Planning Commission Meeting

Docusign Envelope ID: 1F1F23B6-4784-8977-8149-31BD2A359CE2 CITY of ESCONDIDO Planning Commission Minutes February 10, 2026 at 7:00 PM Council Chambers: 201 North Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025 WELCOME TO YOUR COMMISSION MEETING We welcome your interest and involvement in the legislative process of Escondido. This agenda includes information about topics coming before the Commission. CHAIR Stan Weiler VICE CHAIR Barry Speer COMMISSIONERS Marc Correll Jeff Jester Carrie Mecaro Dustin Steeve Corey Gustafson MINUTES CLERK Angel Estrada HOW TO WATCH The City of Escondido provides one way to watch the Planning Commission meeting: In Person 201 N. Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025 Docusign Envelope ID: 1F1F23B6-4784-8977-8149-31BD2A359CE2 CITY of ESCONDIDO Planning Commission Minutes Tuesday, February 10, 2026 MINUTES CALL TO ORDER: 7:02 p.m. FLAG SALUTE: Chair Weiler. ROLL CALL: Commissioners Present: Stan Weiler, Chair; Barry Speer, Vice Chair; Jeff Jester, Commissioner; Dustin Steeve, Commissioner; Corey Gustafson; Commissioner; Carrie Mecaro, Commissioner. Commissioners Absent: Marc Correll, Commissioner. City Staff Present: Veronica Morones, Assistant Director of Development Services; Leia Cabrera, Engineering Manager; Dare DeLano, Assistant City Attorney; Angel Estrada, Minutes Clerk. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1. January 13, 2026 Meeting Minutes. Motion to approve meeting minutes. Motion: Vice Chair Speer; Second: Commissioner Jester. Motion carried (5-0-1) to approve the minutes. Ayes: Weiler, Speer, Jester, Steeve, Gustafson. Nays: None. Abstain: Mecaro. Absent: Correll. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS: None. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 2. PL24-0126/PL24-0127/PL25-0359 – Juniper Street Office to Residential Conversion REQUEST: Recommend to the City Council approval of a project with a Specific Planning Area 9 (SPA-9) General Plan land use designation, and within the Specific Plan (S-P) zoning district consisting of a Planned Development Permit (Master and Precise Plan) to allow for ground-floor residential uses, and Design Review Permit to facilitate the conversion of an existing 20,378 square-foot office building into 32 dwelling units (“Project”). The Project includes a Density Bonus request which would permit 2 bonus units pursuant to State Density Bonus Law (SDBL), in addition to the 30 base units allowed by the Docusign Envelope ID: 1F1F23B6-4784-8977-8149-31BD2A359CE2 CITY of ESCONDIDO Planning Commission Minutes Tuesday, February 10, 2026 underlying zone. The Project would entail deed restriction of 8 units for low-income households, and the use of incentives/concessions and waivers as permitted by State Density Bonus Law, and Article 67 of the Escondido Zoning Code. The Project includes an environmental determination made for the Project. APPLICANT: Darshan Patel CEQA RECOMMENDATION: Categorical Exemption – CEQA Guidelines Section 15332 (In-Fill Development Projects). STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Recommend approval to City Council. PUBLIC COMMENT: Aline Fournier, resident, registered their position in opposition of the project. Dylan Casey, CalHDF Executive Director, registered their position in support of the project. COMMISSION DISCUSSION: Chair Weiler disclosed that he drove by the project site. The Commissioners spoke in great detail regarding the project. Discussion topics included clarification on existing nonconforming setbacks, the process and limitations of waivers and concessions, and how public health and safety considerations are evaluated by staff and other departments. The Commissioners also discussed sidewalk conditions, maintenance responsibilities, and whether existing conditions posed safety concerns. Additional topics included lighting conditions related to the conversion from office to residential use, the project’s proximity to the historic district boundary, and broader considerations for future similar projects. The Commissioners acknowledged public concerns regarding parking but noted that parking requirements were outside of their discretion for this project. Overall, the discussion focused on understanding regulatory constraints, safety considerations, and long-term planning implications. COMMISSION ACTION: Motion to Approve Resolution No. 2026-02 as conditioned. Motion: Vice Chair Speer; Second: Commissioner Jester. Motion Carried (6-0) to approve the resolution. Ayes: Weiler, Speer, Jester, Steeve, Mecaro, Gustafson. Nays: None. Abstain: None. Absent: Correll. Docusign Envelope ID: 1F1F23B6-4784-8977-8149-31BD2A359CE2 CITY of ESCONDIDO Planning Commission Minutes Tuesday, February 10, 2026 CURRENT BUSINESS: None. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: None. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None. SELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR: None. PLANNING COMMISSIONERS: None. CITY PLANNER'S REPORT: Veronica Morones, Assistant Director of Development Services, reported that the February 24th Planning Commission meeting is anticipated to be canceled due to a lack of private development projects. She stated that meetings are expected to resume at the first meeting in March. She further noted that upcoming items will focus on policy-related work, including annual progress reports on the Housing Element, General Plan, and the Planning Division’s work plan. Additionally, she indicated that staff will present a new two-year work program to the Commission, which will be informational in nature and include opportunities for questions and discussion. ADJOURNMENT Chair Weiler adjourned the meeting at 7:34 p.m. ___________________________________ _______________________________ Veronica Morones, Secretary to the Escondido Angel Estrada, Minutes Clerk Planning Commission