What is Castlerock?



Castlerock site with Mast Boulevard at right

Castlerock is a housing development in the city of San Diego by Pardee Homes. It includes up to 430 housing units (283  single-family houses and 147 detached condominium units) on 203.64 acres located in the East Elliot Community Plan Area.  The project also includes a 4-acre public park and a multi-use trail for pedestrians and bicyclists. Approximately 45 percent of the property (94.8 acres) will be preserved as open space as part of Mission Trails Regional Park. The property, which is designated for residential use, is north of Mast Boulevard between West Hills Parkway and Medina Drive along Santee’s northwest boundary.  The project has two options; one if the development stays in the city of San Diego and another if it is annexed by the city of Santee. 

Has the Castlerock development been approved?

The San Diego City Council voted in favor of the project on Sept. 16, 2013. The council agreed to both options (annexation, no annexation). This means the project can be developed whether it remains in San Diego or is annexed by the city of Santee.

Can the city of Santee impose new conditions on the development now that it has been approved by the city of San Diego?

No.  The property is not in Santee’s jurisdiction. The city of San Diego had the final say on the development of the project. The only question before the Santee City Council is whether it should annex the property, a question the council is scheduled to consider at its regular meeting on Oct. 9. 

Can the city of Santee refuse to annex the Castlerock property?

Santee can refuse to annex the site. However, Santee fire fighters and sheriff’s deputies would by default be the first responders to any emergencies. Without annexation, Santee would incur those service costs but receive no property tax revenue to pay for them.

What would happen if Santee annexes the Castlerock Property?

If the property is annexed to Santee, the city would be responsible for providing the full array of municipal services, including fire protection and law enforcement, to the new community. 

From a government standpoint,  it would be more efficient for the city of Santee to provide emergency services,  and for Padre Dam Municipal Water District (PDMWD) to provide water and sewer services, because the project is not in close proximity to the city of San Diego’s infrastructure.

What is the next step if Santee chooses to annex Castlerock?

To initiate annexation proceedings, the Santee City Council and the Padre Dam Municipal Water District board would have to file an application with the Local Agency Formation Commission, an independent agency.

SD Council to Consider Castlerock Development



Eastern side of Castlerock development site

A proposal by Pardee Homes to develop up to 430 homes north of West Hills High School will be considered by the San Diego City Council at a public hearing scheduled for Sept. 16 at 2 p.m.

The hearing will be held at the Council Chambers on the 12th Floor of San Diego City Hall, 202 C Street in downtown San Diego.

Pardee has offered two development plans, one if the property is annexed into Santee and another if it is not.  The annexation option calls for the construction of 283 single-family houses along with 147 multi-family units, along with a 4-acre park  and two miles of pedestrian trails. About 90 acres of the 204-acre property would remain as open space.

On July 11, the San Diego Planning Commission voted 4 to 2 to recommend approval of the annexation option to the San Diego City Council. The final decision on annexing the property rests with the Santee City Council.

Questions or comments on the proposed development should be directed to the city of San Diego’s project manager, Jeannette Temple at (619) 557-7908 or jtemple@sandiego.gov.

Cut and paste the link below to view the full public hearing notice: http://docs.sandiego.gov/citybulletin_publicnotices/PublicHearings/PN-035-200459-091613-Castlerock.pdf
Cut and paste the link below to view a site map of the development.

http://www.castlerock-community.com/pdfs/PAR_CR_ART_MAP-site-plan-060612.pdf

Castlerock EIR Comment Period Ends August 1

The public has until August 1 to comment on a draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the proposed Castlerock housing development targeted for 204 acres north of Mast Boulevard between Medina Drive and West Hills Parkway.

The body of the EIR is divided into five parts comprised of 781 pages. There are an additional 10 appendix chapters. The full document is available online here at the city of San Diego’s website.

The EIR outlines two scenarios of potential impacts based on whether the property is annexed to the city of Santee or if it remains in the city of San Diego.

If developed as a San Diego neighborhood, the project would include 422 housing units. If the site is annexed to the city of Santee, the project could accommodate 430 housing units.

Under either scenario,  Castlerock's major amenities would include a 4-acre neighborhood park, multiple pocket parks , a north-to-south public trail and nearly 95 acres of undisturbed open space.

A notice published by the San Diego Development Services Department offers this summary of the EIR's findings:

• The proposed development  by Pardee Homes would result in a number of significant impacts, including temporary ones associated with construction activities, all of which can be mitigated by the developer.
• Additional significant impacts related to noise, library and fire services would also occur if the property is not annexed by the city of Santee , but those impacts can be mitigated.

• Significant impacts that cannot be mitigated or offset include changes to the natural landscape due to grading and development, visual quality, neighborhood character and creation of greenhouse gases.

According to the report’s executive summary , it would be more efficient to provide water and sewer services to the project from the Padre Dam Municipal Water District than to extend those utility lines from the city of San Diego.

Written comments should be sent to: Martha Blake, Environmental Planner, City of San Diego Development Services Center, 1222 First Avenue, MS 501 San Diego, CA 92101 or via email to DSDEAS@sandiego.gov