Encinitas council denies appeal, affirms Planning Commission approval for San Angelio residence project

The Encinitas City Council on Feb. 20 voted unanimously to deny an appeal of a Planning Commission approval for the San Angelio Residence Project, a proposal to build two detached primary dwelling units and two accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on a vacant parcel east of San Elijo Avenue.

The appeal, filed by Michael Seskin, argued the proposal was being mischaracterized as "two single‑family dwellings" while being sited on a single parcel and contended the driveway did not meet the 16‑foot minimum width cited in a local code section governing fire apparatus access. Staff and the project applicant countered that the site is zoned R‑11 (a multifamily zone), that the zone allows two residential units on the lot, and that the project’s configuration complies with the municipal code and with fire‑safety standards because the buildings will be equipped with approved automatic sprinkler systems.

The case matters because R‑11 is not a single‑family zone and allows multiple dwelling configurations; the dispute centered on whether the project layout and the narrower driveway would create an unsafe condition or otherwise violate the Encinitas…