M EM ORAN DLJ M City of Poway
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS
(Agenda Related Writings/Documents provided to City Council or Staff after distribution of the Agenda Packet for the May 20, 2025 Council Meeting)
DATE:
TO:
FROM:
CONTACT:
SUBJECT:
May 20, 2025
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
Carrie Gallagher, City Clerk ~
(858) 668-4535 or [email protected]
Item 7 -Tentative Parcel Map (TPM) 24-0002, a Request to Subdivide One Vacant Parcel into Two Single-Family Residential Parcels (APN 321 -110-52) Attached please find correspondence received after the agenda posting deadline.
Reviewed/Approved By:
Assistant City Manager
1 of4
Reviewed By:
Alan Fenstermacher
City Attorney
May 20, 2025, Item #7
From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
:J, 'TERN L El\llJ-\1
Jeffrey Schmidt
~
May20, agenda item 7
Monday, May 19, 2025 2:42:21 PM
Mav20 agenda item 7 wiersum.docx
Please find my comment letter for tomorrow's council meeting.
Please let me know if you receive it.
Thank you .
.Jeffrey,W.Schmidt@hotmail,com
Phone: 85 8-692-7664
2 of4 May 20, 2025, Item #7
May 19, 2025
Jeff Schmidt
13712 Tobiasson Road
Poway, CA 92064
Poway City Council
13325 Civic Center Drive
Poway, CA 92064
Re: Agenda Item #7 -Subdivision of APN 321-110-52
Poway City Council Meeting, May 20, 2025
Dear Council Mem hers and Staff:
I am writing to express my concerns regarding Agenda Item #7: the proposed subdivision of one vacant parcel (APN 321-110-52) into two single-family residential parcels. In particular, I believe the project design and associated lot split are not compatible with the Poway Subarea Habitat Conservation Plan (PSHCP). I was unaware of these development plans until very recently, and I further believe that notifying only residents within 500 feet of a project is insufficient when open-space parcels are at stake-these decisions affect the entire community.
1. Incompatibility with PRPA #13
• The proposed lot lines and house sites encroach on the Biological Core and Linkage Area (BCLA), unduly fragmenting Proposed Resource Protection Area# 13 (PRPA 13), a high-priority PRPA and corridor area under the PSHCP.
• PRP A 13 "contains the central swath of coastal sage scrub habitat connecting north to south through Poway .... It is known to support gnatcatchers and is part of a larger area of contiguous sage scrub .... Parcels in this area should be targeted for acquisition to protect this essential core and linkage habitat."
• By building in this corridor, the project would damage habitat connectivity and cannot be adequately mitigated.
2. Lot Split Facilitates Harmful Building Sites
• The orientation of the split positions House Site 2 deep within the BCLA and across two major wildlife corridors.
• I recommend redrawing the lot line north-south so both homes can be sited closer together, adjacent to existing development and outside sensitive core areas.
3. Violation of PSHCP Design Guidelines
The PSHCP requires development to:
a. A void disruption of core areas, habitat linkages, buffer areas, watersheds, and wildlife corridors.
b. Locate new construction as close as possible to existing or planned roads and utilities to 3 of4 May 20, 2025, Item #7
minimize habitat fragmentation.
Under the current layout, House Site 2 violates both of these principles.
Questions for Staff and the Applicant:
1. The PSHCP mandates that any habitat area exceeding the two-acre removal allowance per lot "shall be permanently protected, preserved, and properly managed." o Why does the Biologically Conserved Easement (BCE) cover only 11.23 acres? o Will the remainder of the parcel ever be placed under BCE, and if not, what protections are planned?
2. Were the access road and utility improvements (e.g., tanks, driveways) included in the calculation of "habitat take"?
o Can you confirm that all disturbance-roads, utilities, building pads-remains within the two-acre limit per lot, both now and after the split? The statement made in the "Background" paragraph of the staff report is not entirely correct.
This project is not consistent with the General plan and the PMC as required in criteria 2. Unless these concerns are fully addressed-demonstrating that the subdivision and home sites comply with the PSHCP design rules (which are incorporated into the Poway Municipal Code and the General Plan)-1 respectfully request that the Council deny or table Agenda Item #7 until the plan is revised for full habitat-plan compliance.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey W. Schmidt
4of4 May 20, 2025, Item #7