HARMONY GROVE — The San Diego County Planning Commission has once again approved the controversial Harmony Grove Village South project, despite objections from residents who warn the development will worsen fire safety in the area.
The project, located south of Harmony Grove Village near Elfin Forest and Eden Valley, calls for 453 homes in single-family and multi-family units, along with 5,000 square feet of commercial and civic space, 34.8 acres of biological open space, 36 acres of common areas, four acres of public and private parks, and two miles of trails.
The site is located approximately two miles west of Interstate 15, more than two miles from state Route 78 and the Nordahl Sprinter Station, and near employers such as Palomar Medical Center and Cal State San Marcos. County staff estimate the project will add 137 students to Escondido schools, including Bernardo Elementary, Bear Valley Middle and San Pasqual High.
Harmony Grove Village South is designed as a complement to Harmony Grove Village, a 742-unit community approved in 2007. Both the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors signed off on the South project in 2018, but a trial court ruled it violated the California Environmental Quality Act.
A 2021 appellate decision upheld concerns over greenhouse gas mitigation but reversed findings on evacuation and air quality measures, affirming them as adequate.
The Board of Supervisors rescinded its approval in 2022. Developer Marcel Arsenault’s team has since revised greenhouse gas measures, pledging to offset 100% of emissions with a local solar installation producing 1,720 kilowatts. The project also now includes 10% affordable housing, split evenly between low- and moderate-income households.
Opponents remain focused on fire risk, pointing to the lack of a secondary access road and the site’s location in a Cal Fire-designated “Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone” surrounded by 15,000 acres of flammable open space.
JP Theberge, vice chair of the Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Town Council, said the project “violates state fire code and just basic common sense.”
“In this era of increasing wildfires, area residents are understandably opposed to the project due to evacuation concerns,” Theberge said.
Residents recall the 2014 Cocos Fire, which burned nearly 2,000 acres and destroyed more than 40 structures, resulting in prolonged evacuation delays. Many fear a larger population would only worsen conditions.
Neighbors are also concerned about potential fire hazards from nearby proposed projects, including the Seguro Battery Energy Storage and Solaris Business Park.
County staff countered that road improvements since then, including Harmony Grove Village Parkway’s bridge to Citracado Parkway, would improve evacuation. They also cited a new emergency road from Hill Valley Drive to La Moree Road in San Marcos, which will serve nearby proposed developments, as an added benefit.
Johnston Road, once considered for secondary access, was deemed unfeasible and was never included in the project’s plans.
“For all three projects, if any one (or all) of these projects is approved, the restrictive design and operational requirements would result in there being no significant and unmitigated impacts,” a county staff report stated.
Staff also responded to concerns about vehicle miles traveled, or VMT, noting that although the county updated its guidelines in 2022 to comply with state law, the VMT component of the project was not considered “new information” requiring additional review.
The San Dieguito Community Planning Group, which unanimously recommended denial in 2018, recently reiterated its opposition.
The project now heads back to the Board of Supervisors for a final decision.
“We are now counting on the Board of Supervisors to keep our families safe,” Theberge said. “This project first came before the board in 2018, and at that time the supervisors ignored the very clear wildfire risk. Our local leaders now have a second chance – and better information – to do the right thing and vote down this poorly planned housing development unless they can provide a second way out should the main exit be unusable.”
“The fire danger in this area is severe, and the idea that even more homes would be added without even considering a secondary exit is unconscionable,” he added. “We’re counting on the board to put the brakes on this bad project.”
