ATTACHMENT F
LAND USE ANALYSIS
Santa Fe Flores Townhomes Land Use, Public Benefit and Infrastructure and Community
Services
Analysis
Santa Fe Flores Townhomes
Land Use Analysis
Project Description
The Santa Fe Flores Townhome project is a proposed 46 unit for sale multi-family project
located
at
the
northwest
corner
of
South
Santa
Fe
Avenue
and
North
Las
Flores
Road
in
the
Business-Industrial
neighborhood
within
the
City
of
San
Marcos.
The
project
sits
on
3 parcels
totaling
2.6 acres,
two
of
which
are
currently
zoned
R-3-10
and
one
parcel
zoned
commercial.
The
3 parcels
will
be
combined
into
one
parcel
and
the
General
Plan
Amendment
requested
is
to
have
all
3 parcels
zoned
R-3-6
which
allows
the
46 units
to
be
3 stories
in
height.
There
are
significant
recreational
improvements
in
the
project
to
service
the
families
moving
into
the
project
including
young
children’s
play
areas,
dog
walking
and
relief
areas,
barbecue
areas
as
well
as
older
children’s
play
areas
and
a
cornhole
lawn
game
built
into
the
project.
The project is requesting a General Plan Amendment from Medium Density Residential 2 (MDR2)
to
Medium
High
Density
Residential
(MHDR)
for
APN's
217-161-18,19
and
a
GPA
from
Commercial
(C)
to
Medium
High
Density
Residential
(MHDR)
for
the
northern
portion
of
APN
217-161-17
(a
total
of
0.37 acres)
as
well
as
a
rezone
of
all
three
of
the
parcels
to
R-3-6.
Such
action
would
be
consistent
with
the
adopted
2021-2029
Housing
Element
Update
of
the
City
of
San
Marcos.
This action will lead to a comprehensive package of all three parcels becoming a for sale
medium
high
density
project
(MHDR)
while
being
rezoned
to
R-3-6.
The
purpose
of
the
GPA
and
rezone
is
to
achieve
a
balanced
and
compatible
mix
of
land
uses
in
the
area
of
South
Santa
Fe
Avenue
to
meet
the
future
needs
of
the
residents
of
San
Marcos
which
will
further
promote
high
quality
development
standards
and
land
use
patterns
that
encourage
long
term
environmental
sustainability.
A R-3-6 zone allows 20-30 units per acre, which for a 2.6 acre site plan could accommodate
between
52-78
units.
It
is
infeasible
to
meet
even
the
lowest
density
(52
units)
on
this
site
for
a
number
of
reasons.
Local
government
policies,
site
topography
constraints,
and
urban
infill
constraints
all
coupled
together
only
allow
for
a
maximum
density
of
46 units
on
this
site
plan.
Even
without
all
the
site
topography
and
urban
infill
constraints,
the
City
has
a
policy
limiting
any
site
with
a
single
point
of
access
to
no
more
than
50 units.
So
even
if
the
other
constraints
didn't
limit
the
density
even
further,
which
they
do,
the
maximum
number
of
units
the
City
would
permit
would
be
50 units.
Other
constraining
local
governmental
policies
which
limit
the
density
to
46 units
include
open
space/recreational
amenity
requirements,
landscaping
requirements
as
well
as
1 building setbacks. The recently adopted Active Transportation Plan (ATP) for expanded bike
lanes
fronting
the
project
further
limits
the
buildable
area
on
the
site.
Lastly,
the
R-3-6
zone
also
limits
the
height
of
the
buildings
to
3 stories.
Site topography and other site constraints also work to constrain the site to 46 units.
The
property
consists
of
a
steep
slope
going
from
at
grade
along
South
Santa
Fe
Avenue
and
rising
up
the
hill
to
the
north.
The
existence
of
North
Las
Flores
Drive
is
the
eastern
constraint
to
the
site
and
the
existence
of
Gourmet
Liquor
limits
the
site
to
the
west
and
south.
To
the
north
the
site
is
constrained
by
the
location
of
the
Sprinter
tracks
and
the
Inland
Rail
Trail.
