ESCONDIDO — A North County developer wants to build up to 126 townhomes on a portion of land next to several light industrial uses as well as the city’s border with San Marcos and the unincorporated county community of Eden Valley.
The Escondido City Council unanimously agreed to allow the city to process Rincon Homes’ application for a General Plan Update amendment on July 29, which would change the land use designation of a vacant property at Hill Valley Drive and Hill Valley Road to allow for attached multifamily homes.
Although the property was already zoned for residential use, it would have only allowed detached single-family homes with large lots to be built on site without the amendment.
The property is bordered by the City of San Marcos to the north and west, light industrial uses to the east, and large-lot homes to the south.
If approved, the “Hill Valley Escondido” project would build either 125 or 126 for-sale townhomes offering either three or four bedrooms, with seven units reserved for very-low-income families to purchase. The project would also reserve about 33% of the property for open space.
According to Jonathan Frankel, vice president of forward planning for Rincon Homes, said the company is unique because it is one of the only builders in the region that includes for-sale, on-site, deed-restricted affordable housing with its projects.
Rincon Homes is behind about 500 other units in the city as well, including the former Escondido Country Club site.
Frankel said the company likes the location because of its proximity to nearby amenities, like Palomar Medical Center, state Route 78, the Nordahl Sprinter Station, shopping and dining options. He also noted that while the area is somewhat vacant for now, upcoming plans including the Valiano project – a 326-unit project spread across five neighborhoods throughout Eden Valley between Escondido and San Marcos that is currently under construction – will change the area.
“This area will see a significant amount of change, and we think that this project will fit in really nicely to what the future of this area will become,” Frankel told the City Council.
Frankel also said the project would help provide attainable housing options for young families and working professionals who, otherwise, could not afford the average detached single-family home.
The median home price is about $1.02 million and about $846,000 in Escondido. A for-sale townhome project like Hill Valley would sell its homes for around $665,000, according to Frankel.
Under the state’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment, or RHNA, the city must plan for about 9,607 homes by 2029 – but has only permitted about 24% of that amount so far, falling far short of its goal.
Not only would the project help to boost that number, but it would also fill a need for more first-time home buyers in the city – something that the council has expressed interest in several times before.
Although more homes are needed in Escondido, some raised concerns about the potential impact on health and safety the project could have for its future residents given its proximity to industrial uses.
“This is bad for both the future residents and bad for present and future businesses,” said Laura Hunter, who asked council to stop the project in its tracks.
Hunter said the project would be next door to hazardous materials and potentially harmful air emissions. Though regulation could certainly help mitigate such impacts, she noted such moves could impact and further limit businesses there.
“When it comes to siting homes near industrial uses and emissions, a lot can go wrong,” she said. “Once residents are there and risks are known, industries have to be constrained in their operations.”
Both staff and council members clarified that approval of the amendment allows the application to proceed but does not greenlight the actual project.
Councilmember Consuelo Martinez approved the application because the site is already zoned for residential use, but noted she would be keeping a close eye on the project as it enters the review process.
“I want to see what kind of potential health impacts this will have,” she said.
Councilmember Judy Fitzgerald assured the public that the city would do its due diligence to ensure the project is properly reviewed and all potential impacts assessed.
“We do prioritize housing, but never over public health,” Fitzgerald said.
