Planning group supports additional Campus Park homes

Passerelle LLC, which owns the land where the Campus Park development is planned, will be undergoing the process to convert some land designated as office professional into residential lots. The Fallbrook Community Planning Group provided guidance to Chris Brown, representative of Passerelle, during the Feb. 15 planning group meeting.

Because Brown sought guidance and the final project is still to be developed, the planning group did not take a vote on the Passerelle plans but rather provided the individual members’ desires to Brown.

The planning group was supportive of converting the office professional land into residential parcels, although the consensus was that larger lot sizes would be preferred. The planning group also generally supported payment of in lieu park fees to fund park improvements elsewhere in Fallbrook rather than an additional donation of park land within the Campus Park boundaries.

“I was encouraged by the comments of the planning group. I thought they were insightful,” Brown said.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved the 416-acre Campus Park project in May 2011. The approval includes 751 residential units consisting of 521 single-family and 230 multi-family dwellings. Passerelle subsequently sold the residential component to D.R. Horton, and that development is now called Horse Creek Ridge.

The county’s Park Land Dedication Ordinance provides for fees from developers to fund park improvements in the community of the development. Developers can also provide park land instead of paying PLDO fees.

The Horse Creek Ridge development includes an 8.4-acre public sports park and a 1.8-acre staging area, and in August 2019, the county board of supervisors accepted the donation of that land to the county. The map also includes six neighborhood parks and a community center, which were not transferred to the county.

The two parcels involved total 10 acres. The Campus Park specific plan currently designates 157,000 square feet of office professional space. The preliminary concept would convert that to 138 residences, although Passerelle has not yet finalized the footprints of the houses.

The land is adjacent to a planned park, so payment of in lieu fees could be an alternative to expanding the park.

“We’re open to kind of any idea,” Brown said.

The change in use will require a specific plan amendment, which will first be brought to the planning group for a recommendation which can include conditions and will then be heard by the county’s Planning Commission for a recommendation. The board of supervisors must approve any specific plan amendment. A new site plan will also be required and reviewed.

“This is a long process. We're trying to get through it as quickly as we can,” Brown said.

The new usage will also require an amendment to the project’s environmental impact report. The revised EIR will include new traffic and noise studies. The estimated average daily traffic volume for the office professional usage is 2,669 average daily trips. The anticipated average daily volume for 138 residential units would be 1,380 trips. The elimination of 1,289 daily trips equates to a reduction of approximately 48%.

“I like the idea that the traffic drops,” Eileen Delaney, planning group member, said.

The location of specific houses will be developed before undertaking the noise study.

“This is going to be right on the 15,” Steve Brown, planning group member, said. “They would be the closest buildings to the freeway.”

The proximity to the freeway will include mitigation for the residents.

“There would be some sound walls,” Chris Brown said.

Steve Brown also expressed concern about the lot sizes.

“It’s not compatible with the rest of the residences,” he said. “I think slightly larger lots provide a better community, a better living environment.”

The preliminary plan calls for average lot sizes of 2,000 square feet.

“I think that’s just incredibly small,” Jacqueline Kaiser, planning group member, said.

“I’m very concerned about the small lots,” Roy Moosa, planning group member, said.

“I would like some bigger lots,” Victoria Stover, planning group member, said.

“It just seems like a lot of houses on a small piece of land,” Jeniene Domercq, planning group member, said.

Planning group member Kim Murphy noted that smaller lot sizes allow for more affordable homes.

“Cluster homes which these appear to look like are really a way to solve the housing crisis that we have,” she said.

“I would say that they’re considered entry level,” Chris Brown said.

Maintenance as well as affordability can lead to the desire for smaller lots.

“Not everyone wants a really large lot,” Anna Strahan, planning group member, said.

“We’re trying to do our small part,” Chris Brown said of the housing crisis.

Once the site plan is developed, the refined proposal will be brought before the planning group’s Land Use Committee and Design Review Committee before being heard by the full planning group.

“I would rather have this than a big giant parking lot with tall three-story buildings,” Delaney said.

“Commercial is shrinking,” Murphy said.

Stover favored in lieu fees.

“That lovely park over on Fallbrook Street could use a lot of help,” she said.

The county acquired the land for a park on the south side of Fallbrook Street between Morro Road and Golden Road last year. The county is seeking grant funding for the capital needs of the park, and if that is obtained, the in lieu fees from Passerelle may be used for another park in the Fallbrook park planning area.

Planning group member Stephani Baxter addressed design desires.

“I would like to see more landscaping integrated and maybe some more walking paths,” she said.

The Campus Park map also designates a town center with 61,200 square feet of retail commercial area. Chris Brown told the planning group that no retail space would be converted. He noted that retail opportunities rely on nearby residents, so the additional homes may provide that incentive for the retail area to be built.

“That may help get some of this commercial moving,” he said.

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at [email protected].