ENCINITAS — A nine-home subdivision planned for a steep, undeveloped hillside east of Zona Gale Road is headed to the Encinitas Planning Commission, drawing concern from nearby residents over impacts to wildlife, native vegetation and public trails.
The Zona Gale Estates project is slated for a roughly 1.79-acre triangular parcel north of Zona Gale Road, west of Via Cantebria and about a half-mile north of Encinitas Boulevard, according to city documents.
The site is located in a single-family neighborhood bordered by existing homes to the west and south, undeveloped open space to the north, and an existing water storage tank just south of the property — all of which are surrounded by Encinitas Ranch trail systems.
The developer, Aspen Growth Properties Inc., proposes to subdivide the vacant parcel to construct nine detached single-family homes, including eight market-rate and one very low-income required under the state Density Bonus Law.
The homes would be accessed by a new private road connecting to Zona Gale Road.
Plans also call for grading the sloped site, installing private driveways and off-street parking, adding landscaping and a biofiltration basin, and off-site roadway and utility improvements along Zona Gale Road.
Sewer service would be extended from Via Cantebria using horizontal directional drilling beneath nearby open space, a method intended to minimize long-term impacts on surrounding natural areas.
Environmental studies identified sensitive native vegetation on and near the site, including southern maritime chaparral and several protected plant species, such as Del Mar manzanita and Torrey pine.
A draft Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared by environmental consulting firm Dudek identified several potentially significant environmental impacts associated with the project. However, the report concluded that those impacts would be reduced to “less-than-significant” levels through mitigation measures, avoiding negative effects on aesthetics (scenic vistas), air and water quality, noise, traffic, public services, wildlife, or other areas.
Several neighboring homeowners from the Sandalwood community say the proposed subdivision is too dense for the site and relies too heavily on state housing law to bypass local standards.
“This project … raises substantial questions about environmental impact, neighborhood compatibility, public safety, and the integrity of Encinitas’ planning process,” wrote Eileen Silverman, a Sandalwood homeowner, in a letter to Mayor Bruce Ehlers obtained by The Coast News. “While I understand the pressure cities face under state housing mandates, it is troubling to see those laws used to justify a project that appears fundamentally misaligned with the character and physical limitations of this site.”
Michael McClain, another Sandalwood homeowner, questioned the project’s use of the Density Bonus Law to add a single very low-income unit while requesting multiple waivers from city regulations.
“The city, as I understand it, has already reached its requirements with the state, so it’s not like this one additional low-income home is going to have any impact,” McClain said. “It’s very hard to understand why so many compromises are being made for this site.”
McClain and others also cited concerns about impacts to wildlife habitat and trails long used by residents.
“People walk those trails all the time,” he said. “To think that this community would allow this project to be squeezed into that very wild area — it’s breathtaking.”
Colliers International began marketing the site, known as the Weigand parcel and originally owned by the Olivenhain Municipal Water District, as surplus land in 2018. The lot was later sold to Aspen Growth Properties for $1.25 million, according to city documents.
Residents may review the draft Mitigated Negative Declaration and related environmental documents online through the city’s Development Services Department, and in-person at Encinitas City Hall (505 South Vulcan Avenue), the Encinitas Library (540 Cornish Dr), and the Cardiff-by-the-Sea Library (2081 Newcastle Ave).
Written public comments will be accepted through Jan. 20. Please email Fran Carr at [email protected].
The Encinitas Planning Commission will review the proposed development at a future date.
UPDATE: This story has been updated from the original to include comments from neighboring residents regarding the Zona Gale Estate project.
