OCEANSIDE, Calif. — The Oceanside City Council late Wednesday night approved 3-2 a large housing community development that would replace the city's last remaining agricultural land.
Wednesday’s meeting lasted more than five hours with more than 100 residents signing up to speak on the proposed project.
The proposal called North River Farms would turn 215 acres of agriculture land in Morro Hills into a farm themed community including 585 homes, parks, trails, and centers.
The proposal has already been rejected by the Oceanside Planning Commission three times, but the developer, a company called Integral, said it has made significant changes to the plan. The changes include widening roads, adding a fire station, and what would become Oceanside’s only dog park.
“This will surely be a bright shiny diamond which the east city of Oceanside desperately needs,” said a supporter for the project.
While some residents voiced excitement over the potential for growth, many residents still have concerns. Some of those concerns are over the loss of farmland. For others, it is the potential fire hazard of adding so many people to an area where there are limited ways in and out.
“It’s beyond my comprehension that we are considering something like this without more ways to evacuate this area,” said a resident who opposes the project.
Those who oppose are asking the city to wait and allow the area to create its own future growth.