PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING DATE:
June 16, 2025
SUBJECT:
Title
CORNERSTONE COMMUNITIES REQUEST FOR ENTITLEMENTS TO DEVELOP 46 RESIDENTIAL CONDOMINIUMS ON AN 8.6-ACRE SITE LOCATED WITHIN THE WOODWARD 46 SPECIFIC PLAN AREA (SPA) ZONE
LOCATION/APN:
EAST SIDE OF WOODWARD STREET (APPROX. 235 FEET NORTH OF MISSION ROAD). APN: 220-210-49-00
CASE NUMBER:
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (EIR23-005), SPECIFIC PLAN (SP22-0005), SPECIFIC PLAN AMENDMENT (SP22-0006), GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT (GPA22-0004), MULTI-FAMILY SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN REVIEW (MFSDP22-0005), TENTATIVE SUBDIVISION MAP (TSM22-0004), AND CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT (CUP22-0005)
Body
Recommendation
ADOPT AND APPROVE the following in the order set forth below:
1. APPROVE Resolution PC 25-5155 to certify Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR23-005) (SCH No. 2023080449) and adopt Findings of Fact;
2. APPROVE Resolution PC 25-5149 (Specific Plan SP22-0005) to adopt the Woodward 46 Specific Plan to establish development guidelines and serve as the primary land use, policy, and regulatory document for the project;
3. APPROVE Resolution PC 25-5150 (Specific Plan Amendment SP22-0006) to change the sub-plan designation from “Richmar Specific Plan” to “Woodward 46 Specific Plan” for the subject property;
4. APPROVE Resolution PC 25-5151 (General Plan Amendment GPA22-0004) to amend the land use maps related to Specific Plan changes in the Land Use Element;
5. APPROVE Resolution PC 25-5152 (Multi-Family Site Development Plan MFSDP22-0005) for design review of a residential condominium complex, including site plan, grading, landscaping, floor plans, and architectural elevations;
6. APPROVE Resolution PC 25-5153 (Tentative Subdivision Map TSM22-0004) for a 46-unit condominium map; and
7. APPROVE Resolution PC 25-5154 (Conditional Use Permit CUP22-0005) to allow for the temporary use of a rock crusher during grading operations.
Body
Introduction
The proposed Woodward 46 project allows for the development of 46 multi-family residential dwelling units on a vacant and roughly 8.6-acre site located on the east side of Woodward Street, approximately 235 feet north of Mission Road. The site is located within the Richmar sub-plan designation of the Heart of the City Specific Plan Area. The proposed development consists of 23 duplex townhouse buildings, tot-lot, sensory garden, bioretention areas, and associated parking with driveway access from Woodward Street. The project site slopes up to the east with exposed rock outcrops directly facing Woodward Street and the remainder of the site covered with native vegetation. Surrounding land uses include single-family residential neighborhoods to the north and east, multi-family residential developments to the south, and undeveloped land to the west across Woodward Street. Directly north of the project site is an area designated as Open Space in the City’s General Plan and north of that is single family residential. The site is approximately 500 feet from the North County Transit District (NCTD) Sprinter Station and approximately 380 feet from the 306 NCTD bus stop route.
Public Workshop:
A public workshop was held on August 30, 2023, in conjunction with release of the Notice of Preparation for the Draft Environmental Impact Report and public scoping meeting. Two neighbors attended the public workshop.
Discussion
The project applicant is requesting approval of a new Specific Plan, Specific Plan Amendment, General Plan Amendment, Multi-Family Site Development Plan, Tentative Subdivision Map, and Conditional Use Permit for the development of a 46-unit condominium complex.
Specific Plan/Specific Plan Amendment
The 8.6-acre project site has a zone and General Plan designation of Specific Plan Area (SPA) and is associated with the Heart of the City Specific Plan (HOCSP). The HOCSP includes approximately 1,528 acres in the geographic center of the City. In the HOCSP, certain properties along the Mission Road corridor, such as the project site, have a sub-plan designation of Richmar Specific Plan.
