Sierra Club NCG filed a comment letter today on the Palomar Heights development project. While it is not often that Sierra Club calls for more density, in this case is our strong recommendation. The location is perfect for high-density redevelopment. It is in a transit corridor, located in a manner that will support revitaliztion of downtown Escondido, and would support our stated climate and affordable housing goals. The location in urban Escondido is the site of the old hospital development and now could be upwards of 1,350 residential units. Here is more information. Palomar Heights NCG Issue Brief
It is critical that everyone communicate with the city to let them know your thoughts.
Please file your comments before June 3, 2019 to Escondido Planning Division, c/o Kristin Blackson at the City of Escondido, Planning Division, 201 N. North Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025 or by email at kblackson@escondido.org .
Some background
The City of Escondido is beginning the environmental review process for the old Palomar Hospital Site called Palomar Heights. Sierra Club is advocating for an amended development plan to require much higher density than that proposed by the developer, Integral. The site is zoned for up to 1,350 units, but the current proposal is only for 510 units. The true housing shortage in our region is the need for affordable housing and housing that is affordable. We need to expand and diversify our housing options to create more local affordability near transportation corridors and stop building the luxury units, in sprawl land use footprints.
We need to ask for:
- At least 1,100 units as part of the preferred alternative
- Analyze alternative projects for 900, 1,100, and 1,300 unit projects
- Analysis of all alternatives to the level allowing them to be selected as the project
- Requirement that affordable housing be included in the project.
- Analysis of net-zero construction and transit options as part of the project.
Please file your comments to Escondido Planning Division, c/o Kristin Blackson at the City of Escondido, Planning Division, 201 N. North Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025 or by email at kblackson@escondido.org .
I’m all for affordable housing, especially downtown, & especially for seniors as it gives them options to walk to restaurants, shopping, entertainment even at night when most don’t go out as they don’t see well enough at night to drive. However, that end of Escondido is sadly lacking in these amenities. Furthermore, Escondido has a downtown parking problem that I’ve been railing about for years. When Escondido National moved in with US Bank, we lost about half of our customers due to lack of parking. Palomar Hospital even had a lack of parking problem & had to have its employees park at the arts center and take a shuttle! The street by the hospital is already horrible for those trying to make left hand turns and parking on the streets around the hospital to get to your doctor’s office is a (bleep) There should be NO increase over the 510 units planned unless they figure out how to get 1020 cars parked ON the property and NOT on the streets, and then do something about that corner!
Figure out these problems before you ask for increasing the number of units! Furthermore, as far as I know the transit center is clear at the OTHER end of town, not on the east end.