Coalition formed to prevent incompatible land uses in Escondido, protect health, protect businesses.

Posted on August 25, 2026 by EscoNeighborsUnited

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    

Contact:  Laura Hunter, ENU, (619)-997-9983), Jack Monger, IEA, (619)-922-7200       

Coalition formed by community, industry, and environmental leaders to prevent incompatible land uses in Escondido, protect health, protect businesses.

Coalition cites health risks, impacts to existing businesses, calls on city to prevent incompatible land uses.

A coalition of community, environmental, and industry groups released a joint letter formally opposing two proposed General Plan Amendments (GPA) in the City of Escondido: the Meyers Avenue residential project and the Hill Valley residential upzone and requesting updated planning policies to guide development in the city.

The letter states that recent decisions to allow new housing projects to move forward in areas in and adjacent to active industrial operations, including chrome plating and welding gas storage, creates unacceptable health risks and represents incompatible land-use planning.

The projects include the Meyers Avenue GPA which would re-zone current industrial land as urban residential resulting in increased health risks to future residents and a direct loss of zoned light-industrial land. The Hill Valley project proposes a significant upzone adjacent to industrial operations. In addition, these proposals would create new operational and liability risks on existing businesses from the location of new residential development in a zone of impact.

The coalition seeks a planning policy that requires separation of incompatible uses would ensure these conflicts would be avoided and requests the city to adopt one.

The letter was signed by Escondido Neighbors United, Industrial Environmental Association, Sierra Club North County Group, and Escondido Neighbors for Solutions.

The coalition states that these proposals result in incompatible land uses that have been rejected elsewhere in the county due to documented consequences such as increases health risks, business closures, and significant costs to cities, developers, and residents alike. Planning policies requiring the separation of incompatible land uses are the only proven action to reduce these impacts.

The projects have not yet been approved, but a majority of the Escondido City Council has approved requests to move forward through the GPA process. Signatories urge the city and project proponents to change course now before millions of dollars and hundreds of hours of staff time are spent. 

The letter requests specific actions including:

  • Withdrawal of the Meyers Avenue and Hill Valley GPAs
  • City assistance identifying zoning-compatible alternative uses for the sites
  • Amendments codifying required buffer distances between industrial and sensitive uses in the city’s Environmental Justice and Economic Development policies
  • A technical briefing from the County Air Pollution Control District on the health impacts of incompatible land uses.

Read complete letter here.

Posted in City of Escondido Actions, Escondido Development | Leave a comment

Proposed Alexan/Bethel Development needs re-design to protect health and increase watershed protection

Posted on August 8, 2026 by EscoNeighborsUnited

ENU filed a comment letter to the Planning Commission to request that housing units be moved at least 500 feet from the freeway-the known zone of elevated cancer risks for residents. ENU further requested more protective stormwater detention or other actions to protect Felicita Park downstream, which is already heavily overburdened due to development in the small watershed.

Posted in City of Escondido Actions, Felicita Creek, Updates, Watershed | Leave a comment

Housing near Chatham files-Hamilton Lane Appeal

Posted on August 6, 2026 by EscoNeighborsUnited

While this project is still in limbo, here are the links to the documents related to it. The rebuttal and supplemental are well worth reading to understand this situation. The Snyder Report and the power point outlines the issues well.

Map of location and proximity to Chatham

The Snyder Geologic Report outlines the deficiencies of the project.

Rebuttal to staff report on Hamilton Lane Appeal

Supplemental rebuttal on Hamilton Lane Appeal

Appellant presentation at hearing

ENU letter Supporting Appeal

Sierra Club letter Supporting Appeal

Video of City Council hearing on Appeal (Agenda item 9)

Posted in Chatham Barrel Site Remediation, City of Escondido Actions, Felicita Creek, Updates | Tagged | Leave a comment

ENU Supports Community Appeal of housing project near Chatham for Aug. 5 meeting

Posted on August 1, 2026 by EscoNeighborsUnited

ENU filed a letter in support of the community appeal of project (PL24-0067) and urges Council to support the appeal and deny the project as currently proposed. 

ENU is always concerned when significant land use changes are proposed in the community that may have unintended negative effects that could hinder the remedial actions; or result in increased risks to public health and/or the environment.  

As stated in the Snyder Geologic Hamilton Lane Report there is currently insufficient information about site conditions to allow the City to make an informed decision concerning how this project will impact the ongoing groundwater remediation and/or human health and the environment. A comprehensive site investigation is needed to adequately design project features, and/or mitigation measures to protect community health and the environment.

The Hamilton Lane appeal should be supported with direction for developers to implement and reflect the findings and recommendations made the in the Snyder report prior to any reconsideration.

ENU strongly supports the City’s goal to increase the available, affordable housing units in our city, however this project is unique due to its proximity to the Chatham Barrel Yard site.  The Chatham site is a complicated site which has been subject to massive amounts of contamination. It has been under remedial activity and oversight for over 30 yearsand has yet to reach the designated cleanup levels. The City Council must have current and robust data before you can make a determination to find this Hamilton Site would have no impact on the Chatham contamination, and that it is appropriate for housing development. Currently, that information is not available.

