Supervisors approve renovation and expansion of Vista Valley Country Club clubhouse

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a Major Use Permit modification and Specific Plan Amendment which will allow for the renovation and expansion of the clubhouse at the Vista Valley Country Club.

The supervisors’ 5-0 vote February 24 allows for an increase in the square footage of the clubhouse from approximately 17,000 square feet to approximately 39,200 square feet but does not increase the capacity of the golf course, the food and beverage services, or the existing golf and social membership limits. A partial additional story will be added to the clubhouse as part of the expansion and renovation.

The additional amenities will include enlarged locker rooms along with enhancements to the pro shop, restrooms, and snack bar. New amenities will include massage rooms, steam saunas, exercise rooms, a spa room and laundry facilities. The Specific Plan Amendment also includes provisions for a partial third story to the clubhouse structure, and the upper level will include a mechanical room. All areas of the clubhouse will be renovated and the exterior architecture will be altered to a Tuscan theme.

In September 1978 the county’s Planning Commission approved a Major Use Permit for the operation of an 18-hole golf course, a driving range, four tennis courts, a 17,000 square foot clubhouse, parking and other golf course related amenities. Later that month the Board of Supervisors adopted a specific plan for the golf course portion only, and in January 1979 the county supervisors adopted a specific plan which added the residential component. The original specific plan covered 429 acres comprised of 243 acres for single-family residential lots, 150 acres for the golf course and country club and for other open space use, and 36 acres for roads.

In November 1979 the Planning Commission approved a Major Use Permit modification which permitted immediate use of the golf course and allowed placement of a mobile home for use as a temporary pro shop.

In April 1980 the county supervisors amended the specific plan to modify certain conditions. In September 1980 the Planning Commission approved a Major Use Permit modification which omitted conditions involving certain road improvements. In October 1980 the Board of Supervisors modified certain specific plan conditions relating to off-site improvements.

In October 1984 the Board of Supervisors amended the specific plan to modify the configuration and location for the various land uses and to provide for an increase in the overall residential density. The specific plan now covers 414.4 acres consisting of 173 acres for 37 estate lots, 50.5 acres for 128 clustered lots, 125 acres for the golf course, 0.3 acres for the recreation center, 51 acres for six open space lots, and 15.1 acres for streets.

During their September 2008 meeting, the Bonsall Sponsor Group voted 4-0 to recommend approval of the changes. On November 13 the Planning Commission voted 5-0, with Adam Day absent and David Pallinger abstaining on conflict of interest grounds because of his nearby residence, to recommend the modification and to approve an addendum to the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report which was certified in 1984.

The conditions of the Major Use Permit limit memberships to 425 golf members and 150 social members, and no increase in the membership limits was proposed.

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