knoll Road. (Courtesy Sherry Harmon-Urena)
The development is being marketed as a community of “spacious” two-story single-family homes with easy access to Poway Unified School District schools and downtown San Diego.
The homes designed by architect Bassenian Lagoni feature four architectural styles that range from 2,600 to 3,100 square feet with four to five bedrooms each. They are priced from upper $1.3 million and are actively selling, according to Lennar’s website.
The new homes are “in a desired location with private backyards in a well-established community,” Green said.
Features of the property include a 5,600-square-foot park with a trail south of Oak Knoll Road that is consistent with the project’s specific plan, he said.
Courtesy Sherry Harmon-Urena
Building 63 single-family homes at the Harmon Ranch development on Oak Knoll Road fulfills a vision of Harmon family members, including the late Commander Edward and Juanita Harmon shown here. (Courtesy Sherry Harmon-Urena)
Harmon-Urena, a 72-year-old retired nurse who lives in Poway, said her family selected Lennar as the builder because the company has a reputation as a “quality developer.”
“We felt that they better understood the Poway atmosphere more so than other competing builders, most of whom wanted to do high-density building, which we were very much opposed to,” she said.
When the Harmons moved to Poway, Harmon-Urena said they immediately fell in love with the little one-stoplight town and decided it would be a good place to raise their family. They purchased their house on Oak Knoll and settled into the small rural community.
Juanita Harmon was a talented gardener and joined the local Garden Club. She also became an active member of the Soroptimist International of Poway, the Poway Chamber of Commerce and attended most of the Poway City Council meetings, her daughter said.
“As her real estate career progressed, she became a broker, eventually owning four Century 21 offices,” Harmon-Urena said. “My father often joked that she had sold every house in Poway … twice.”
Harmon-Urena’s dad was a Naval commander and retired in 1978 after 30 years of service. He was an active member of the Rotary Club of Poway-Scripps and was instrumental in planning and building the original Poway Senior Center, and later, was involved with the creation of Poway Veterans Park, a memorial near Old Poway Park.
Courtesy Sherry Harmon-Urena
Edward and Juanita Harmon rode horses in Poway after moving from Orange County in 1966. (Courtesy Sherry Harmon-Urena)
The Harmon Ranch site today has an historical Harmon House that the city required to be preserved, Green said. The cobblestone home was built in 1933. Three other homes on the property were demolished.
Lennar’s plans were approved by the City Council in April 2024 by a 4-1 vote, with then-Councilmember Caylin Frank dissenting. She said she believed the concerns of neighbors outweighed the developer’s desire to build a high-density project.
“I’m glad the city, in conjunction with Lennar, preserved the little rock house and hope that they actively do something with it that benefits the community,” Harmon-Urena said.
Although her parents owned the house for many years, Harmon-Urena said she’s not sure why it’s being referred to as the “Harmon House” since the property it sits on was originally purchased by brothers Joe and John Markwalder in 1927.
“The house was built by the brothers in 1933, by hauling big stones from the nearby creek with mules to build the house, which was no small feat and still stands today,” she said. “So, I’m hoping that the Poway Historical and Memorial Society recognizes the Markwalder family with their name attached to the history of the building of the house. It truly is a unique and charming little home adjoining the Harmon Ranch.”
Courtesy Sherry Harmon-Urena
Sherry Harmon-Urena is shown in a family photo holding a horse while her younger sisters ride on horseback. (Courtesy Sherry Harmon-Urena)