A new lawsuit is challenging San Diego County Board of Supervisors’ approval of the Harmony Grove Village South project, which would add more than 450 homes in a high-risk wildfire area between Escondido and San Marcos.
The Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Town Council and the Endangered Habitats League filed a suit saying the project relies on a single dead-end road, lacks required secondary access and was approved without updated fire safety reviews.
Independent studies cited in the lawsuit warn of potential evacuation failures during a wildfire and CAL FIRE has noted the road already requires secondary access.
“We cannot let political expediency or out-of-state development interests dictate the safety of our communities,” said JP Theberge, Vice Chair of the Town Council. “The county cannot ignore modern wildfire realities or sidestep its own fire codes. This project puts future residents, first responders and surrounding neighborhoods at unacceptable risk. The county needs to go back to the drawing board and come back with a plan that actually meets today’s safety standards.”
The suit asks the court to overturn approvals and require full compliance with current fire safety laws before development proceeds.
Last month, the Sierra Club also filed a separate lawsuit, citing fire risks and alleging the project’s additional vehicles would increase greenhouse gas emissions.
During the October Board of Supervisors meeting when the project was approved, David Kovach, the Harmony Grove Village South managing partner, insisted the development protection plan “is the gold standard,” validated by a qualified safety experts.
“Can we honestly imagine this team overlooking the absence of secondary access if it were truly required?” he asked.
Harmony Grove plans include 453 residential units, 5,000 square feet of commercial/civic space, four acres of private and public parks, two miles of multi-use trails and pathways and approximately 35 acres of open space.
The project sits in an area where several wildfires have befallen the community – Harmony Grove in 1996, Del Dios in 1997 and the Cocos Fire in 2014.
City News Service contributed to this article.
Hence then, the article about another lawsuit challenges harmony grove project over fire safety concerns was published today ( ) and is available on Times of San Diego ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Another lawsuit challenges Harmony Grove project over fire safety concerns )
Also on site :