March 6, 2001

SANTEE -- It is a middle-class, bedroom community struggling to hang on to its country roots while growing into a large city.

A little more than 20 years ago, Santee residents protested county rule and elected to incorporate. They built a city out of 16.6 square miles in a small valley surrounded by soft, rolling hills, about 20 miles northeast of downtown San Diego.

In many ways, it still is the small country burg begun by George Cowles when he bought 4,000 acres in 1877 to start a vineyard.

More than half of the city remains undeveloped. In many neighborhoods, one can walk through open fields. The largest single tract of land -- 2,600 acres called Fanita Ranch -- is still wide open.

But steady growth is evident each weekday morning as residents shuttle to and from work on congested thoroughfares such as Mission Gorge Road and state Route 52.

Today's population is 58,000, and the median annual income is $53,000. The city is overwhelmingly white; less than 18 percent of residents are people of color.

Many families say they are attracted by the combination of the city's low crime rate, good schools, outdoor recreation and affordable housing.

The local economy is anchored heavily on small retail and home-based businesses.

City leaders acknowledge their challenge is to balance the fighting spirit of the backcountry alongside the aspirations of big city life.

Two years ago, local environmentalists and residents launched a successful referendum against a 3,000-home development at Fanita Ranch, which the City Council had approved. Traffic was their main concern.

Despite the spirited debates over their collective future, Santee residents see themselves as a tight-knit group, whose center can be found in its schools, parks, ball fields and open spaces.

The city's largest employer is the Santee School District. More than 12,000 students are enrolled in schools in the city.

"Kids are at the center of this community," said City Councilwoman Lori Howard.