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SANTA BARBARA, Calif., July 31, 2026 — The Orchard, a proposed 65-acre master-planned community bordered by Hollister Avenue and Highway 217, has won Best on the Boards, Mixed-Use Project at the 63rd annual Gold Nugget Awards. The Gold Nugget awards include more than 800 entries in the national and international competition held at the PCBC Conference in San Diego California.
The Best on the Boards category recognizes excellence in architectural design, planning, and development among projects that have not yet broken ground but are well advanced in the planning stage. The project was recognized for its aesthetics and solutions that address local challenges and set a standard for innovative development.
Currently under environmental review by Santa Barbara County, The Orchard includes townhomes, affordable family and senior rentals, workforce housing, a technology business campus, a regional daycare center, and a walkable commercial district with restaurants — all anchored by 10 acres of open space and parks less than a mile from the beach.
The Gold Nugget Awards—the oldest and most prestigious design program of its kind—are presented annually at PCBC to honor outstanding architectural design and land use planning. Winning entries are chosen through a rigorous review by a panel of leading industry experts.
The Orchard was conceived by locals for locals, following more than 1,000 days of close collaboration with County planning staff. Local building professionals Jeff and Jason Nelson assembled the project team through their family-owned Oak Creek Company, bringing together the property’s multigenerational owners with architects and design professionals.
“We envision this as an urban, walkable, new beach town environment,” said Jeff Nelson, co-developer at The Oak Creek Company. “Our goal from day one was a community hub that balances critical local needs — from affordable multigenerational housing to regional childcare and tech job creation — while creating 10 acres of open park space. The site has room for diverse, complementary uses, which makes it a walkable campus that can meet a family’s daily needs. We are humbled that this national award recognizes this vision. We aspire to make it the next great place to live.”
“As long-term local developers, we want the next generation of homeowners to want to live here, thrive, and stay rooted in the Santa Barbara area,” added Jason Nelson, co-developer at The Oak Creek Company. “We set out to design a fully walkable community for locals that meets critical local needs. Receiving this recognition reinforces that thoughtful, community-focused development can also represent design excellence.”
The Orchard
The Orchard integrates a walkable mix of 250 affordable family and senior apartments, 80 workforce-ownership townhomes, a commercial district, a regional daycare center, and a modern R&D tech campus. Positioned near local churches, business parks, and regional healthcare facilities, it offers the chance to live in a walkable planned community tailored to the character of Santa Barbara.
About The Oak Creek Company
The Oak Creek Company is a family-owned development firm founded by local developers Jeff and Jason Nelson. Deeply rooted in the local community, the firm creates high-quality, sustainable, master-planned environments that honor and enhance the coastal character of the greater Santa Barbara region.
