Supervisors approve Newland Sierra development

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved the Newland Sierra development, Sept. 26.

The supervisors’ 4-0 vote with Dianne Jacob, whose husband died three days earlier, absent approved a specific plan, general plan amendment, rezone and tentative map which includes 2,135 dwelling units, 81,000 square feet of commercial space, 36 acres of public parks, 1,192 acres of on-site biological open space and 112 acres of off-site biological open space.

The 1,985 total acres include 97 acres in Bonsall which is designated as open space, and the general plan amendment includes changing the land use designation from Rural Lands 20, which is one dwelling unit per 20 acres, to Open Space-Conservation while also amending the Bonsall Community Plan to reflect that change.

Newland Sierra is the successor to the Merriam Mountains project which was rejected by the board of supervisors in March 2010. Newland Sierra submitted an application for the revised project in January 2015. A draft Environmental Impact Report was circulated for public review in 2017.

The Aug. 1, 2017, meeting of the Bonsall Sponsor Group included a 6-0 vote to recommend denial of the project. The sponsor group cited concerns regarding traffic along Twin Oaks Valley Road, fire protection, conformance to the county’s general plan, safety and planned on-site blasting. The county’s Planning Commission voted 6-1 with Michael Beck opposed to recommend approval of the project, June 28.

The Merriam Mountains plan included off-site intersection improvements for the ramps at Interstate 15 and Gopher Canyon Road. The Newland Sierra version called for Transportation Impact Fee payments to address the cumulative impacts for that interchange.