San Diego, CA — A local environmental advocacy group has voiced strong opposition to a proposed housing development in San Diego County, criticizing its location in a high-risk fire zone and its lack of proximity to public transit. The Sierra Club’s San Diego chapter filed a lawsuit last week challenging the county’s approval of the Greenhills Ranch project, arguing that the development poses significant environmental and safety risks.
The development, planned for a rural part of East County, would consist of 63 single-family homes spread across 36 acres, an area currently covered by native chaparral and grasslands. According to the environmental group, the location not only falls within a “Very High Fire Severity” zone as designated by CalFire but also disrupts a critical wildlife corridor between Lake Jennings and Wildcat Canyon.
David Hogan, chair of the chapter’s legal committee, expressed the group’s concerns, stating, “Greenhills Ranch represents the kind of wasteful urban sprawl that we stand against. Our advocacy is for sustainable development that supports community access to transportation and includes affordable housing opportunities, which this project does not.”
The lawsuit claims that this project not only threatens local wildlife, including species such as the coastal cactus wren and the California gnatcatcher but also goes against county rules designed to reduce vehicular miles traveled by promoting developments closer to urban centers. Critics argue that the project’s remote location will increase reliance on cars, thereby raising emissions and traffic congestion.
County representatives have refrained from commenting on the litigation. However, they have previously indicated that such projects might eventually be supported by future transit solutions, qualifying them for exceptions to certain development restrictions.
Lisa Ross, chair of the Sierra Club’s San Diego chapter, highlighted the broader environmental implications of the development, saying, “San Diego is acknowledged nationally for its biodiversity, and the approval of the Greenhids Ranch project undermines both the law and the conservation efforts crucial to preserving our unique ecological landscape.”
Despite new policies adopted by the county in 2022 aimed at limiting large-scale developments in fire-prone backcountry areas, exceptions continue to be made. This has been a point of contention as local conservation groups have, in recent years, successfully challenged several such developments, promoting stricter adherence to environmental protections.
Sierra Club attorney Josh Chatten-Brown criticized the justification of the project as an “infill,” a term typically reserved for developments within more densely built urban areas. “This project does not align with the principles of infilling. It endorses a low-density, automobile-dependent lifestyle that is at odds with sustainable urban planning practices,” Chatten-Brown explained.
As the legal challenge progresses, members of the Sierra Club remain hopeful. “Given our track record and the clear issues with this project, we are very optimistic about our chances in court,” said Peter Andersen, a local chapter officer.
The challenge to the Greenhills Ranch project epitomizes ongoing conflicts between development pressures and conservation efforts in regions vulnerable to natural disasters and ecological degradation. As San Diego confronts the dual crises of housing shortages and climate resilience, the resolution of such cases will likely influence future land use and environmental policies.