VISTA — The Vista Planning Commission unanimously approved permits last week for a 63-townhome project on a vacant lot along Hacienda Drive just south of state Route 78.
Eco-friendly homebuilder City Ventures requested approval of a subdivision map, site development permit, and condominium housing permit to construct the project on the 4.6-acre site. Only four acres are buildable due to a riparian buffer along the edge of the site near Buena Vista Creek.
Known as Hacienda Townhomes, the project would include 63 units split across seven buildings, ranging from two to four bedrooms, each with a two-car garage. Seven of the units will be set aside for moderate-income households.
Eric Miller of City Ventures said this was a challenging site to work on, due to a major uphill slope from Hacienda Drive with an 80-foot elevation change. Another development was planned for the site several years ago, but it never moved forward.
However, after 20 years of the site sitting vacant, Miller said City Ventures and the city worked together over the past three years to make the project feasible.
“We’ve worked extremely hard through the extraordinary site constraints as well as the various city submittal requirements to get us here before you this evening,” Miller told the Planning Commission on Feb. 17.
The homes will be for sale rather than rentals and will provide homeownership opportunities for people of varying income levels in Vista, Miller said.
While the city’s inclusionary housing ordinance normally requires 5% of units for low-income households and 4% for moderate-income households, the developer was granted a concession allowing them to allocate 10% to moderate-income households.
“I’m just really happy that we have more opportunity for ownership in Vista,” said Commissioner Kimberlee Simmons.
The site is zoned as multifamily residential with a permitted density of 15 to 21 dwelling units per acre. Hacienda Townhomes will have a density of 15.36 dwelling units per acre. The site is surrounded by similar residential uses, including Bella Terra Apartments and Sunset Springs Apartments.
All of the townhomes will be solar-powered with all-electric appliances, and each garage will also be pre-wired for electric vehicle charging, Miller said. Each home will also have a private outdoor space, such as a balcony or porch.
The project will also have a common outdoor space in the center of the buildings with an event lawn, picnic tables, and barbecues.
The site will be accessed from Hacienda Drive, with a two-way road leading up the slope to the townhomes.
Parking concerns
Parking for the development includes a two-car garage for each townhome, some of which are tandem garages, plus 13 total guest spaces. Outside of the development, there is street parking along both sides of Hacienda Drive.
Commissioners were concerned about the project having adequate onsite parking, especially given the number of three- and four-bedroom homes that will have more cars. However, they recognized that they could not require additional on-site parking under state law.
“We can expect there to be quite a few cars associated with this project,” said Commissioner Bill Martin. “I’m looking for a real world solution of, where are we going to park these cars?”
Commissioners also raised concerns about safety for people who park on the other side of Hacienda and then cross the street to reach the townhomes. They noted that the curve in the road near Pomelo Drive creates a blind corner that can be dangerous for pedestrians.
Commissioner Lisa De Jesus said it might be wise to install a crosswalk to help individuals cross safely.
“If you park on the other side of Hacienda and cross the street, you’re taking your life into your hands on that corner,” said De Jesus.
Assistant Community Development Director Patsy Chow said she recognized the safety concerns but warned against planning new infrastructure from the dais. She added that the city’s traffic engineering staff has determined that the project is safe as currently designed.
A traffic study for the project found that the project would not have a significant impact on traffic levels in the area.
When it comes to parking, staff also noted that a homeowners’ association will be responsible for ensuring that residents use their garages primarily for parking to limit additional parking spillover.
Commissioners also questioned whether the planned common outdoor space would be large enough for the families that will be there. Miller reiterated that they were severely constrained by the site’s size and topography.
Waivers granted for the project reduced the required size of the common area from around 26,000 square feet to 19,000 square feet and allowed only one recreation amenity space rather than two.
“It was very challenging to get the minimum density and still, you know, creating some sort of open space where the community can gather. We feel that we did the absolute best we could on this site, by creating the common open space with the barbecue and the picnic tables and the play lawn,” Miller said.
While they had some concerns, the commissioners said the project was very good overall and appreciated the developer’s hard work.
Additional waivers of local development standards that the city granted for the project included:
- Increasing the maximum building height from two stories or 35 feet to three stories and 38 feet,
- Reducing the 15-foot minimum building separation to allow separations ranging from 9 feet, 8 inches to 12 feet,
- Reducing the required parking stall dimensions for the guest spots from 9-by-19-feet to 8-by-19-feet,
- Allowing a wall height greater than 10 feet at the back of the property that will be beautified with planted vines.
Two public commenters spoke about the project. Val Brown, a resident whose home will be directly above the project to the southeast, said she was concerned about the view from her home and the impacts on traffic along Pomelo Drive.
Stephanie Jackel of South Vista Communities also said the project could use more guest parking, but that she liked the architecture and that it would be a good addition to the community.