ENU opposes the project due to the many data gaps and lack of information and mitigation sufficient to protect the health of the residents, the integrity of the groundwater site, and the interests of the city.

Previous posts can be found Expert Report Shows Deficiencies and Media release Appeal of Housing near Chatham.

The issue will be heard by the City Council on August 5 at 5 PM. Item #9.

We urge comment in support of the appeal and opposed to the staff recommendation to deny the appeal.

File a comment here For Agenda item 9, August 5 City Council meeting. ENU recommends an oppose position which would support the appeal and deny the project approval.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Expert Report show deficiencies, concerns about project near Chatham Barrel Yard

Posted on July 27, 2026 by EscoNeighborsUnited

A new report by Snyder Geologic has raised significant concerns and issues with the analysis of the Hamilton Lane development project near the Chatham Barrel Yard remediation site.

The full Snyder Geologic Hamilton Lane Report here.

Summary of Snyder Geologic Report on Hamilton Lane

The report outlines issues with the project as proposed due to significant gaps and lack of mitigation sufficient to protect the health of the residents, the integrity of the groundwater site, and the interests of the city.

Findings include:

  • Monitoring wells both above and down-gradient of the site show results indicating the plume of contamination is unstable.
  • Without monitoring wells on the proposed development site, the question of whether the plume is beneath the site is unknown and should be determined.  
  • Analysis is insufficient to credibly show how soils on the property will be ‘balanced’ without major disruption of the site such as through blasting.
  • The design of the bioretention basin is of concern; failure could send stormwater into the subsurface impacting contamination patterns.
  • Significant data gaps exist, inadequate technical studies, limited/shallow soil-vapor testing, and missing historical well-by-well data.

Summary Recommendations for the City Council to require of the applicant prior to approval:

  • Additional wells should be drilled and analyzed to characterize condition of groundwater at the site of construction.
  • A geotechnical analysis be done prior to alteration of flow patterns of groundwater in the event of significant site disturbance.
  • Because the Chatham plume is within this complex bedrock aquifer in the area of the development project and altering the bedrock aquifer by blasting should be avoided.
  • Close data gaps by sampling of deeper soil and soil vapor should be conducted as well as an evaluation of the potential for perched groundwater that may be contaminated.
  • Prohibition on water supply wells at the site.
  • Soil vapor barriers should be added to homes and testing be conducted at various depths beneath each site.
  • Remove bioretention basin or re-design with a redundant liner, monitoring, and a failure response plan if approved. 
  • A soils management plan should be required to describe precautions to protect neighbors during construction.
  • Proponents should submit complete information and request a formal review from DTSC, specifically, input and evaluation of the potential for blasting of the bedrock during project construction, if required, to alter groundwater flow in what is a complex bedrock aquifer hydrogeologic system.

The community appeal of the project will be heard by the City Council on August 5, 5 PM at city hall.

Posted in Chatham Barrel Site Remediation, City of Escondido Actions, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Appeal of Housing Near Chatham site appeal decision to be heard AUGUST 5, 5 PM City Hall

Posted on June 8, 2026 by EscoNeighborsUnited

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
COMMUNITY APPEAL SEEKS FURTHER ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW OF
HAMILTON LANE SUBDIVISION NEAR HISTORIC CHATHAM CONTAMINATION

MEDIA CONTACT:
Heidi Whitman, Escondido Resident
781-572-1550 Heidiw07@gmail.com

WHEN:
Wednesday, August 5

WHERE:
Escondido City Hall
201 North Broadway
Escondido, CA 92025

WHAT:
The Escondido City Council will hear an appeal of the Planning Commission’s approval of the proposed Hamilton Lane subdivision project. The Planning Commission approved the project on a 4-1 vote. The dissenting commissioner expressed concern about moving soil on a property associated with the Chatham contamination plume without a Soil Management Plan. The appeal asks the City to require additional site-specific environmental review, including
evaluation of potential groundwater and soil vapor concerns associated with the historic Chatham Brothers contamination.
The appeal does not seek to stop development. It requests additional analysis before construction proceeds on a site located within an area that has been monitored by environmental agencies for decades, where remediation goals have still not been met.
Supporters of the appeal include Escondido residents, Escondido Neighbors United, and the North County Group of the Sierra Club.

WHY IT MATTERS:
The proposed project is located downgradient and above the historic Chatham Brothers contamination plume, a groundwater contamination site & plume that has been monitored by environmental agencies for decades and is not a closed cleanup site. State resource agencies, including the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and the Regional Water Quality Control Board, have been asked to review the project and materials
submitted as part of the appeal.


Recent monitoring reports continue to detect contaminants including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the highly mobile 1,4-dioxane in groundwater near the original contamination source area and in monitoring wells located roughly one mile downgradient. Several monitoring wells continue to report contaminant concentrations well above
California drinking water standards, while some monitoring locations showed increases in contaminant concentrations between the 2024 and 2025 monitoring periods up to 104%. The appeal seeks at minimum a Phase II environmental investigation, along with site-specific hydrogeologic, groundwater, soil, and soil vapor analysis before construction proceeds. Supporters argue that these studies are necessary to determine whether the proposed development and stormwater management infrastructure could interact with known contamination in the area and to ensure potential environmental and public health impacts have been fully evaluated.

