ESCONDIDO — A 94-unit townhome community is set to replace several businesses and storage units at the northwest corner of Centre City and West Valley parkways.
The Escondido City Council unanimously approved the project on June 10. Located on a 3.51-acre site between 510 and 520 W. Valley Parkway, the development calls for the demolition of existing structures, including a 5,900-square-foot building housing T-Shirt Mart, a 7,180-square-foot multitenant commercial building with mostly vacant storefronts, and four self-storage warehouse buildings totaling 30,600 square feet.
According to staff, the site is identified in the city’s housing inventory as suitable for residential development and falls within the Downtown Specific Plan’s Gateway Transit District, which encourages higher-density housing projects.
The 94 townhomes will be spread across seven building types and include either three or four bedrooms, ranging from 1,354 to 1,744 square feet. The project will provide 204 parking spaces, including two-car garages for each unit and 16 guest parking spaces.
Access to the community will be from W. Valley Parkway.
The project’s architectural design follows the Mercado Area Overlay, which encourages early California styles. It also incorporates elements inspired by Irving Gill, the renowned architect credited with helping pioneer the modern movement in architecture. Gill’s work can be found throughout Southern California, including several buildings in Oceanside and San Diego.
According to staff, the project presents a modern interpretation of the Spanish Santa Barbara style, featuring decorative stucco, clay tile roofing, decorative wood and metal elements, and ceramic tile.
The developer also plans to make changes to the project’s architecture after the Planning Commission expressed concerns about a lack of prominent architectural features and a need for greater color variety, particularly along the Centre City frontage.
Council members expressed enthusiasm for both the project’s appearance and its anticipated price point.
“The renderings are beautiful,” said Councilmember Judy Fitzgerald.
The for-sale townhomes are expected to be priced in the low $600,000s. For the City Council, the project helps address a need for so-called “missing middle” housing.
“I think you really hit something that we’re all looking for,” said Councilmember Christian Garcia.
The community is also expected to generate more activity in the area, which officials said could help reduce crime and other safety concerns associated with the site.
Escondido resident Gregg Oliver expressed concern about the project’s setbacks, which will be reduced by up to 10% from base standards. Such reductions could compromise the neighborhood’s integrity and safety, he suggested.
“We shouldn’t leave the integrity of the neighborhood up to private negotiation,” Oliver said.
The project will join several others nearby that are either under construction or in the planning pipeline.
One of those projects is the 145-unit Quince Street Senior Apartments at 220 N. Quince St., which was first approved in 2019 and is currently under construction.
Another nearby project, approved last December, will bring 70 for-sale townhomes to 613 W. Valley Parkway, where a vacant office building currently stands.
