Developer NNP-Stonegate-Merriam LLC still has a shot at getting its proposed 2,327-acre Merriam Mountains project in North San Diego County approved.
The controversial housing development, introduced by Laguna Hills-based developer Stonegate Development Group and San Diego’s Newland National Partners, was thrown a lifeline Jan. 13 when the county Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to reconsider the development, which could mean hundreds of jobs for local construction companies.
The rehearing is set for March 24.
With the hearing scheduled, people on all sides of the issue are gearing up for another round in the fight over the development, which sits on land northwest of the intersection of Deer Springs Road and Interstate 15 in the Escondido area, just south of the county line.
Plan Details
The current plans call for 2,630 homes, 100,000 square feet of retail space, a new fire station and about 1,200 acres dedicated to a biological preserve on the 3.5-square-mile area.
The county Department of Planning and Land Use describes the area as “largely undisturbed mountains and ridgelines and intervening steep valleys.”
The county Planning Commission approved the project by a 5-2 vote in October.
Supporters include the Escondido Chamber of Commerce and Escondido Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler, as well as construction unions and the California Building Industry Association.
Supporters say Merriam Mountains is a well-planned project that will bring needed housing and shopping to the semi-rural area, as well as reinvigorate the beleagured construction industry.
Opponents, including the well-known Golden Door spa, say their neighborhood will be awash in debris and construction noise, including rock blasting, that traffic and fire hazards aren’t properly addressed and that the project is simply too dense for the semi-rural and rural areas surrounding it.
Land broker and longtime supporter of the Merriam Mountains project David Shibley said this month that he will appreciate “a chance to be more nimble next time around.”
“This is too large and important an item to not be heard by the entire board,” he added.
Concerns
At the December hearing, opponents raised many issues, including those identified by the supervisors who voted against the development.
Supervisor Dianne Jacob and Supervisor Pam Slater-Price—who voted against the project last fall—cited zoning guidelines that recommend just 345 homes on the rural site, the area’s severe susceptibility to fire and lack of a sufficient evacuation plan, and questions about where the project would obtain its water when they opposed the plan.
Bruce Tebbs, who serves on the Deer Springs Fire Protection District board, said he opposed the Merriam Mountains development, though he generally favors building homes.
“They want to build a town on top of a mountain surrounded by fire fuel,” Tebbs said. “You can’t evacuate that neighborhood in a fire—it’s too high density. I’m pro-development, pro-property rights, but I believe in safety for humans.”
Developers, who did not respond to phone calls and e-mail seeking comment, argued that creating fire control zones of at least 50 yards around the developed areas, not installing wood-burning fireplaces, equipping the homes with sprinkler systems and building them with fire-resistant materials would protect the residents from fire.
They also plan to widen Deer Springs Road and construct an emergency access road from the project to Twin Oaks Road.
Marty Graham is a freelance writer for the San Diego Business Journal.
