ENCINITAS — After months of local pushback, deliberation and modifications, the Encinitas Planning Commission approved revised plans for the largest apartment complex in the city’s history on Thursday despite lingering community concerns over traffic, safety and environmental impacts.
The latest iteration of Quail Meadows Apartments, located on 12 acres at 185-225 Quail Gardens Drive, will feature slightly fewer total units, reduced building height and more affordable units.
“We took your feedback from the last hearing and the community’s feedback to heart, and we made some substantial changes to the project,” said Maria Miller, a spokesperson representing the developer, Baldwin & Sons. “We’re confident that the project that’s here in front of you today is a much more thoughtful design that takes into account communities’ needs and vision.”
The total number of units was reduced from 485 to 448, while the number of affordable units was increased from 72 to 90, representing 25% of the project’s base density. According to Miller, the development team exceeded the required 15% inclusionary housing rate to align with community feedback.
The building height was also lowered from six stories to four to fit the surrounding neighborhood better. Quail Meadows Apartments will include 749 parking spaces, exceeding the state-required minimum, and the installation of a new roundabout at Kristen Court to manage traffic.
Despite the changes, many residents voiced opposition during the meeting, citing concerns about the development’s size and the potential for increased traffic given its proximity to already congested areas like Quail Gardens Drive and Encinitas Boulevard.
Residents also noted that the single-lane roads were not designed for such high traffic volumes.
Brett Morris, a nearby resident, warned of the safety risks, particularly for local children and emergency responders.
“I am a developer, and I know this process, and I’m usually on the other side of this, but I think there’s a big difference between responsible development and not responsible development, and this is a blatant example of not responsible development,” Morris said during the meeting. “It’s a blatant exaggeration of what should be allowed by the state and the city, and I think that we need to find ways to shoot it down.”
Residents also raised environmental concerns, expressing apprehension about the project’s impact on local wetlands, the sensitive habitat in the area, and drainage issues. The California Coastal Commission has jurisdiction over portions of the project, especially regarding wetland restoration and drainage improvements.
Kathleen McDowell, whose property borders the project site, shared video footage of the seasonal creek that runs through the area and criticized the drainage plans.
“This drainage plan is insufficient,” McDowell said. “The feasibility of completing the drainage system is imperative to ensuring adequate stormwater management and the safety of the residents.”
Along with McDowell, Commission Chair Stephen Dalton stressed the environmental challenges, particularly the flooding risks associated with the site. Dalton said he appreciated the developer’s efforts to address this with substantial improvements to drainage infrastructure but remained cautious.
“I think it’s a complex project, and I’m most concerned about the flooding,” Dalton said in the meeting. “I think that’s a really difficult (problem).”
Nick Lee, COO of Baldwin and Sons, said the existing 48-inch pipe will remain in place but only handle low-flow water. The project includes a new 7-by-12-foot box culvert to handle larger storms, directing excess stormwater to an existing 84-inch pipe system nearby.
“You’re going to have a better drainage situation after this project is here than there is today,” Lee said during the meeting.
Residents have questioned Baldwins and Sons’ track record of handling stormwater and drainage at its project sites. In 2022, the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board fined Baldwin and Sons $6 million for releasing 6.3 million gallons of untreated stormwater at a luxury home construction site in Orange County.
The developer was also penalized for failing to implement required best management practices, ignoring multiple corrective and cease-and-desist orders, and violating the Statewide Construction Stormwater Permit for 162 days.
“The sheer number and days of violations, volume of polluted discharges, and repeated failures to comply with the most fundamental requirements of the municipal ordinances and statewide construction stormwater permit are unprecedented in this region,” said David Gibson, executive officer of the San Diego Water Board. “The actions of Baldwin & Sons and its partners and contractors, which resulted in significant costs to the public and environmental harm to Aliso Creek and its tributaries, merits the harshest possible enforcement response.”
The Planning Commission acknowledged the community’s frustrations and fatigue with the ongoing development in the Quail Gardens area. Among the commissioners, there was a recognition of the need for affordable housing and a strong understanding of the challenges posed by the project’s scale, height and traffic implications.
“We represent the entire public, including my kids and anybody else’s kids who are maturing and need a place to live,” Dalton said. “I think we have a certain obligation to make sure that housing can be built in the city.”
Despite some feeling conflicted, the commission maintained that they were required to approve the project under California law unless specific, objective, quantifiable standards were violated. Since the project was compliant with these standards, many of the concerns raised by the public could not legally justify denial.
The Planning Commission voted to approve the project 3-1, with one member abstention. The project moves forward with several conditions attached, including further review of the roundabout design and finalization of environmental restoration plans.
“Housing is not an inconsequential issue that we need to provide in our city,” Dalton said. “I think one of the problems with relying so heavily, as we have in the past, on single-family homes and quaint cottages is that it doesn’t create the type of housing and the quantity of housing that supports even our own homegrown population growth.”