1 of 2 September 15, 2026, Item #13
DATE:
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
M EMQRAN DLJ M CityofPoway
September 15, 2026
Members of the City Council
Steve Vaus, Mayor; Anita Edmondson, D2 Councilmember
Big Stone Lodge
Summary:
As Poway continues to take a thoughtful approach to its history, land use, housing needs, and open space, the Big Stone Lodge remains an important part of the overall historic landscape of Poway. The Lodge is one of Poway's historic structures, built over 100 years ago. As we continue to look for opportunities to preserve our quality of life and engage in long-term planning decisions, areas such as this parcel in the city should be re-evaluated for the highest and best land use.
Therefore, the Big Stone Lodge parcel is better suited as a passive park that could serve as an additional open space amenity for the community and honor the historical importance of the site, with design features that preserve key remnants of its history.
We believe the Big Stone Lodge parcel is not ideal for an affordable housing project given its size and location. Poway has a limited supply of land left for passive parks and open space, especially in this area and designing a park to honor Poway's long-term history seems more appropriate at this location.
We propose the City take the necessary steps to acquire the parcel from the Housing Authority, remove the parcel from the affordable housing inventory list, and develop plans for a passive park at that location. Accordingly, we would like to direct staff to return with a report outlining the following:
• The process by which the City could purchase the parcel from the Housing Authority; • Identify the available funds for such a transaction;
• Identify the legal steps, if any, for replacement of like kind of the parcel; • Provide a current inventory of parcels zoned for affordable housing to meet our Regional Housing Needs Assessment obligations.
2 of 2 September 15, 2026, Item #13
Recommended Action:
We recommend that the City Council direct the City Manager to remove the Big Stone Lodge parcel from the affordable housing inventory list and prepare the parcel for a future passive park.
Reviewed/Approved By
Tracy Stevens
Assistant City Manager
Reviewed By:
Alan Fenstermacher
City Attorney
Approved By: