The Sierra Club has filed a lawsuit challenging the San Diego County Board of Supervisors' recent approval of the Harmony Grove Village South development, which the environmental organization says will be located in a high fire-risk area with only one evacuation route in the event of a wildfire.
The lawsuit filed last Friday is the latest opposition to the 111-acre project approved last month by the Board of Supervisors, which would feature 453 residential units, 5,000 square feet of commercial/civic space, four acres of private and public parks, two miles of public multi-use trails and pathways, and approximately 35 acres of biological open space.
The project's opponents, which include some residents of the Elfin Forest and Harmony Grove communities who packed a Supervisors' hearing that resulted in the project's approval, say the development could add as many as 1,000 extra vehicles on the lone two-lane road leading out of the area should a wildfire spark.
The Sierra Club further alleges that the additional vehicles will contribute to excessive greenhouse gas emissions.
"The Harmony Grove project is textbook sprawl development within a high fire-risk area," Sierra Club Legal Chair Dave Hogan said. "Surrounded by protected open space and without convenient access to services, the plan conflicts with the Board of Supervisors' own policy for sustainable growth in fire safe and VMT-efficient areas adopted in the 2024 County Climate Action Plan and exposes surrounding communities to dangerous fire conditions."
The location is a little less than one mile west of the city of Escondido, south and east of San Marcos city limits, and north of the Del Dios Highlands Preserve.
According to the Sierra Club, the development is surrounded by protected natural open space.
"The county's recent approval of Harmony Grove relies on an Environmental Impact Report that fails to account for new state and county regulations, including updated standards for vehicle miles traveled, greenhouse gas emissions, and wildfire safety," said Isabella Coye, an attorney for the Sierra Club. "Rather than relying on outdated and now-invalidated methodologies, the law requires a comprehensive and updated environmental review that fully addresses these significant impacts and ensures transparency for the public and decision makers."
