Bonsall, Pala parcels changed in general plan 'clean-up'

Two Bonsall parcels and two Pala parcels have been given land use and zoning changes in the most recent proposed updates to the county's general plan.

A 5-0 San Diego County Board of Supervisors vote Nov. 15 approved the changes for the Bonsall parcels, which are planned to be part of the future San Luis Rey River Park, and the Pala property, which was determined to be on private land rather than on the Pala Indian Reservation.

The Board of Supervisors approved an update to the county's general plan in August 2011. The initial general plan update was a multi-year process with much of the analysis occurring on a macro scale, so it was expected that oversights requiring correction would be found and the county supervisors directed county staff to develop a "clean-up" in the form of a general plan amendment every two years.

The update direction also anticipated the need to clarify or revise policies or definitions in the general plan or community plans and to provide a process to handle changes in circumstances including changes in state law or ownership changes from private to public. The updates also accommodate minor community planning group or community sponsor group requests.

A 6.44-acre parcel on the north side of Camino Del Rey between State Route 76 and Old River Road was changed from RL-40 (Rural Lands - one dwelling unit per 40 acres) to OS-R (Open Space - Recreation) and the zoning was changed from A70 (Limited Agriculture) to S80 (Open Space).

A 6.0-acre parcel on the west side of Old River Road immediately north of Little Gopher Canyon Road was changed from RL-40 to OS-C (Open Space - Conservation) with the zoning changed from A70 to S80. Both parcels have been acquired by the county's Department of Parks and Recreation and are now in the plans for the San Luis Rey River Park.

S80 zoning is intended for recreation areas or areas with severe environmental constraints. S80 zoning allows structures such as restrooms, storage buildings, and pavilions if a site plan addresses the impacts of the structures. County-owned parks are exempt from the Zoning Ordinance so the Department of Parks and Recreation will not need Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors approval for a site plan.

A mapping error placed two contiguous Pala parcels off of Magee Road totaling 80 acres within an Indian reservation, and the clean-up changes the zoning from Indian Reservation to A70 with an eight-acre minimum lot size albeit with the RL-40 land use designation, a G height designator, and a C setback designator.

A G height designator allows for a maximum of two stories and a maximum of 35 feet in height. A C setback designator requires setbacks of 60 feet from the street and 25 feet from the rear of the property, a side yard interior setback of 15 feet from the lot line, and a side yard exterior setback of 35 feet from the centerline of a street. The property owned by North American Granite, Inc., is actually adjacent to the Pala reservation.

The county's Planning Commission recommended the general plan amendments and rezones on a 5-0 vote, with Doug Barnhart and David Pallinger absent, Oct. 6.