The site is a classic urban infill property where it is completely surrounded by already developed
properties.
This
reduces
the
ability
of
the
project
to
place
various
required
development
conditions
(such
as
storm
water
retention
and
treatment,
recreational
and
open
space
amenities)
to
a
different
location
as
can
happen
with
greenfield
development
sites.
When
you
include
all
of
these
constraints;
local
government
policies,
site
topography
and
urban
infill
constraints
the
site
is
left
with
a
maximum
number
of
units
of
46 which
is
slightly
less
than
the
maximum
of
50 units
that
would
be
permitted
on
the
site,
per
local
government
policy.
The General Plan Amendment/Rezone will comply with and implement General Plan
Goals
and
Policies
to
include
LU
1 -"
Achieve
a
balanced
and
compatible
mix
of
land
uses"
by
providing
a
logical
transition
between
existing
and
new
land
uses.
The
project
will
also
implement
LU
2 -"
High
quality
and
sustainable
development"
by
promoting
land
use
patterns
that
encourage
long-term
environmental
sustainability
and
LU
3 -
"Community
connections"
by
providing
a
land
use
pattern
that
is
compatible
with
and
supports
a
variety
of
mobility
opportunities
and
choices.
The
project
provides
new
residents
a
walkable,
bike
friendly
and
transit
oriented
community
in
conjunction
with
NCTD's
Bus
Route
305
stop
immediately
in
front
of
the
project
along
South
Santa
Fe
Avenue,
a
pedestrian
and
bike
friendly
project
with
immediate
access
to
the
Inland
Rail
Trail
to
the
north
of
the
project
as
well
as
a
traditional
mobility
opportunity
with
a
fully
functional
and
improved
South
Santa
Fe
Avenue
which
provides
access
to
all
of
North
County.
The General Plan Amendment/Rezone will also implement LU 7 - “ Growth Management,
Healthy
and
Safe
Community"
by
providing
an
urban
infill
work
force
housing
project
that
will
take
advantage
of
existing
built
out
transportation
infrastructure
(South
Santa
Fe
Avenue)
but
adding
to
the
infrastructure
by
providing
an
additional
IOD
of
8 feet
beyond
the
current
right
of
way
for
future
multimodal
transportation
improvements
including
expanded
and
improved
bike
lanes.
The General Plan Amendment/Rezone will also assist in implementing LU 9 -"High Value
Community
Facilities"
and
LU
10 -"Fire
Protection,
Emergency
Services
and
Law
2 Enforcement" by participating in police, fire and lighting/landscaping CFD's as well as contributing
required
public
facility
fees
to
assist
regional
infrastructure
improvements.
The
project
as
a
R-3-6
zoned
site
is
superior
to
the
existing
zoning
(R-3-10
and
commercial)
and
will
contribute
valuable
new
multi-family
for
sale
units
to
the
City's
housing
portfolio.
The
site
has
been
dormant
for
40 plus
years
and
it
suggests
that
a
new
approach
to
development
would
be
a
responsible
and
timely
approach
to
move
the
site
into
a
more
modern
developable
state
which
will
serve
the
city
well
over
time.
The
proposed
project
provides
a
number
of
significant
public
benefits,
as
described
herein
and
the
project
as
proposed
with
a
General
Plan
Amendment/Rezone
should
be
approved
and
implemented
as
soon
as
practicable.
The
proposed
project
provides
a
number
of
significant
public
benefits
by
implementing
a
number
of
General
Plan
Goals
including
LU-13
-
"Water
Supply
and
Services"
by
utilizing
the
closest
water
provider,
VID
and
including
the
most
modern
technology
to
reduce
water
usage
and
waste
on
a
per
capita
basis
as
well
as
LU
14-
"Wastewater"
by
utilizing
the
closest
sewer
service
provider,
Buena
Sanitation
District,
to
ensure
a
safe
and
healthy
wastewater
system.
The Santa Fe Flores Townhome project blends in nicely with the surrounding land uses and
produces
a
multi-family
project
on
an
urban
infill
project
on
properties
which
have
been
vacant
for
quite
a
long
time
due
to
challenging
topography.