Development criteria for the Richmar Specific Plan has not been adopted by the City; therefore, properties requesting development within this sub-plan area are required to establish individual specific plans. As such, there is no fixed land use or density currently assigned to the project site. The General Plan identifies commercial, office and multifamily residential as land use options within the Richmar Specific Plan Area. Due to its location and the adjacent residential land uses, a multifamily residential development, under a Specific Plan, is the most suitable land use for the subject property. Given the topographical constraints and the lack of availability of a secondary/emergency vehicle access point, a maximum of 50 multifamily residential units could be built on the site. This would result in a density of 5.9 du/acre. The project site would not be suitable for commercial or office development given the site topography and adjacent uses.
The project proposes a Specific Plan Amendment of the HOCSP to remove the Richmar Sub-Plan designation from the project site in order to establish its own development criteria under the proposed Woodward 46 Specific Plan which would allow for 5.37 dwelling units per acre.
The proposed Woodward 46 Specific Plan would permit and regulate the development of a 46-unit condominium complex on a vacant 8.6-acre property. A Specific Plan is a comprehensive planning document that establishes development guidelines for a project site. The Woodward 46 Specific Plan will serve as the primary land use, policy, and regulatory document for the project by providing a planning review process for developing multi-family residences on the subject property. The Specific Plan includes design standards and other requirements to achieve the objectives of a high-quality development proximate to transit and employment opportunities.
General Plan Amendment
The General Plan Amendment of the Land Use Element would amend land use maps and text related to changing the sub-plan designation of the project site from Richmar Specific Plan to Woodward 46 Specific Plan.
Consistent with the objectives of the Woodward 46 Specific Plan, the proposed project would provide for new higher density residential development in close proximity to transit, civic uses (library, community center) and employment opportunities. Additional objectives of the project include quality development design to provide an orderly and visually pleasing environment with a sense of place; a safe pedestrian environment; protection of privacy and security of the adjacent residential use to the east; compatibility with the character of existing area; high quality building and landscape amenities; and on-site community amenities and facilities that adequately serve the needs of the project residents. The proposed project would be visually and functionally compatible with surrounding urban uses and the adjacent Mission 316 development to the south. Compliance with applicable General Plan Goals and Policies include:
San Marcos General Plan Land Use Goal LU-1: The project helps achieve a balanced distribution and compatible mix of land uses to meet the future and present needs of all residents and the business community.
The proposed development is similar to the existing multifamily residential development located south of the project site (Mission 316). The project provides additional for-sale housing opportunities within proximity to transit, employment and civic amenities with the California State San Marcos University and Palomar College short distances from the project site.
San Marcos General Plan Land Use Goal LU-5: The project requires approval of a Specific Plan which requires high quality design, orientation and development due to their location or visibility within the community (San Marcos General Plan Policy LU5.6) which in turn helps to promote community design that produces a distinctive, high quality built environment with forms and character that create memorable places and enrich community life.
The project site will be regulated under the Woodward 46 Specific Plan which allows for multifamily residential development. The Specific Plan established development plan guidelines and standards such as setbacks, landscaping, architecture, and residential unit types to form an architectural theme for the development consisting of 23 duplex buildings with two building floor plan types. The Specific Plan further refines these development standards by regulating architectural details and materials, lighting standards, and wall and fence standards. Active and passive open space and common areas are located within the development which further enhances the quality of the built environment. Implementation of the design standards in the Woodward 46 Specific Plan ensure orderly development and that the project will retain the intent and character of the neighborhood and vicinity.
San Marcos General Plan Housing Element Goal 1: Provide a broad range of housing opportunities with emphasis on providing housing which meets the special needs of the community.
The proposed 46-unit condominium project would provide and contribute to the additional housing opportunities located in proximity to SR-78 and bus/light rail stations. The proposed attached housing type will contribute to meeting the varied housing demands of the community including compliance with the City’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance requirements per the General Plan Housing Element Policy 1.1. Additional detailed description of the project’s compliance with applicable General Plan Goals and Polices is included within the Woodward 46 Specific Plan in Exhibit A of the Specific Plan (SP22-0005) Resolution.
