"We need to take control of our own destiny," says Don Sammis, founding board member of the pro-cityhood Rancho Santa Fe Preservation. The group was created earlier this year and since has received about 200 requests from Rancho Santa Fe's 5,000 residents about forming their own city.

Sammis and some other leaders of the group late last week held their first full-scale town meeting to discuss issues, recruit more supporters and raise money. The Rancho Santa Fe Association--the homeowners group that represents residents of the 10-mile-square community--hasn't taken a position yet on the cityhood drive.

Rancho Santa Fe is one of Southern California's richest enclaves. Its residents range from descendants of San Diego's old-line banking families to "thirtysomethings" who've made hundreds of millions over the past two years from the county's booming high-tech and biotech industries.