The
surrounding
land
uses
are
a
mix
of
multi-family,
single
family,
mobile
homes,
industrial,
commercial
and
an
older
duplex
community
most
of
which
could
use
a
new
project
to
hopefully
stimulate
some
property
owners
to
update/rehabilitate
their
properties.
Regional Connectivity
Regionally, the project is about 1 mile from connecting to State Highway 78 which feeds both
Interstate
15 and
Interstate
5. The
site
sits
immediately
adjacent
to
an
NCTD
bus
stop
(Route
305)
which
runs
along
Mission
Road,
South
Santa
Fe
Road
and
other
direct
routes
between
the
Escondido
Transit
Center
and
the
Oceanside
Transit
Center.
The
General
Plan
Amendment/Rezone
will
also
assist
in
implementing
General
Plan
goal
M-1
-
"Efficient
local
and
regional
circulation
system"
and
General
Plan
Goal
M-3
-
"Alternative
modes
of
travel"
by
constructing
a
project
with
immediate
access
to
NCTD
Bus
Route
305,
the
Inland
Rail
Trail
while
providing
all
46 residential
units
with
EV
charging
capability.
New residents can literally take a bus from their front yard to go east
or
west
along
Route
305
passing
through
a
number
of
transit
centers,
the
closest
being
the
transit/Sprinter
center
at
Palomar
Community
College.
In
addition,
the
regional
transportation
network
allows
the
residents
of
this
project
to
access
employment,
shopping
and
entertainment
options
within
the
City
of
San
Marcos
as
well
as
other
regional
facilities
such
as
employment
hubs.
3 Housing
Multi-family for sale residential development within the Santa Fe Flores Townhome project
will
encompass
2.6 acres
and
will
include
a
maximum
of
46 for sale units which
will
provide
a
family
focused
workforce
housing
project
with
all
units
being
3 bedroom
units
which
should
be
attractive
to
a
wide
variety
of
family
buyers. The project is a work
force
related,
urban
infill
product
that
will,
at
a
minimum,
provide
the
city
additional
units
to
meet
their
RHNA
numbers
as
well
as
paying
in-lieu
fees
to
the
city
to
meet
the
intent
of
the
City’s
Housing
Element.
The
Santa
Fe
Flores
Townhome
project
is
consistent
with
the
goals
contained
within
the
City
of
San
Marcos
Housing
Element
of
the
City’s
General
Plan.
Surrounding Land Uses
The Santa Fe Flores Townhome project is compatible with all of the adjacent land uses.
To
the
east
across
North
Las
Flores
Drive
is
an
affordable
multi-family
project,
the
north,
buffered
by
the
Sprinter
tracks
is
a
single
family
residential
neighborhood
(Rancho
Santa
Lina),
to
the
northwest
is
industrial,
to
the
west
is
commercial
(Gourmet
Liquor)
and
to
the
south
across
South
Santa
Fe
Avenue
is
a
mixture
of
multi-family
rental
projects,
a
mobile
home
park,
and
an
older
neighborhood
consisting
of
duplexes
and
single
family
homes.
This
property
is
a
perfect
transition
between
industrial,
commercial
and
residential
uses
in
the
neighborhood.
Viability of Site As Commercial or Rental Multi-Family/Land Use Analysis This site has been sitting vacant for more than 40 years due to challenging topography, man-made
improvements
(the
Sprinter
line/railroad
tracks,
North
Las
Flores
Drive
and
South
Santa
Fe
Avenue),
and
a
lack
of
a
cohesive
plan
for
development.
The
3 parcels
will
be
combined
into
a
single
parcel
generating
an
attractive
3 story
for
sale
multi-family
project
while
eliminating
a
commercially
zoned
parcel
that
will
never
develop
commercially
due
to
topographic
challenges.
The
site
has
never
been
a
good
commercial
or
industrial
property,
which
was
its
previous
zoning
and
while
the
current
owners
attempted
to
develop
a
rental
multi-family
project
on
a
portion
of
the
site,
they
discovered
the
costs
of
construction
outweighed
the
ability
of
the
project
to
generate
rental
income.