Multi-Family Site Development Plan
Under the Multifamily Site Development Plan, the project design is reviewed for compliance with the development standards established in the Woodward 46 Specific Plan and other regulatory provisions. The Site Development Plan addresses the design of 46 multi-family residential units, associated common open space and residential amenities, and the plotting of floor plans and elevations within the project site.
The proposed site plan consists of 23 duplex townhouse buildings constructed within an approximately 3-acre building pad area and approximately 5 ½ acres of landscaped and natural slopes. Site and architectural plans for the proposed project are included in Attachment E.
Grading will consist of approximately 50,270 cubic yards of cut/fill earthwork and all fill be utilized on site with no import or export of soils. Due to the topography of the project area, retaining walls primarily surround the graded pad/slope area with a maximum wall height of 23 feet for the western retaining wall at the base of slope west of Units 1 to 18. Retaining walls will be constructed of earth-tone colored, textured block to blend-in with the surrounding terrain. In addition, a 20-foot-high soil-nail retaining wall will be constructed along the access driveway from Woodward Street. This wall will be similar in appearance to the existing soil-nail wall at the Mission 316 development directly to the south. A stormwater detention basin will be located at the northeast corner of the property.
Water and sewer service for the proposed project will be provided by the Vallecitos Water District (VWD). The project is required to construct approximately 490 linear feet of public sewer main in Woodward Street.
Architecture/Floor Plans
The proposed townhouse buildings consist of a contemporary architectural style which is compatible with the surrounding area. The proposed architecture includes varied floor and roof plans, pop-outs and wall projections, and enhanced features such as flat tile roofs, textured stucco, horizontal siding, and stone veneer enhancements. The bulk and scale of the development would be consistent with the Mission 316 development to the south. The architectural style would be complemented with a color scheme that incorporates neutral wall colors to complement the project with nearby development within the area and minimize the potential for visual impacts due to the highly visible nature of the project site.
The 3-story townhomes will have two floor plan types ranging in size from approximately 1,585 square feet to 1,900 square feet. All the units will have three (3) bedrooms and four (4) bathrooms. The buildings will comply with the maximum building height of 45-feet established by the Woodward 46 Specific Plan. The proposed floor plan types include options to provide ADA accessibility through the construction of a staircase elevator. All units will include an enclosed 2-car garage located on the first floor and will be accessed from the central driveway.
Open Space
Common Open Space- The project includes approximately 5 ½ acres of open space of landscape and natural slopes. The project will provide approximately one acre of usable common open space with grades less than 10%, including approximately 8,700 square feet of recreational amenities with a tot-lot, playhouse, turf play areas, covered picnic table area, and sensory garden.
Private Open Space- Private open space is required within the project site for each of the 46 multi-family dwelling units per the City’s Municipal Code (SMMC Ch. 20.215). Typically, a minimum of 50 square-feet is required for balconies and 120 square-feet for rear patios or front porches. Under this Specific Plan, the project provides larger balconies of 65 square feet for Plan 1 and 540 square-foot roof decks for Plans 2 and 3. For the ground-floor patio requirement, each unit will have a fenced yard at the rear of the unit. The private yards have an average size of 542 square feet for each unit which exceeds the 250 square-foot minimum. The proposed project includes approximately 38,375 square feet of private open space, exceeding the 13,800 square-foot minimum required by the City’s Municipal Code.
Landscaping- Landscaping throughout the project will consist of a mixture of trees, shrubs, and ground cover to enhance the proposed buildings, and open space areas. All on-site landscaping will be maintained privately and will be required to comply with the City’s Landscape Water Efficiency Ordinance (SMMC Chapter 20.330).
Circulation/Parking:
The site design consists of 23 duplex buildings with minimum 24-foot wide driveway providing access to the garages and a cul-de-sac to provide a turn-around. The driveway is bordered by a walkway providing pedestrian access from Woodward Street through the condominium complex and provides connection to the recreational amenities. Since the development consists of 50 or less units, a single driveway access is permitted per City requirements, and the project design provides adequate on-site circulation for emergency vehicles. The project will re-stripe Woodward Street for a two-way left turn lane to facilitate all turning movements for the single driveway access.