The proposed project includes stormwater infiltration infrastructure near a documented groundwater contamination plume. Annual monitoring reports from monitoring wells surrounding the site indicate groundwater contamination remains present in portions of the plume and is still chemically active near the original site as well as downstream.
The appeal also raises concerns regarding reliance on environmental review documents that originated in 2007 and removal and relocation impacts of the site’s natural embedded granite boulder formations.

MAP AND INFOGRAPHICS

Aerial map

History of Chatham Barrel Yard

Why Soil Vapor is a Concern

WHO:

  • Escondido City Council
  • Residents and neighboring property owners
  • Environmental advocates
  • Representatives of community organizations supporting the appeal

Previous postings

Housing Site near Chatham Needs Envl Review and Mitigation- June 10, 2026 5 PM City Hall

Posted in Chatham Barrel Site Remediation, City of Escondido Actions | Leave a comment

Housing Site near Chatham Needs Envl Review and Mitigation- June 10, 2026 5 PM City Hall

Posted on May 29, 2026 by EscoNeighborsUnited

The Planning Commission approved a housing development on a site immediately down-gradient of the Chatham Barrel Yard site. The decision was based on inadequate environmental analysis (from almost 20 years ago) and lack of critical mitigations. A neighbor of the site appealed the decision due to concerns over lack of current environmental analysis of the site, lack of proper mitigation, and lack of analysis of soil vapor potential impacts.

Appeal Supplemental to Appeal

The appeal will be heard by City Council on June 10, 2026 at 5 PM at City Hall.

ENU filed a letter in support of the appeal

Here are two easy to understand infographics about this issue.

INFOGRAPHIC Chatham Contamination History

INFOGRAPHIC Concerns about Soil Vapor

Please attend the Council meeting and/or send an email asking that this site be fully analyzed and risks mitigated prior to any development at this site. Further, the city should wait until DTSC and the Water Board review and comment on the project.

Posted in Chatham Barrel Site Remediation, City of Escondido Actions | Leave a comment

ENU opposes incompatible land use change, seeks reconsideration

Posted on April 17, 2026 by EscoNeighborsUnited

ENU sent a letter to the Escondido City Council urging reconsideration of a vote taken April 15, 2026. ON a 3-2 vote, the Council directed staff to accept and begin processing of a General Plan Amendment (GPA) to located housing in an industrial zone.

There is so much already known and proven about the impact on human health from industrial emissions such as chrome plating and welding gases. In fact, the California Air Resource Board recommends at least a 1,000 ft buffer between chrome plating operations and homes. In this case, the housing will be an estimated 400-500 feet from the plating and welding operations. Other manufacturing operations are also close by. This is a completely unacceptable location for homes.

This mistake has been made before resulting in documented impacts on human health (including elevated cancer risk), closure of businesses, and great expense.  The city should know better than this.

Please email the Mayor and City Council and urge them to oppose locating homes in this unacceptable location. Be sure to copy City Clerk Zack.Beck@escondido.gov

Posted in City of Escondido Actions | Tagged | Leave a comment

Contact City: Support Rental Assistance with HOME funds now!

Posted on April 4, 2026 by EscoNeighborsUnited

ENU to City Council om Use of HOME funds

The City of Escondido has approximately $583,000 in unspent federal HOME funds from 2017–2018 federal grants and these funds must be spent by September 30, 2026, or they may be recaptured by HUD.

The City has been aware of these expiring funds since at least late 2025 and many residents have advocated for using them for rental subsidies to help people stay housed.  However, now it appears that the City is indicating it may be too late to use those funds in this way. We disagree. We need to urge the city to preserve and spend these funds for desperately needed housing for Escondido residents through rental assistance.

While ENU is in strong support of the development of affordable housing, in this case we can have both. Aging HOME funds could be used now to assist residents and the housing project have other funds which can be accessed, HOME funds now are not necessary.

Please contact he Mayor and City Council before April 8 and urge them to direct staff to use these expiring funds to expand the City’s rental subsidy program, and focus funds on immediate help such as:

  • Serving the 5,276 Escondido residents currently on the Section 8 waitlist
  • Assisting individuals and families transitioning from temporary shelter to permanent housing

Contact them here. Since we don’t have an agenda # yet, just use the title HOME Funds use and Housing Element for the April 8 City Council Agenda.

Housing is a complicated issue and it is seldom that there is an action this clear, easy, and would help so many. Please contact Council today!

Posted in City of Escondido Actions, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

ENU seeks conditions for development map changes adjacent to Chatham

Posted on January 9, 2026 by EscoNeighborsUnited

ENU filed a letter today with the city of Escondido seeking additional information, restrictions, and investigations related to a proposed Tentative Parcel Map change on a property adjacent and to the west of the former Chatham Barrel Yard site. We will keep you posted on the city’s actions.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment