Otay Mesa Project Lands Approvals After 12 Years in Planning
San Diego planners gave unanimous approval recently to Cornerstone Communities for an Otay Mesa project with 450 townhouses, reported the San Diego Union Tribune. The Candlelight project is located in one of the few undeveloped areas of San Diego County, about a mile from the U.S.-Mexico border. Although the plan had previously been approved, changes to the unit types required a new vote.
Environmental concerns, and plans for mitigation efforts, have kept the project in the planning stages, off and on, for roughly 12 years. After last Thursday’s vote, Cornerstone anticipates starting work on the site in September, with the first homes opening in late 2025.
Cornerstone CEO Ure Kretowicz told the Union Tribune he envisions the project as workforce housing because early cost estimates put townhouses in the mid-$500,000 to low $600,000 range. Even the highest-priced models would be below the $802,500 median home price in January.
