Aaron Smith’s Blog

By Suzanne Evans, Carmel Valley News -

A flurry of concerned residents showed up Sept. 11 at the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board meeting to voice their reservations about Pardee Homes’ planned village at Pacific Highlands Ranch located at the corner of Carmel Valley and Village Loop roads. Visions of pedestrian-friendly, walkable areas laced with lush parks and native vegetation in the urban design favored by the city’s new urban form section of the city planning dept. were in danger of becoming mired in a sea of parking lots, streets and a large cinema, as board members tried to work out a compromise that would please both neighboring residents and developers. Close to three dozen residents representing the Airoso development adjacent to the village and one person from nearby Arabela scrutinized Pardee’s plans to develop 27.67 acres of Pacific Highlands Ranch Village, consisting of 292 residential dwellings (affordable and market-rate), 215,000 sq. ft. of commercial space, a transit center, an 18,000 sq. ft. community library, and a three-acre civic use area. The development, with a major anchor of a small-scale market or health-food store such as a Jimbo’s, is slated for completion and open for sale and rental in 2013. Representing Pardee were Ted Shaw, of Latitude 33 Engineering, and Ron Brokoff, director of multi-family and commercial development with Pardee, who said the project has been underway for several years. Brokoff, Shaw, and Beth Fischer, vice president, community development for Pardee met in May with city senior planner Bernie Turgeon and separately with Airoso homeowners to present their plan for the village. “We hit three out of four planning department changes, although we didn’t do exactly as Airoso requested, because the project has to work from a development aspect,” Brokoff said. Turgeon wrote the board Sept. 11 that the city is proposing a design alternative coordinated with Gary Papers, the manager of the Urban Form Dept. providing “generous, interconnected public places opening to unobstructed views; building edges splayed to emphasize view; building forms that acknowledge key gateway corners; addition of a coffee court; relocation of townhouses; slimmer streets; a transition sidewalk to a promenade; pedestrian crosswalks at all intersections; and screened parking. Rowhouses could be positioned in the southwest and residential blocks to the northeast.”
 
Among Airoso residents’ specific concerns with the Village plan are: the Village square is no longer aligned with the park center; two-story commercial buildings near Airoso block sunlight and residents’ view of the park, too much traffic (such as to the library and cinema) would jam into a narrow intersection, and cumbersome pedestrian flow. Homeowners worried about the scale of retail and housing southwest of the village square, and re-grading that could elevate the village 12 feet above street level.  In a unanimous vote in April, the board gave conditional approval of the project if Pardee considers retail and neighborhood-friendly and family amenities as well as providing landscaping along

 “We can’t control what the library will do with their property” (interms of structure or parking), Brokoff said, leaving that large area a question mark in the middle of the planned village center and added that they want to keep commercial use closer to retail use and not separated. “We have gone beyond the call of duty to make subterranean parking, getting cars off the road and parked,” he added. Board member Christian Clews worried about late-night noise from movie fans as they exit the cinema, twice the size of the Del Mar Highlands and paralleling Edwards’ 18-screen theatre, requiring police presence at night and bringing up the possibility of gating nearby communities. Clews was concerned, however, that too much of a delay could allow time for other homeowners associations to spring up and complicate matters.
“I don’t see you as pedestrian oriented,” Chair Frisco White cautioned, questioning if the plan is the same members discussed in April, with board member and Pacific Highlands Ranch resident Patti Abramson saying she “couldn’t vote (yet); it’s way too early.”Although Pardee representatives were anxious to get the village project entitled so that construction could begin, board member Laura Copic pointed out that it is in Pardee’s interest to take more time. Board vice chair Ken Farinsky worried Airoso was leaning toward bigger streets and more parking. “You want trees, not parking, along the sides,” he said. “[Pardee has] hidden parking underneath and behind structures, so I don’t see why you object. Currently, I do support the project.”
  Clapping followed board member regional issues co-chair Anne Harvey’s encouragement to Airoso residents, as she said, “You’re here to tell us what you want. If you want more time, OK!” Co-chair Jan Fuchs agreed, saying, “It’s a win-win situation to have another go for another month [continuing discussion to the November board meeting]. Pardee is working hard on goals, but how will this be a real primo town center? We do need more time.”Representatives from Airoso agreed to host a planning group subcommittee meeting in their clubhouse with a representative from Arabela present. Another regional issues meeting was scheduled with senior planner Turgeon Oct. 3, when board member and Pardee representative Allen Kashani would be present. Kashani pleaded, “Carmel Valley Road is beautiful; leave it open along that circulation route.” 

Airoso residents wrote in a report to the board, “As future core users of the Village, we look forward to working with Pardee to ensure that the most beautiful and beneficial village possible for the residents of PHR is constructed.”

Reprinted from http://www.sdranchcoastnews.com