By
expanding
the
development
by
.37
of
an
acre
of
commercial
north
of
Gourmet
Liquor
the
project
makes
financial
sense
as
a
for
sale
townhome
project,
eliminates
a
difficult
decaying
urban
infill
site
and
produces
a
project
that
will
assist
in
providing
the
City,
new
growth
in
an
area
of
the
City
that
has
seen
little
in
the
way
of
4 new upgraded development. In addition, the site has a bus stop practically in the front yard
of
the
project
as
well
as
fronting
on
a
major
arterial
(South
Santa
Fe
Avenue)
and
has
immediate
access
to
the
North
Inland
Rail
Trail
that,
when
completed,
will
run
from
Oceanside
to
Escondido
to
allow
pedestrians
and
bicyclists
a
safe
trail
to
use
for
a
wide
variety
of
purposes.
The development site plan consists of 3 separate parcels. Two parcels are zoned R-3-10
in
keeping
with
a
previous
approval
in
2023,
and
the
third
parcel
(.37
acres)
is
zoned
commercial
and
is
being
purchased
from
Gourmet
Liquor
and
will
be
added
to
the
overall
site
plan
consisting
of
a
total
of
2.6 acres.
The
proposed
project
will
amend
the
General
Plan
and
Rezone
all
three
parcels
to
R-3-6
which
permits
the
project
to
move
forward
in
a
comprehensive
development
package
of
46 for
sale
3 bedroom
multi-family
residences
in
a
3 story
configuration.
All
3 parcels
will
be
modified
through
a
TSM
and
boundary
adjustment
to
a
single
parcel
with
R-3-6
zoning.
The proposed General Plan Amendment and Rezone will address the unsuitability of the
current
General
Plan/Zoning
and
allow
for
a
comprehensive
project
that
provides
high
quality
housing
versus
a
hodgepodge
of
commercial
mixes
in
with
a
medium
high
density
rental
property
that
can
not
be
financed
in
the
current
interest
rate
environment.
The
modified
proposal
will
allow
for
a
for
sale
medium
high
density
project
that
is
an
improvement
to
the
current
General
Plan/Zone
designation
and
allows
for
a
project
that
is
compatible
with
all
adjacent
land
uses
while
improving
the
neighborhood
through
high
quality
design,
ownership
opportunities
while
providing
the
future
residents
a
number
of
mobility
choices.
The current General Plan and Zoning (MDR2 and zoning of R-3-10 and
commercial)
does
not
provide
the
same
comprehensive
land
use
opportunity
to
the
future
residents
as
does
the
proposed
General
Plan/Rezone
of
medium
high
density
(MHDR)
and
R-3-6
zoning.
Therefore as evidenced in Figure 1 (site location with existing General Plan Use), and Figure 2 (site location with Proposed General Plan Use), and Figure 3 (Existing Zoning), and Figure 4 (Proposed Zoning) as well as Table 1 (General Plan Consistency/Compatibility Analysis) this project is a consistent and compatible land use for the location and is consistent with the Goals and Policies of the City of San Marcos General Plan Land Use Element.
Public Benefits
A number of public benefits have been identified and are discussed below.
1. A total of 200 temporary construction jobs will be created for the project’s construction.
This
will
exceed
the
number
of
jobs
created
to
build
either
5 commercial or industrial facilities. While these jobs are only temporary, they will
add
to
the
City’s
economy
during
construction.
2. Provide 46 for sale townhomes, all with 3 bedrooms which will provide an in-fill
work
force
housing
project
which
will
help
reduce
the
regional
housing
shortage
and
specifically
help
the
City
of
San
Marcos
meet
the
RHNA
numbers. 3. Payment of funds toward needed city and region-wide infrastructure. The project’s
PFF
and
CFD
fair
share
contributions
support
a
range
of
city-side
maintenance
and
improvement
programs
including
but
not
limited
to
circulation
streets,
SR-78
interchanges,
NPDES
programs,
technology
improvements,
parks
and
habitat
conservation
fees.
