FPUD approves declaration of surplus for three parcels

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The Fallbrook Public Utility District declared three FPUD-owned parcels to be surplus property.

The 5-0 FPUD board vote April 25 makes the findings that the properties are surplus land but does not authorize any sale. An interested public agency will have the first priority to purchase the property. If no public agency expresses interest or if good faith negotiations do not determine a mutually agreeable sales price and terms, the land can be sold on the public market.

The largest of the parcels is 2.45 acres. It was intended for a future reservoir which is no longer needed, but the only FPUD infrastructure on the property is a pipeline along the south edge. FPUD can retain easement rights for that pipeline if the property is sold.

A 2.44-acre parcel is actually within the Rainbow Municipal Water District boundaries rather than within the FPUD service area, but that parcel off of Rainbow Glen Road is near Red Mountain Reservoir which is owned by FPUD. That parcel has an easement for access to Fallbrook Land Conservancy property, and that easement would be transferred if the property is sold. FPUD currently has no facilities on the property.

When the DeLuz Heights Municipal Water merged with FPUD in 1990 FPUD acquired the DLHMWD office along with the rest of the 1.08-acre parcel. The 1968 building was used as an avocado packing house before FPUD approved a lease with the DeLuz Volunteer Fire Department. That fire department retained its autonomy after the San Diego County Regional Fire Authority (now the San Diego County Fire Protection District) was created in 2008 and included DeLuz, but the volunteer fire department has since been replaced by SDCFPD paid and volunteer personnel. The lease for the DeLuz building has expired, and the cost to rehabilitate the facility is higher than the property’s value to FPUD.

All three properties declared surplus have a Rural Residential land use designation in the county’s general plan.