The Woodward 46 Specific Plan parking specifications comply with the requirements of the City Parking Ordinance (SMMC Ch. 20.340) which requires off-street parking to be provided at a ratio of two spaces per 3-bedroom unit, and one space for every three units for guest parking. Based on the proposed total dwelling units, the proposed project is required to provide a minimum of 108 parking spaces. The project proposes a 2-car garage for each unit totaling 92 garage spaces and 16 spaces for guest parking. The required Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) for the project will provide that garages shall be utilized for the parking of vehicles. The project is conditioned to have a Parking Management Plan which will be enforced by the HOA. Consistent with the California Building Code - Title 24, garages will be prewired for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Tentative Subdivision Map
Approval of a Tentative Subdivision Map is required to create a condominium map for the proposed 46 airspace residential units from the existing 8.6-acre single parcel. The map will include a non-buildable open space lot(s) which will cover the steep slope areas surrounding the development. Access to the development will be provided by a driveway access from Woodward Street.
Conditional Use Permit
A Conditional Use Permit is included to allow for the temporary use of a rock crusher onsite during grading. The use of an onsite rock crusher allows the project to process rock material onsite for reuse as fill or base material for construction. This approach minimizes export volumes, reduces construction traffic and associated emissions, and helps maintain construction efficiency. The Conditional Use Permit contains conditions of approval to mitigate potential impacts from the use of the rock crusher onsite, such as requirements for placement and limits on the time of use (7:00 am to 4:30 pm).
Environmental Review
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) (Attachment D) was prepared for the proposed project. The City issued a Notice or Preparation (NOP) on the project to solicit stakeholder feedback on the proposed DEIR from August 21, 2023 to September 20, 2023 and held a Public Scoping Meeting/Workshop on August 30, 2023 to receive public input on the proposed project.
For circulation of the Notice of Preparation (NOP), the City received five comment letters from agencies and organizations: San Diego County Archaeological Society, Native American Heritage Commission, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and the Vallecitos Water District. Issues and concerns were primarily related to Aesthetics, Biological Resources, Cultural/Tribal Resources, Land Use, Noise, Public Services, Transportation, and Utilities and Service Systems. The letters were considered when drafting of the DEIR and are included in Appendix B3 of the EIR Technical Appendices (Attachment D).
The City circulated the DEIR for a forty-five-day (45) public review period from March 21, 2025 to May 5, 2025. A total of seven written comment letters were received on the Draft EIR. Four of the comment letters came from the following agencies/organizations (California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Public Utilities Commission, San Diego County Archaeological Society, Vallecitos Water District) and three comments were received from residents within the area. Issues raised are related to the issues identified during the NOP (noted above) which are regarding the construction impacts, grading concerns, and increase to traffic. Responses to comments are included in Section 0.3 of the Final Environmental Impact Report (Attachment D).
During the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) process, the City determined that implementation of the project would have either no impact or a less than significant impact on multiple resource issue areas. Those resource areas include Aesthetics, Agricultural and Forestry Resources, Air Quality, Energy, Geology and Soils, Greenhouse Gas, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, Hydrology and Water Quality, Land Use, Mineral Resources, Population and Housing, Public Services, Recreation, Transportation, Utilities and Service Systems, and Wildfire.
Transportation
A Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) was conducted in accordance with the City of San Marcos Transportation Impact Analysis Guidelines. The guidelines require an evaluation of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) for CEQA impacts and a Local Transportation Analysis to ensure consistency with the City’s General Plan.
The proposed project is expected to generate 368 average daily trips (ADT), with 29 AM peak-hour trips and 37 PM peak-hour trips. The Local Transportation Analysis analyzed 5 intersections and 3 street segments which demonstrated the project will not have any substantial effects at the study area intersections and street segments in both Near-Term and Horizon Year 2050 scenarios.
Per the City of San Marcos Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) Guidelines, the proposed project is located in a High-Quality Transit Area and meets the relevant criteria outlined in the TIA Guidelines. Therefore, a VMT analysis is not required and transportation impacts are presumed to be less than significant.
