Grand Tradition rezone, general plan amendment approved

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a rezone and general plan amendment for the Grand Tradition.

The supervisors' 5-0 vote May 4 changes the zoning to C42 (visitor serving commercial) for all eight legal parcels which comprise the 30.6-acre property, changes the general plan land use designation for two of those parcels from Village Residential 2 (which includes a density of two dwelling units per acre) to General commercial, and incorporates those changes into the Fallbrook Community Plan.

Prior to the rezone, the property had C40 (Rural commercial) zoning on 22.2 acres, RR (Rural Residential) zoning for 8.3 acres, C36 (General commercial) zoning for 0.05 acres, and RS (Residential Single-family) zoning for 0.06 acres.

"I'm just very pleased to see that this long process has been resolved favorably and we can continue to go on and do business as we've been doing for 32 years," said Grand Tradition president and chief executive officer Don McDougal.

The Grand Tradition opened on May 1, 1984. The 2011 update of the county's general plan included zoning changes based on community maps rather than actual use. The C40 and C42 zoning classifications both allow convenience sales and personal services, eating and drinking establishments, indoor participant sport and recreation activities including weddings, specialty retail sales, visitor lodging, horticulture, tree crops, and field and row crops.

Outdoor participant sport and recreation activities are allowed on properties with C42 zoning but not on C40 parcels, so the changes from the 2011 update took away the Grand Tradition's ability to hold outdoor weddings or other activities such as the Fourth of July celebration. C42 zoning also allows for a campground or resort which is not a permitted C40 use.

The zoning amendments also changed the rear setback designator for five of the parcels from 40 feet to 25 feet to match the other parcels, and changed the building type designator for four of the parcels, which makes that designator consistent for all eight parcels but does not affect the non-residential permitted building types. The two parcels which had residential zoning were placed under the community design review area designation which already applied to the other six parcels.

"This agenda item realigned the Grand Tradition's zoning regulations with its existing operations," said Supervisor Bill Horn. "This will allow the Grand Tradition to continue offering all of its great services to the community."

The general plan limits the entire eight-parcel area to 80,000 square feet of commercial building space, and the change of the two parcels from village residential 2 to general commercial did not change that limit, although the 14 allowed residential units would have been in addition to the 80,000 square feet allowed for commercial buildings. Any residential units can be accessory to a commercial use but would be included in the 80,000 square foot limit. If the facility ceases use as a special events venue the property automatically reverts back to a residential use.

The Grand Tradition currently includes the 15,000 square foot Beverly Mansion and the 5,000 square foot Arbor Terrace. Future plans for the Grand Tradition include a 5,000 Tuscany/Vineyard structure, and the 80,000 square foot limitation also allows for a potential hotel.

The Fallbrook Community Planning Group recommended approval of the rezone and general plan amendment by a 15-0 vote Feb. 21, and on March 11 the county's Planning Commission voted 7-0 to recommend the changes.