Sierra Club, citing fire risks and ‘textbook sprawl’ of Harmony Grove project, sues to stop it
Homes in the Harmony Grove Village society in Escondido File photo by Zo Meyers inewsource The Sierra Club has filed a lawsuit challenging the fresh approval of the Harmony Grove Village South growth based on its possible fire risks The environmental organization argues in the suit filed last Friday that the planned society in North County will be located in a high fire-risk area with only one evacuation highway in the event of a wildfire The circumstance is the latest challenge to the -acre project approved Oct by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors over the objections of a multitude of residents who already live in the area The location is a little less than one mile west of the city of Escondido south and east of San Marcos and north of the Del Dios Highlands Preserve Plans include residential units square feet of commercial civic space four acres of private and general parks two miles of multi-use trails and pathways and approximately acres of open space The project s opponents which include a few residents of the Elfin Forest and Harmony Grove communities say the progress should a wildfire spark could force as numerous as extra vehicles on a single two-lane road leading out of the area The Sierra Club further alleges that the additional vehicles will contribute to excessive greenhouse gas emissions The Harmony Grove project is textbook sprawl expansion within a high fire-risk area Sierra Club Legal Chair Dave Hogan announced He went on to say that Harmony Grove Village South conflicts with the Board of Supervisors own approach for sustainable expansion as covered in the County Surroundings Action Plan and further that the project exposes surrounding communities to dangerous fire conditions According to the Sierra Club the growth also is hampered by an outdated environmental examination The county s latest approval of Harmony Grove relies on an Environmental Impact Document that fails to account for new state and county regulations including updated standards for car miles traveled greenhouse gas emissions and wildfire safety revealed Isabella Coye an attorney for the Sierra Club The law she continued requires a comprehensive and updated environmental review that fully addresses these considerable impacts and ensures transparency for the community and decision makers