In anticipating the project’s contribution towards City-wide traffic, the proposed project shall financially participate in the Congestion Management community facilities district (CFD 2011-01) which will assist in City-wide efforts to reduce traffic congestion and impacts to State Route 78. An additional VMT memorandum is provided with this report (Attachment G), to provide supplemental information and substantial evidence supporting the use of the adjacency to High-Quality Transit screening criterion for the project to demonstrate that the project qualifies for screening from a formal Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) analysis. The VMT memo offers supplemental information that elaborates on the analysis conducted to evaluate vehicle miles traveled (VMT) impacts under CEQA. This additional information does not constitute "significant new information" as defined by CEQA Guidelines Section 15088.5. Therefore, recirculation of the EIR prior to certification is not required.
Biological Resources
The project site contains special-status biological resources, including sensitive vegetation communities and suitable habitat for nesting birds and special-status wildlife species. The proposed project will impact 5.5 acres of Diegan Coastal Sage Scrub which would result in a direct impact to California Gnatcatcher and Crotch’s Bumble Bee habitat. The mitigation measures for the loss of Diegan Coastal Sage Scrub will be at a 1:1 ratio which will require the preservation of 5.5 acres of occupied-gnatcatcher Diegan Coastal Sage Scrub habitat. The applicant can accomplish mitigation through on-site preservation, off-site preservation, in lieu fees, purchase of mitigation credits, or any combination as approved by the Planning Director and the wildlife agencies. The implementation of Diegan Coastal Sage Scrub mitigation measures would reduce the potential impacts to California Gnatcatcher and Crotch’s Bumble Bee to less than significant. Additional measures include bird nesting and woodrat nesting surveys prior to disturbance of the site.
Cultural Resources and Tribal Cultural Resources
In accordance with California Assembly Bill (AB) 52 and Senate Bill (SB) 18, local Native American tribes were notified of the project and tribal consultation did occur and has concluded. A cultural survey was conducted which identified a small prehistoric site consisting of two bedrock milling features on the property. The project applicant examined the feasibility of an alternative project design to avoid impacting the cultural feature. However, based on the steep topography, limited buildable area, and the required access driveway design, only partial preservation in place is possible. Therefore, the eastern portion of the cultural feature will be impacted by the project’s grading resulting in a significant impact and mitigation is required. As a result of tribal consultation, mitigation will require the eastern portion to be capped with a geotextile and at least 10 feet of culturally sterile soil burying the feature.
In addition, there is the potential that intact subsurface cultural deposits are located onsite and may be encountered during the development of the project. As a result, mitigation measures and conditions of approval have been crafted to require the applicant to enter into a monitoring agreement, require a tribal monitoring of any grading activity, prepare a monitoring report throughout to construction period, and work with cultural-affiliated tribes for curation and storage of any uncovered artifacts. These would reduce any cultural impacts to less than significant.
Noise
The development of the project site will have noise impacts due to temporary construction activities (including blasting and vibration impacts), grading and rock crushing operations. The nearest sensitive receptor is the existing Mission 316 condo development to the south and the single-family residences directly to the east. Prior to issuance of grading permit, the applicant would finalize the type and location of the rock crusher on site and if it is located within 400 feet of the neighboring residences, then a noise assessment would be required to determine if noise levels would exceed the thresholds at the property line of 60 dBA for single-family residential and 65 dBA for multi-family residential. If so, the acoustical engineer would prepare a mitigation plan to reduce the noise levels to comply with the standards by using sound barriers, sound absorbing materials, and/or operational limits of the rock crusher usage. Therefore, the implementation of the proposed mitigation measures will reduce noise from the rock crushing activities to less than significant. The Conditional Use Permit conditions requires that all rock crushing activities met the blasting requirements and process cited in SMMC Ch. 17.060 for requiring a blasting permit, setback requirements from sensitive receptors, earthen berms, absorbing materials, shielding requirements, operational limits on crushing, noise measurements shall be conducted once rock crushing is in operation to ensure compliance with city thresholds, all debris shall be disposed off-site in accordance with current local, state, and federal disposal requirements, and noticing to the city and all residences within 600 feet of any potential blast location shall be provided at the time of issuance of a building or grading permit.
