Please let the City Council know that housing does not belong next to industrial zones. Urge them to deny the General Plan Amendment application for the Hill Valley, item 21 on the July 29, 2026 agenda. You can offer your comment here.
This is another example of developers pursuing incompatible land uses and should be stopped at the outset prior to money and time being wasted by both the city and the proponents. This project puts 100’s of future residents in an area that is too close to industrial operations which can have hazardous materials on-site and operational air emissions. As mentioned before for the Meyers Avenue GPA, this is bad for future residents and it is bad for present and future businesses.
Due to negative health risks from a variety of air pollutants, the California Air Resources Board Land Use and Air Quality: A Community Health Perspective generally recommends 500-foot buffers for residences and other sensitive uses (e.g. vulnerable people) from known unhealthful emission sources such as freeways, dry cleaners, and other emitters. A 1,000-foot buffer is recommended for more intense industrial operations such as platers and distribution centers.
While maybe unintended, a consequence of the city weakening its previous Environmental Justice Element commitment to reduce negative impacts to human health through use of land use buffers and zoning policy, is that now developers are bringing forward projects in locations that should never be allowed—like this one. If this project is allowed to move forward as designed, people will be put in a location of potentially increased health risks and businesses may be constrained as to their operations. Certainly, all industries within 1,000 feet of this project have been consulted should be notified of the request.
Last, this is a very significant residential upzone and so it should be voted on by the public per the growth management ordinance.
Please urge Council to deny this application and make clear statements that projects that put community health and safety and business viability at risk are not appropriate for Escondido.
On a related point the approach staff has stated in the staff report, that there are so many general plan amendments that “it is likely that GPA requests anticipated for decision in 2026 will be batched …”. This is not planning—it is a developer-driven free for all. The Council could reduce this burden by two easily—reject this project and re-hear and reject the Meyers Avenue GPA.
Proximity of proposed Hill Valley multi-family housing project to Industrial uses