54.3 F
San Diego
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
-Advertisement-

Plans Progressing for 1,266-Home Otay Ranch Development

An expansive Otay Ranch development that will ultimately include up to 1,266 homes is moving ahead with plans to begin grading in mid-2021 and actual construction to start in late 2021.

Revised Plan

Developed by Jackson Pendo Development based in Bonita, Adara at Otay Ranch has been scaled down from the 809-acre plan that was approved by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in 2019.

The revised plan was approved by county supervisors in early June.

Located east of State Road 125 and west of State Road 94 between Chula Vista and Jamul, the property to be developed covers 579 acres with an additional nearly 962 acres set aside as open space.

The original plan called for about 650 acres of open pace.

The revised plan is contingent on a land swap with the state to reconfigure the development, partly in response to fire safety concerns.

Area Burned in 2007 Harris Fire

The area was burned during the 2007 Harris fire.

The revision raises the total number of homes in the project from the 1,119 that were in the original plan.

Adara would be a net zero energy development with solar panels on all homes and electric charging stations.

Liz Jackson, president of Jackson Pendo Development Company, said the revised plan was the result of “a good collaborative approach to get a better community.”

“It’s a really good example of working together,” Jackson said, with state and federal environmental agencies and the county having a hand in the final plan.

The project still needs the approval of the State Wildlife Conservation with concurrence from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

The state and federal agencies worked with the developer in refining the plan and a decision is expected this summer.

Under the land swap, Jackson Pendo would transfer 338.8 acres to the state and record a conservation easement on 191.5 acres of land near Jamul.

In exchange, Jackson Pendo would get 219.4 acres of state land near the core of the project.

The deal would create a more compact development and move development away from wildlife areas.

The project would include a 4.5 miles Proctor Valley community pathway, four miles of neighborhood trails, a village core with parks, a fire station and an elementary school site.

Townhomes to Estate Homes

Product types will range from townhomes to estate homes, Jackson said, and include “attainable housing for a family of four in San Diego.”

“This plan in particular offers more of that because we have the townhome site that the prior plan didn’t have,” Jackson said.

Estate ranchettes that were part of the originally plan have been replaced by a 150-unit multifamily site in the new plan.

“It should be a lively community,” Jackson said.

Development would start with the townhomes and smaller detached housing and finish with one-acre estates toward the portion of the site that is closest to Jamul, Jackson said.

Lisa Cohen, executive director of the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce, said the business group liked the earlier version of plan and likes the revised one even better.

With the addition of the multifamily housing, “It’s better for working families,” Cohen said, adding that the housing provided by Adara “serves our first responders so they can have a great place to live.”

Boost to Regional Economy

The project is “right on the cusp of Chula Vista” and will boost the regional economy,” Cohen said.

“We will have people coming in to dine, to go to our shopping centers, to use our businesses,” Cohen said.

An added benefit is that the project will improve fire safety by providing $3 million for the new fire station and $1 million annually to cover operating costs, Cohen said.

The chamber also liked traffic calming features planned for the project, including roundabouts at community entrances, Cohen said.

“We’re excited about it,” Cohen said of the overall Adara plan. “We just see it as a wonderful way to have a neighborhood that will be of benefit to Chula Vista.”

-Advertisement-

Featured Articles

-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-

Related Articles

-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-