Sumner Hill, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sumner Hill | |
|---|---|
  Sumner Hill Location in California  Sumner Hill Sumner Hill (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 36°57′20″N 119°45′01″W / 36.95556°N 119.75028°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Madera County |
| Elevation | 535 ft (163 m) |
Sumner Hill is an unincorporated community in Madera County, California.[1] Lying at an elevation of 535 feet (163 m),[1] it is 6+1⁄2 miles north of Woodland Park in Fresno.[2] It was created in 1985 as a 49-lot subdivision on a bluff on the eastern section of Peck Ranch,[3][4] on the Madera County side of the San Joaquin River.[5] The gated community developed a reputation for its high-priced homes.[5][6] In the 1990s, the entire 15,000-acre area south of Little Table Mountain and east of Highways 41 and 45, including Sumner Hill, started being called "Rio Mesa".[7][3]
In a six-year legal battle, the Sumner Hill Homeowners' Association fought to protect the subdivision's exclusive access to the San Joaquin River via Killkelly Road, with a Fresno appellate court affirming in 2012 that the statute of limitations had expired for Rio Mesa developers to claim public access.[8][9] As of 2012, Sumner Hill remained the only significant residential development in the Rio Mesa area.[7] In a subsequent lawsuit, the Rio Mesa developers won a $25 million judgment against a national title insurance company for failing to defend their access to the river through Sumner Hill.[10]
In 1983, the County of Madera approved the creation of Sumner Hill as a residential subdivision, on the condition that a security gate and perimeter fence were installed.[9] This was to minimize the need for local law enforcement to travel to the community's remote location.[9]
The 670-acre development opened in 1985.[4] The 49 lots ranged in size from 1+1⁄2 to six acres.[2] Early Sumner Hill residents included members of the Peck family, who were fourth-generation farmers in San Joaquin Valley.[2] Street names within the subdivision were personally selected by Carolyn Peck, owner of Peck Ranch, and included names like Rose of Trailee Place, Killarney Drive, and Bonny-Kerry Lane.[2]
On one side, the bluff overlooks Friant Dam, Lost Lake, the San Joaquin River, and the Sierra foothills.[2] On another side, it offers a view of Madera and Fresno counties toward Clovis and the Fresno skyline.[2] The two-lane road leading to Sumner Hill passes vineyards and pastures,[5] and citrus orchards are also visible in the surrounding area.[2] Wildlife in the area included deer and geese, as well as skunks, raccoons, and coyotes.[6]
By 1992, Sumner Hill was referred to as "Pill Hill" because so many doctors had moved there from Fresno.[6] In 2007, The Fresno Bee described the community as having some of the most elegant homes in the Fresno area.[5] Sumner Hill relies on the San Joaquin River as its main water source.[11]
