Developer outlines plan for up to 475 homes on 122-acre phase in Imperial sphere of influence

Marty Coyne, a local developer, told the City Council he has entered into a purchase-and-sale agreement for farmland in Imperial’s sphere of influence and is proposing a phased residential project he said would help the city meet its state housing-element obligations.

"We have recently entered into a purchase and sale agreement on some very attractive land, not in the city of Imperial, but in the sphere of influence," Coyne said during an informational presentation. He described a two-phase concept on a roughly 244-acre rectangular tract east of Clark Road, south of Mayfield and adjacent to older subdivisions.

Coyne said phase 1 would encompass about 122 acres on the south portion and could yield approximately 475 homes, with a regional park planned inside that phase. If phase 2 to the north moves forward, he said buildout could eventually reach 900–1,000 homes depending on lot sizes and product mix. "We just roughly without spending, again, a lot of time and money and energy, we'll try to make this fast," he said.

The developer described a range of single-family plans from about 1,200 to 2,300 square feet and said the company is studying townhomes and other lower-cost options to try to keep entry-level prices as low as possible. He estimated an entry-level product could be near $399,000 and said the firm’s goal is to reduce that price where feasible.

Coyne told the council the parcel would require annexation and mapping. He said he has discussed the project with Tyler Salcedo at LAFCO and that annexation of the entire area would be required so the city would not create an unincorporated island. "We do have to do a tentative map. We have to do a final map," Coyne said, adding that the seller placed a timeline on closing and the developer must complete mapping by the spring of 2026 to meet escrow deadlines. "We have to have this approved, closed in a map by, I believe it is March or April of 2026."

Coyne provided preliminary fiscal estimates: he said impact fees and capacity charges tied to the first phase could generate about $5.5 million to the city (he earlier referenced $4.5 million in a prior calculation) and that school fees to local school districts could total about $11 million to $12 million over buildout. He described the numbers as preliminary and emphasized the concept-level nature of the materials he presented.

Council members asked clarifying questions; Coyne said he was primarily seeking early input on the city’s priorities and to make sure the timeline would be supported before his team invested in detailed studies and formal applications. He said the parcel purchase is under time pressure and that consultants and city staff cooperation would be needed to meet map and escrow deadlines.

Coyne said the project team has previously developed multifamily and commercial projects in the region and described past local projects including apartment complexes and retail sites. He asked the council to identify any concerns or direction before his team moves forward with the formal entitlement process.

The presentation was informational; no council action or commitment to approve annexation, tentative map or entitlements was requested or made at the meeting. Coyne said he sought only input and a sense of whether the city's direction on growth would align with his timeline and program.

Residents and staff will have future opportunities to review any environmental analyses, tentative maps and more-detailed fiscal reports if and when the developer submits formal applications.