San Clemente : Council to Deal With Development Proposals

Development will dominate the agenda Wednesday night when a tentative tract map for a proposed high-density, 250-unit condominium project will again come before the City Council for a public hearing and a vote. Also, approval of tentative tract maps for three smaller projects will be considered.

At its May 1 meeting, the council voted to continue to this week a vote on the condominium development. Several council members, including newly elected Mayor Robert Limburg, expressed concern that building 250 units on the 11.4-acre tract would lead to creation of a “ghetto” in the sprawling Rancho San Clemente area.

The proposed condominium development would include 100 units to be set aside for low- and moderate-income families under the city’s affordable-housing requirements.

Although the city’s General Plan for the area permits a maximum density of no more than 15 units to the acre, the developer proposes to build 22 condominiums on each acre. To satisfy density requirements, the Planning Commission would allow a second developer to erect up to 90 single-family homes on an adjoining 11-acre parcel, bringing the total density into line with the city’s requirements.

Also coming before the City Council for public comment and a vote Wednesday will be a tentative tract map for a 23-acre development also slated for the Rancho San Clemente portion of the city. That development would include 76 single family homes in a project where the density would be about 3.2 units per acre.

In addition, the council will consider two smaller projects, including a revised tentative tract map for a 15.3-acre site off Avenida del Presidente to be subdivided into 58 custom single-family residential lots, and a request to divide a 6,720-square-foot lot at 315 Cazador Lane for construction of two condominium units.