The Art Jury will be asked to approve a proposed 162-unit rental development project at their upcoming meeting on Tuesday, October 8, which will either preserve the Covenant’s master plan, or potentially destroy it. I have developed many commercial buildings for retail and office space. Silvergate is a high-density commercial development that is completely inappropriate within the Covenant boundaries.
Our Protective Covenant (PC) outlines clear architectural restrictions and requirements that this proposed project does not meet. These guidelines should be respected and upheld by the Art Jury and the Rancho Santa Fe Association Board, which in its very origins were meant to preserve the community’s distinctive character. These are some of the problems I see:
- Design Appropriateness: Buildings must be “reasonably appropriate to their site and harmonize with their surroundings.” Silvergate is proposed in an area zoned for single-family homes on 2+ acre lots. The scale and appearance of this project are entirely out of place. The size of the proposed project is more than 2.5 times the size of a Walmart Superstore!
- Height and Bulk Restrictions: The Covenant restricts the “use, height, and bulk of buildings.” There is nothing remotely like this proposed project in the Covenant. Approving this project would set a dangerous precedent and pave the way for the development of other parcels in the same way. It’s a slippery slope with no way back.
- Rural Character: The Art Jury is tasked with ensuring that new construction maintains the community’s “rural character.” There is nothing rural about the proposed 44 twin homes, 94 apartments, and 24 memory care rooms on the acreage which used to be a beautiful horse facility. When the master plan was created, these larger parcels were called “Gentleman’s Farm” estates with horse keeping, farms and ranches, including boarding for workers and trainers. Allowing this project would destroy the Ranch’s dark sky policy.
- Simplicity and Restraint: New homes should exhibit “simplicity and restraint,” with their mass being subordinate to the natural surroundings. These rental twin homes and apartments are high-density buildings squeezing 300-plus people together, which is not allowed anywhere in the Covenant.
- Preservation of Natural Landforms: The Covenant calls for preserving natural landforms and minimizing obtrusiveness. Silvergate is proposed in an area of the Ranch that sits partially within the 100-year flood plain. If the developer redirects drainage, it is likely to negatively impact surrounding properties, including Via de la Valle, increasing the risk of flooding and environmental damage. I have personally seen portions of this property underwater. And traffic issues have not even begun to be addressed.
Last October, a group of about 140 members (with more being added daily) asked the Board of Directors to hire a land use attorney to represent the Association members’ interest in preserving the Covenant’s low-density zoning. However, the Board indicated it could not act until a project had been officially submitted.
Now that Silvergate is coming before the Art Jury, I am asking the Board of Directors to expeditiously place on the Board’s agenda the members’ request for independent counsel. I am also asking the Art Jury to consider these points carefully, and meticulously follow the Rancho Santa Fe’s master plan as memorialized in our governing documents. We are counting on our elected Board Members and appointed volunteers to make good decisions for the entirety of the members, not just one developer.
Dick Clotfelter is a longtime Association member, former RSFA Board Director and retired commercial real estate developer.