Image Credit: Las Posas Owner LPV LLC
(North County Beat) – The San Marcos City Council has unanimously approved a new housing development, adding 224 units to a previously undeveloped 33-acre lot near Bradley Park. This decision also includes measures to protect sensitive species on the property.
The lot, located at the intersection of Linda Vista Drive, Pacific Street, Las Posas Road, and La Mirada Drive, has long been considered challenging for development due to its significant biological resources. It hosts the city’s largest remaining vernal pools and the largest non-conserved native grassland area.
After receiving no development proposals for years, Las Posas Owner LPV, LLC, proposed a residential project for the site in 2021. Greg Waite of Lancaster Consulting Services, representing the project, highlighted the importance of biological preservation, which has deterred previous developers.
The original proposal included 449 units, but state agencies required a reduction to 224 units to minimize the impact on local flora and fauna. The approved plan will develop just under 30% of the site, preserving the rest as open space funded by an endowment from the applicant. Protected species include the endangered San Diego fairy shrimp and various sensitive plants.
The site has suffered from trash dumping and trespassing, but the new project aims to restore and protect the area. The development will feature two types of housing: row houses and villas, within multiple three-story buildings.
The City Council’s 4-0 vote, with Councilmember Maria Nuñez absent, rezones the site from industrial to a specific residential plan, following a unanimous Planning Commission approval in June.
While the project does not include affordable housing, the developer will pay an in-lieu fee of approximately $2 million for affordable housing initiatives elsewhere in the city, and around $2 million in developer fees to the San Marcos Unified School District.
Infrastructure improvements will accompany the development, including a new traffic signal at Linda Vista Drive and Las Posas Road, an off-street urban trail for pedestrians and cyclists, and Class II buffered bike lanes on Linda Vista Drive and Pacific Street.
Councilmember Mike Sannella praised the project for enhancing walkability and bikeability in the area. Access to the site will be via Linda Vista Drive and Pacific Street, with no entry points from Las Posas Road or La Mirada Drive.
Recently, the lot gained attention when a human body was discovered there earlier this month, prior to the City Council’s approval.
