Planning commission continues Sage Canyon apartment project amid safety, frontage and wetland concerns

The Encinitas Planning Commission voted 4-0 to continue the Sage Canyon apartment application to a date uncertain after staff recommended the delay so the applicant could provide complete right‑of‑way improvement plans and coordinate with affected agencies.

Staff presenter Christina Bustamante summarized the proposed project as a discretionary package that includes a design review permit, a coastal development permit and state density bonus requests for a 120‑unit multifamily development on a 5.23‑acre vacant site south of Sage Canyon Drive. The applicant proposes 24 low‑income units as part of its density bonus offer, parking of 170 spaces and several waivers and concessions under state density bonus law.

Bustamante and city engineering staff detailed the concession at the heart of the continuance: the applicant sought to omit required public frontage improvements along approximately 450 feet of El Camino Real (sidewalks, a buffered bike lane and an additional northbound travel lane). The city engineer’s memo in the staff packet concluded that omitting those improvements would cause significant, direct and unavoidable adverse impacts to pedestrian and bicycle safety, vehicular traffic safety and evacuation time in the event of an emergency.

Staff said the concession would…