Every 10 years or so, they materialize like swimming pools in a new subdivision, with seemingly enough room for everyone to jump into the water.

Dan Yates, president of Regents Bank, notes that the number of San Diego-based banks is only a fraction of those based here in 1984. During the last 18 years, “the economy not only grew, but diversified. Yet you have fewer local banks operating in a much larger market.”

For example, Yates says in 2001 the largest independent commercial bank not owned by an out-of-state holding company was First National Bank, with an asset base of $714 million, and just 2 percent market share of deposits. “You don’t need to have a large market share to operate a successful bank,” he concludes. Not that First National was very successful.

Still, there’s a compelling call for community banks, and bankers new and familiar are answering it. Here are snapshots of some of the new banks soon to be seeking your business:

• Landmark National Bank, Solana Beach

“I’ve been kind of semi-retired,” says Landmark National Bank Chief Executive Ron Carlson. Since formally leaving Scripps Bank about nine months after its October 2000 sale to U.S. Bank, Carlson has been sailing off to Catalina and down to Mexico, but has since dropped anchor in Solana Beach to skipper the new Landmark National.

Carlson admits he’s “somewhat disappointed in the fact that Scripps Bank sold at all and how the big bank ways of doing things impacted our customers.” Also on board as president and vice chairman of Landmark is Ron Bird, who at one time was president of the Bank of Southern California and spent the last eight years with SDNB.

Was Scripps a victim of its own success? “The problem you run into is that when you are offered a very attractive price you have to take it to the shareholders,” Carlson says. “Scripps had gotten to the size of $700 million in assets, and 10 offices. The first mistake is opening the door.”

In the end, the Scripps leadership splintered. Former Scripps Chairman Bill Nelson is now on the board of Regents Bank; former Scripps board member Chris McKellar and others have gone on to start Scripps Premiere Bank.

Meanwhile, Landmark has approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to raise an initial stake of $10 million to $12 million. By the time it opens in the third quarter, Carlson says, he expects the economy to be in an upswing.

Board members include Kenneth Baumgartner, president of the Corky McMillin Cos., and Anne Taubman, the chief executive of Seaport Village.

Why start another bank? “It is fun to create something, and frankly it’s a little disappointing when something goes away,” Carlson says. “You put your heart and soul into these things and I was proud of it and when it goes away it’s sort of like a loss.”

• Security Business Bank, Downtown San Diego

This new commercial bank has been approved by federal and state regulators and will open in late summer at an undisclosed location on B Street. The CEO, Paul Rodeno, says initial capitalization will be in the $8.5 million to $10 million range.

Rodeno is a 20-year banking veteran who most recently served as executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Eldorado Bank, a $1.3 billion bank recently sold to Zions Bancorp. Rodeno says he’s looking for a “wide group of local investors, 300 and up. The larger the group of investors, the larger the group of business opportunities.”

Rodeno envisions a lender serving some of San Diego’s 70,000 businesses, 95 percent of which have fewer than 50 employees. Loans will be in the $250,000 to $1 million range. “There’s a huge void in local ownership and decision making,” he says. “My sense of the market is that larger banks don’t provide a sense of touch to the customers.”

The proposed board includes Robert Kellar as chairman. Kellar was chairman of Eldorado Bank prior to its sale, and is a 35-year banking veteran. Other board members include Gordon Carrier (owner of the architectural firm Carrier Johnson), Greg Cody (investor in tech and service companies), Dennis Cruzan (chief operating officer of JMI Realty), Bruce Millimaki (principal in the Downtown accounting firm Lipsey, Millimaki and Co.) and Gail Stoorza-Gill (head of Stoorza Communications).

• Coast Commerce Bank, Chula Vista

Chief Executive Larry Benthien says the bank was submitting an application to state and federal regulators in April and expects to raise an initial capitalization of $6 million to $8 million.

Benthien is a longtime San Diego area banker. He started at San Diego Trust & Savings in 1967 and after 17 years there left to join Pacific Commerce Bank. Starting as chief credit officer, Benthien was promoted to executive vice president. After a stint with a manufactured housing sales company, Benthien returned to the board of Pacific Commerce, where he remained for six years. Pacific Commerce was sold to Scripps Bank in 1999, and later Scripps was bought by U.S. Bank. Just to complete the Pacific Commerce story, former CEO Tom Michelli moved to Montana and is now a rancher. “Customers of Pacific Commerce Bank and shareholders have joined me in formation of the new bank,” Benthien says.

Those shareholders might have some dinero to throw around. “(They) did very well with the sale to Scripps,” he says. “It sold at five times book, almost a record. You don’t hear about that kind of sale very often. Some people at Scripps Bank thought they paid more than they should have, but it’s hindsight. They were looking to come into the South Bay, and by acquiring Pacific Commerce, they acquired two branches in Chula Vista.”

Those Pacific Commerce shareholders raked in another premium when Scripps was sold to U.S. Bank. “We’re not telling anybody we’re going to duplicate that,” he says modestly.

Benthien says his motivation for starting Coast Commerce was spurred by realizing a personal dream, and the explosive growth predicted for the South Bay. “I am 58, and I decided that I have a lot more living to do, and I felt that this would be an exciting challenge,” he says. “The idea is to bring back Pacific Commerce’s personalized service.”

Chula Vista’s population of around 190,000 is projected to swell to 300,000 in the next 15 years, Benthien notes. “With the growth of EastLake and Otay Ranch as well as the development of Otay Mesa, the area (is going to be) the fastest growing in the state or close to that,” he says. “Not many cities are going to increase by a third.” Benthien says his bank wants to grow up with the South Bay cities and can lend almost a million out of the gate. “But if a business needs a $50,000 loan, we’ll be there for them, too.”

Organizers of Coast Commerce Bank include county Supervisor Greg Cox; former Bank of Commerce executive Bruce Nunes; Bob De Philippis, owner of Filippis; and two auto dealers, Mark Greene, and Lane Pearson.

• Scripps Premier Bank, Downtown San Diego

Doug Sawyer will serve as the CEO for an organizing team that includes former Scripps Bank directors Chris McKellar; his father, Jim McKellar; Martin Dickenson; and William Miller. Others involved include UC Regent John Davies, Vince Benstead, Mark Grosvenor and attorney Craig Andrews.