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El Centro council approves Willow Bend subdivision addendum, pre-zoning and annexation; traffic, drainage and park conditions modified
Summary
The El Centro City Council voted 5-0 on Feb. 4 to approve an addendum to a 2007 environmental impact report, update conditions of approval, pre-zone the site R‑1 and consent to annexation for the Willow Bend tentative subdivision map, clearing the way for a 20‑lot single‑family development with a 1.37‑acre park and modified drainage and traffic conditions.
The El Centro City Council voted 5-0 Tuesday to approve an addendum to the Willow Bend final environmental impact report, adopt revised conditions of approval, pre-zone the project site to R‑1 (single-family) and consent to annexation of the property into the city pending Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) action.
The moves clear the way for a revived subdivision proposal for a 40-acre site east of Fourth Street, now planned as 20 single-family lots with a 1.37-acre park and a roughly 1.48-acre retention basin. Angel Hernandez, city planning staff, told the council the updated plan is a scaled-down revision to the map originally approved in February 2007 and said staff recommended approval of the EIR addendum and the related zoning and annexation items.
The project’s owner and applicant, Marty Coyne, presented the developer’s goals to council, describing local projects his company has completed and saying the Willow Bend plan is intended to “create an affordable, beautiful community” and to bring new homes and related tax and permit revenue to El Centro.
Why it matters: the council’s actions reset a long-dormant subdivision for development under current standards while carving out several conditions intended to limit impacts. The updated conditions change transportation and drainage requirements that were written into the 2007 approval, and attach new financial obligations to the developer for infrastructure work tied to regional access.
Key details and council concerns
- Scope and design: The current proposal reduces the original 2007 layout from 34 lots to 20 lots, with lot sizes reported between about 6,020 and 8,292 square feet. The applicant described single-story homes up to roughly 1,800 square feet with two-car garages and three-to-four-bedroom floor plans; exact unit counts by bedroom will be set during plan review.
- Park and drainage: The plan includes a 1.37-acre park centralized in the subdivision and a 1.484-acre detention/retention basin located…
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