Ignoring Planners’ Advice, S.D. Council Approves Golf Course Near Lake Hodges

Despite the opposition of environmentalists, Escondido leaders scored a hole-in-one with golfers Tuesday by persuading the San Diego City Council to reverse city planners and approve permits on a 40-acre parcel to complete an 18-hole golf course near Lake Hodges.

San Diego planning commissioners had voted 6 to 1 to deny the use of the former agricultural land in the San Pasqual Valley for a public golf course, citing the loss of habitat for the black-tailed gnatcatcher and the possibility of pesticide contamination in Lake Hodges.

Escondido Councilwoman Carla DeDominicis, speaking for the four Escondido council members present, pleaded the case of her city, pointing out that San Diego is a partner in the golf course development, had sold an adjoining tract to Escondido for the golf course and a housing development, and will share in the net profits when the facility is built.

Delay could endanger negotiations with a golf course operator, DeDominicis said, and might delay the start of play by a year.

DeDominicis offered to mitigate the loss of habitat for the gnatcatcher with similar land about a mile away. She countered the contamination charge by pointing out that agricultural operations on the land would cause more pesticide runoff than a golf course would.

The unanimous vote of the San Diego council, with Councilwoman Abbe Wolfsheimer absent, was conditioned on the approval of the substitute habitat land by a San Diego city biologist.

After Tuesday’s hearing, DeDominicis said the construction of the municipal course will continue on schedule and allow the facility to open in a year.

Wolfsheimer, whose district includes the northeastern San Diego area, opposed the project earlier because it involved a 528-home subdivision in the San Dieguito River Valley, where she is attempting to create a linear open space park stretching 42 miles from Del Mar east to near Ramona.

In an agreement between the two cities worked out two years ago, Escondido purchased 276 aces of San Diego-owned land on the boundary of the two cities for $12.6 million, then immediately sold the land to a developer of a 580-unit subdivision. About 120 acres was deeded back to Escondido by the developer for the public golf course.

When it became apparent that the golf course layout would require more land, the San Diego City Council agreed to lease Escondido the 40 acres for 62 years. The land had formerly been part of the San Pasqual Winery vineyards.

Wolfsheimer had opposed the 62-year lease of the city land as “a violation of law and policy” which was “done in the back room with the good old boys at work.”

Under terms of the original land sale and lease, residents of both cities will pay lower greens fees on the new course than will outsiders, with senior citizens getting a greater discount. Escondido will pay for construction of the course but will share any profits from its operation equally with the city of San Diego.

The golf course will lie east of Interstate 15 near the North County Fair shopping center on the southern edge of Escondido.