4. Payment of in-lieu affordable housing fees will assist the city to meet their RHNA
numbers
as
well
as
providing
true
affordable
housing
units
throughout
the
City.
5. Environmental benefits include reduced traffic volumes from multi-family residential
versus
commercial
and
industrial
uses.
The
reduction
in
ADT
translates
into
a
reduction
in
air
and
GHG
emissions
and
less
traffic
on
the
road.
6. Elimination of an urban in-fill visual eyesore with an attractive townhome project
with
a
continuity
of
landscape
design,
both
along
South
Santa
Fe
Avenue
and
North
Las
Flores
Drive.
The proposed project will provide a high quality project comprehensively zoned as R-3-6
which
will
blend
in
with
surrounding
land
uses
while
providing
numerous
public
benefits
as
listed
above.
Adoption
of
the
General
Plan
Amendment/Rezone
will
assist
in
providing
this
neighborhood
with
a
high
quality
project
with
modern
architecture,
recreational
amenities,
and
will
hopefully
stimulate
additional
redevelopment
within
the
immediate
neighborhood
to
include
opportunities
for
home
ownership
by
future
residents.
Infrastructure and Community Services
The project will either construct infrastructure or contribute funds to offset previously constructed
infrastructure.
In
addition,
the
project
will
pay
fees
to
the
city
of
offset
impacts
to
community
services
for
the
following
areas:
1. School fees. 2. Parks, recreation and open space impacts. 3. Fire and Police services. 4. Library services. 5. PFF infrastructure fees for various long- term improvements. 6. Solid Waste Disposal. 6 7. CFD’s for landscaping, traffic signals, and other city maintenance programs.
Water and sewer infrastructure will be constructed by the project and future water and sewer
service
costs
will
be
borne
by
the
project.
Library
services
will
be
collected
via
taxes
collected
by
the
County
of
San
Diego
and
solid
waste
services
will
be
provided
by
fees
charged
to
the
residents.
All
infrastructure
required
for
the
project
will
be
constructed
by
the
development.
The project will be served by the Buena Sanitation District (BSD) for sewer, Vista Irrigation
District
(VID)
for
water
and
San
Marcos
Unified
School
District
(SMUSD)
for
K-12
education
services
and
will
pay
all
appropriate
fees
required
by
those
agencies
and
through
the
MND
process.
The
project
is
not
located
within
the
Buena
Sanitation
District
boundaries
but
BSD
has
accounted
for
the
required
sewer
capacity
caused
by
this
development
and
will
process
an
Out
of
Area
Service
Agreement
through
the
San
Diego
Local
Agency
Formation
Commission
(LAFCO)
as
it
has
for
other
west
City
projects.
The
Vista
Irrigation
District
has
previously
provided
a
will
serve
letter
based
on
a
water
service
analysis
provided
in
2023
and
has
reconfirmed
their
ability
to
serve
the
project.
Conclusions
Considering all the factors analyzed herein, the proposed project would be superior to the
existing
R-3-10
and
commercial
zoning
currently
on
the
3 parcels.
The
site’s
proximity
to
mass
transit,
the
Inland
Rail
Trail,
and
a
major
arterial,
South
Santa
Fe
Avenue
lends
itself
to
a
work-force
housing
urban
in-fill
project
that
is
transit
oriented
and
is
well
suited
for
residential
growth
near
employment
and
transit
opportunities.
The
project
as
an
R-3-6
zoned
site
is
superior
to
the
existing
zoning
and
will
contribute
valuable
new
multi-family
for
sale
units
to
the
city’s
housing
portfolio.
The
fact
that
the
site
has
laid
dormant
for
40 years
or
more,
suggests
a
new
approach
would
be
a
responsible
and
timely
approach
to
move
the
site
into
a
developable
state
which
will
serve
the
city
well
over
time.
The
proposed
project
provides
a
number
of
significant
public
benefits,
as
described
herein
and
the
project
as
proposed
should
be
approved
and
implemented
as
soon
as
possible.
7