Based on the noise analysis (Attach. D, Appx. K), the cumulative noise level from surrounding roadway and train activities would not exceed the exterior noise threshold of 65 dBA CNEL at the condominium units’ ground floor rear yards, upper floor balconies, and roof deck. Therefore, the proposed outdoor usage areas would comply with the City Noise Standard. In addition, the project’s direct contributions to off-site roadway noise increases will not cause any significant impacts to any existing or future noise sensitive land uses.
Alternatives
State CEQA Guidelines require that Environmental Impact Reports examine a range of reasonable alternatives to the proposed project that would obtain the basic objectives of the project and would avoid or lessen environmental impacts. The DEIR prepared for the Woodward 46 project examined three alternatives: No Project Alternative; Existing Plan Alternative; and Reduced Density Alternative.
No Project Alternative.
The site would remain in its current condition and the visual character of the site would not change. Existing conditions would remain and no grading or landform modification would occur under this alternative. Compared to the proposed project, this alternative would reduce impacts. Since the No Project Alternative would not develop any homes on the project site, impacts would be less than with the proposed project or eliminated entirely. There are some benefits of the proposed project that would not be realized under this alternative, including providing additional housing units in the City. This alternative would not meet any of the proposed project objectives as identified in Table 1-3 of the EIR Findings in Exhibit A of the EIR Resolution (EIR23-005).
Existing Plan Alternative.
The project site would be developed consistent with the site’s existing land use designation. The project site is located within the Heart of the City Specific Plan Area and has a sub-plan designation of Richmar Specific Plan which includes certain properties along the Mission Road corridor. Development criteria for the Richmar Specific Plan have not been adopted by the City and there is no current City effort to do so. Therefore, properties requesting development within this sub-plan area are required to establish individual specific plans. As such, there is no fixed land use or density currently assigned to the project site. The General Plan identifies commercial, office and multifamily residential as land use options for properties designated as Richmar Specific Plan. Due to the site’s topography and the adjacent residential land uses, a multifamily residential development, under a Specific Plan, is the most suitable land use for the subject property. A maximum of 50 multifamily residential units could be built on the site given the topographical constraints and the lack of availability of a secondary/emergency vehicle access point. Under this scenario the site would have a density of 5.9 du/acre and a Specific Plan would be required.
The overall footprint of development for the 50 units (25 buildings with two units each) is assumed to be the same as the proposed project. The units would still be duplexes; however, the units would be smaller. Building heights could be up to 45 feet. Site access would be similar to the proposed project and would be via a driveway from Woodward Street.
The Existing Plan Alternative would result in a slightly more intensive use on the project site, including an increase in trip generation compared to the proposed project (400 ADT compared to 368 ADT). This results in a corresponding proportional increase in air pollutants and noise from vehicles compared to the proposed project. Construction-related air pollutants are expected to be slightly increased as construction duration would be longer due to additional building construction but a similar amount of grading, blasting, rock crushing and site preparation would be required. Construction-related noise impacts due to rock drilling and rock crushing would be similar to the proposed project. Footprint-specific impacts, such as those related to biological resources, cultural resources, and tribal cultural resources, would be similar to the proposed project, as the same amount of site area would be disturbed. This alternative would slightly increase the number of students generated for San Marcos Unified School District (SMUSD) and would increase demand for parks, libraries, and solid waste facilities compared to the proposed project. This alternative would have a similar water demand and wastewater generation as the proposed project. This alternative could meet the majority of the project objectives, as detailed in Table 1-3.
Reduced Density Alternative.
Under the Reduced Density Alternative, the project site would be developed with single family residential uses at a reduced density of 2 du/acre, resulting in 16 single family homes. Prior to the Richmar sub-plan designation for the property in 2012, the project site was designated for Single-Family Detached under the HOCSP with a density of 2 to 4 du/acre assigned to it. The Reduced Density Alternative assumes the lower end of the density range given the steep slope of the property and the preparation of a Specific Plan would be required. The maximum building height under this alternative would be 35 feet or two stories. Due to the topographical constraints of the site, access would be similar to the proposed project and would be via a driveway on Woodward Street.
