Planning Commission approves Camino Apartments project

ENCINITAS — The Encinitas Planning Commission unanimously approved the Camino Apartments project during its meeting Thursday night, clearing the way for the construction of a four-story, 87-unit apartment complex along El Camino Real. 

The development, located just north of Garden View Road, includes 12 units designated for very low-income households, complying with the state’s density bonus law. The project was initially proposed as part of the city’s 5th Cycle housing element update, which rezoned several properties to allow for multi-family residential development at a density of up to 30 units per acre. 

The apartment complex will feature 108 parking spaces, along with amenities such as a pool area, fitness facilities, and resident lounges. Of the 87 units, 75 are market-rate, with the remaining 12 designated as affordable.

During the meeting, city Senior Planner Esteban Dana explained that the project complies with most of the city’s design standards, but the developer requested some waivers, including tree planting requirements and façade articulation. 

“The project design complies with all applicable design standards identified in the city of Encinitas design standards and guidelines, with the exception of two items waived, as allowed by density bonus law,” Dana said. 

Dana said the project is statutorily exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, review due to its inclusion of affordable housing and its location outside of the coastal zone.

Despite the request for a waiver, the city’s tree planting requirement, which mandates 30 trees per acre, was a point of contention with the commission. The project proposes 34 trees across its 1.93-acre site, falling short of the requirement by about 40%.

“We’re not doing it to save money,” Brian Grover, applicant representative, told the commission. “If you can find somewhere in the site plan where we could plant more trees, we’ll plant them.”

Commissioner Robert Prendergast expressed frustration with the tree waiver, pointing to the city’s climate goals and the need for more greenery. 

“[The developer] can put trees in because he can, but he’s chosen not to,” Prendergast said. “And he’s chosen to ask the city and all the city residents and all the people that live in the city to accept his waiver because he wants to throw a couple more units up — because he can.”

During public comments, some residents raised concerns about the project’s density and potential traffic impacts. Ruben Flores, a former planning commissioner who lives near the site, expressed surprise at the scale of the development.

“We’re going to be severely affected when this development goes up,” Flores said, requesting that the commission consider some architectural modifications to make it more compatible with the surrounding development. “I never thought that 87 units could be developed at this site, honestly. I just thought it would be 40 or 50, maybe.”

Staff addressed these concerns, noting that traffic studies found the roadway segments currently operate at an acceptable level, and the project would include a left-turn pocket along El Camino Real to mitigate traffic issues.

Despite reservations from some commissioners about the tree waiver and façade design, the commission voted 4-0 to approve the project.