Golden State Today

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced a settlement agreement concerning the Otay Ranch Village 13 project. The settlement addresses concerns about wildfire and greenhouse gas impacts while benefiting California's people and environment. Under the agreement, the housing development will maintain the same number of units but on a more compact footprint, reducing wildfire ignition risk and protecting an additional 300 acres of open space compared to the original plan.

The settlement allows for increased housing opportunities by permitting the developer to apply to build up to 2,750 housing units within a smaller area, up from 1,938 units initially planned. This aims to boost housing supply while minimizing environmental impacts such as wildfire risk. Additionally, nearly $2 million in attorneys’ fees will be paid to the California Department of Justice and environmental groups that challenged the project's approval under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Attorney General Bonta stated: “From Los Angeles to San Diego, we are seeing devastating wildfires ravaging our communities right before our eyes. We can no longer ignore the realities of climate change.” He emphasized that "environmental protection and housing go hand in hand," aiming for resilient homes that reduce wildfire risk.

The settlement includes measures like continuous surveillance for wildfire ignitions, educational programs on prevention for residents, sprinkler systems in multi-family buildings meeting National Fire Protection Association Standard 13, net-zero energy design for all single-family residential and commercial buildings, fully electric buildings with no natural gas infrastructure, and a Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Fund of at least $15 million for emissions reduction projects in San Diego County.

The Otay Ranch Village 13 site is located in southwestern San Diego County in an area previously affected by wildfires. The County approved a Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for this project on November 18, 2020. However, Attorney General Bonta's lawsuit argued that the FEIR failed to adequately address wildfire risks or analyze vehicle trips' impact and increased greenhouse gas emissions as required by CEQA.

Under this settlement agreement, parties will request that litigation be stayed until a revised project complying with these terms is approved by the County.

A copy of the settlement can be found here.