The Reduced Density Alternative would result in a less intensive use on the project site, including a reduction in trip generation compared to the proposed project (192 ADT compared to 368 ADT). This results in a corresponding proportional decrease in air pollutants and noise from vehicles compared to the proposed project. Grading-related air pollutants are expected to be similar under this alternative since a similar amount of grading, blasting, rock crushing and site preparation would be required. Fewer air pollutants would be generated from building coating and finishes, since seven fewer buildings would be constructed. Construction-related noise impacts due to rock drilling and rock crushing would be similar as the proposed project. Footprint-specific impacts, such as those related to biological resources, cultural resources and tribal cultural resources, would be similar as the proposed project, as the same amount of site area would be disturbed. This alternative would reduce the number of students generated for SMUSD and would reduce demand for parks, libraries, water, sewer, and solid waste services compared to the proposed project. The Reduced Density alternative could meet the majority of the project objectives, as detailed in Table 1-3, but would not provide multi-family housing as indicated in the General Plan as an option for properties designated as Richmar Specific Plan.
Public Comment
As previously mentioned, a Public Scoping Meeting/Workshop was held on August 30, 2023, in conjunction with the Notice of Preparation for the Draft EIR. The meeting was attended by two neighbors. Questions were primarily related to aesthetics and the height of the buildings. The neighbors were informed that the proposed buildings would be situated at a lower elevation than the single-family residences directly to the east, and the proposed homes would be approximately 54 feet below the lots above.
The City received four comment letters opposing the project from the surrounding neighborhood and four comment letters from agencies during the Draft EIR public comment period. Said comments and responses are provided in Attachment F and the comment letters received during the Draft EIR public comment period within the Final EIR.
Attachment(s)
Adopting Resolutions:
1. Resolution PC 25-5155 (Environmental Impact Report FEIR23-005)- A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAN MARCOS RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL CERTIFICATION OF A FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR 46 RESIDENTIAL CONDOMINIUMS IN THE WOODWARD 46 SPECIFIC PLAN AREA (SPA) ZONE.
2. Resolution PC 25-5149 (Specific Plan SP22-0005)- A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAN MARCOS RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THE WOODWARD 46 SPECIFIC PLAN FOR 46 RESIDENTIAL CONDOMIUMS.
3. Resolution PC 25-5150 (Specific Plan Amendment SP22-0006)- A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAN MARCOS RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT OF THE HEART OF THE CITY SPECIFIC PLAN.
4. Resolution PC 25-5151 (General Plan Amendment GPA22-0004)- A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAN MARCOS RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF A GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT FOR MAP CHANGES IN THE LAND USE ELEMENT OF THE GENERAL PLAN.
5. Resolution PC 25-5152 (Multifamily Site Development Plan MFSDP21-0001)- A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAN MARCOS RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF A MULTI-FAMILY SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR 46 RESIDENTIAL CONDOMINIUMS IN THE WOODWARD 46 SPECIFIC PLAN AREA (SPA) ZONE.
6. Resolution PC 25-5153 (Tentative Subdivision Map TSM21-0003)- A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAN MARCOS RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF A TENTATIVE SUBDIVISION MAP FOR UP TO 46 RESIDENTIAL CONDOMINIUMS IN THE WOODWARD 46 SPECIFIC PLAN AREA (SPA) ZONE.
7. Resolution PC 25-5154 (Conditional Use Permit CUP22-0005)- A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAN MARCOS RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR THE TEMPORARY USE OF A ROCK CRUSHER DURING GRADING OPERATIONS WITHIN THE WOODWARD 46 SPECIFIC PLAN AREA (SPA) ZONE.
A. Vicinity Map
B. Requested Entitlements
C. Site & Project Characteristics
D. Environmental Impact Report (EIR23-005)
E. Project Plans
F. Public Comments
G. Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Memorandum dated June 4, 2025
Prepared by: Scott Nightingale, Principal Planner
Reviewed by: Kyrenne Chua, Principal Engineer
Submitted by: Joseph Farace, Planning Division Director