Fallbrook CPG supports Citro ag operations

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The Citro development project would like to have a farm stand within the community, which will require the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to approve a Specific Plan Amendment to allow that use. That proposed change has the support of the Fallbrook Community Planning Group.

The planning group voted 14-0 Oct. 18, with Tom Harrington absent, to recommend county approval to have a farm stand and accessory uses in the homeowners' association common area.

"What a great idea to allow them to incorporate the agricultural character of their community," said planning group chair Eileen Delaney. "We're looking forward to seeing that."

In January 2012, the Board of Supervisors approved the 384-acre Meadowood development. The original approved map included 397 single-family homes, 447 multi-family homes, 13 acres for an elementary school which will be built by the Bonsall Unified School District, four acres of park land, 128 acres of biological open space, 47 acres of agricultural open space, 5.9 miles of trails, and a wastewater treatment plant. In order to avoid impacts to sensitive environmental resources a public park was relocated and the residential component is now expected to consist of 473 single-family and 352 multi-family homes while the public park size has increased to 9.1 acres with the trail length reduced to 5.6 acres.

The Board of Supervisors approval included a vesting tentative map, general plan and specific plan amendments, a rezone, a Major Use Permit, three site plans, and the Environmental Impact Report. Any zoning, general plan, or specific plan changes would require approval by the Board of Supervisors.

The county's Planning Commission can approve a Major Use Permit revision in the absence of a rezone or plan amendment, although any appeal of the Planning Commission decision would be heard by the county supervisors. A minor deviation for a tentative map or a site plan may be approved administratively.

"They want to amend the specific plan to allow these agricultural uses," said Tri Point Homes agent Jennifer Campos.

"Right now, it's in the early process," said Sean Oberbauer, who is the project manager for the county's Department of Planning and Development Services.

The agricultural open space is part of the homeowners' association common area.

"There's a lot of open space within this project that is maintained by the HOA," Oberbauer said.

"There's a lot of retained groves within the project," Campos said. "They've also incorporated some community gardens."

Some of the produce from the groves and gardens will be used by residents, while other produce will be offered to the public. "The idea is to provide local agricultural products for sale," Campos said. "The current request is to allow a farm stand in addition to some agricultural tourism activity."

No specific uses are currently identified, nor has a location been determined.

A minor deviation from the site plan would need to be approved by the county to allow accessory agricultural uses in the future. "It would just allow this to be proposed in the future," Campos said.

Campos added that the activities could also include cooking demonstrations and guacamole competitions.