Borrego Sun - Since 1949

The County of San Diego is seeking feedback from community members about a Specific Plan Amendment to allow for changes at Rams Hill. In particular, T2 Borrego, the owner of Rams Hill seeks to vacate an easement that previously kept 1,600 acres as permanent open space. On December 4, 2024, the Borrego Springs Community Sponsor Group heard from the developer about the plans. The presentation was similar to one in April 2024, but now the County has provided a detailed scoping letter raising questions that Rams Hill will need to answer as part of the amendment process.

About 40 people attended the CSG meeting in person and 25 more joined remotely. Rams Hill’s CEO Shannon Smith told the crowd that the need for additional housing in Borrego Springs means “there are trade-offs to be made.” Smith described the current development as looking like something that could be in Carlsbad. He and the Rams Hill leadership envision new housing at Rams Hill on land permanently dedicated as open space and that borders Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Smith states that these “desert-centric” homes would constitute “living in the desert” instead of just “living on the desert” like the current subdivisions at Rams Hill.

Rams Hill currently has an approved plan (dating to 1980) to build 1,570 dwelling units and has built only 264 of them. The current plan allows for an additional 1,306 dwelling units, a fire station, resort hotel, commercial uses and a golf pavilion.

T2 Borrego is seeking permission from the County to:

• Reconfigure the designated locations for residential use, and develop the remaining 1,203 dwelling units previously authorized by the specific plan.

• Expand commercial recreation areas which will include the existing golf courses, country club, and golf pavilion uses. It appears both the North and South golf course layouts will be modified, along with the golf pavilion site.

• Retain 54.07 acres for commercial, hotel, golf clubhouse and golf-related uses.

• Retain rights to build a 350-room hotel; and

• Vacate the existing 1,600-acre easement and designate a minimum of 1,760 acres as on or off-site open space.

Changing the permanent open space to allow for the phased development of new homes on native desert landscapes caused the most concern among the speakers at the CSG meeting. State Parks’ Colorado Desert District Superintendent Ray Lennox was the first member of the public to speak after the presentation. He asked the developers and the CSG to consider forming a “working group” to discuss a buffer zone between the proposed development and the State Park. Lennox pointed out that currently “you can’t see a defined boundary between Rams Hill and the park.” The permanent open space easement in place since 1980 borders the park. Smith said the developers are “anxious to talk with the Park” and “do what’s right by the Park.” Smith added, “Spoiling the Park would be against our best interest and the interest of those who live and visit here.”

Former ABDSP Superintendent Mark Jorgensen addressed the developers, CSG, and the County Project Planner Daniella Hofreiter (who attended the meeting via Zoom). Describing himself as a 50-year-resident of Borrego Springs, Jorgensen spoke of “promises” made by the original developer. He said Rams Hill had promised to bring a Scripps Clinic to the valley and to preserve “in perpetuity” the 1600 acres of open space on the south side of the Rams Hill Development. “In perpetuity means forever. Not just set aside until someone wants to develop it,” Jorgensen said. “I’m vehemently proposed to disturbing the 1600 acres of open space and support Rams Hill developing their current footprint.”

Smith said that Rams Hill had heard the concerns of the community about developing the open space and planned to test the market by only developing 100 acres at a time, if the County vacated the open space easement. In public comments, Borregan Pam Wiedenkeller pointed out that if a market existed for “desert-centric” neighborhoods, Indianhead Ranch would not have more than half of its 64 lots sitting vacant. Resident Steph DiPalma pointed out that the homes Rams Hill is talking about developing on the native desert will not be low-income home but rather luxury homes.

CSG Member Bill Berkley (speaking as himself and not as a CSG Member) asked the crowd who within it remembered when Rams Hill golf course was fallowed and the La Casa Del Zorro resort was closed in 2010. “Do you want to go through that again? Do you want to threaten that possibility,” Berkley asked, seeming to suggest that T2 Borrego could go belly up or pull out of the valley if the County doesn’t let it build on a permanent open space easement. Berkley recused himself from any CSG formal recommendations related to Rams Hill since he worked with Terry Considine to form T2 Borrego to acquire Rams Hill in 2013.

Smith pointed out that T2 is the single longest tenured owner of Rams Hill. He said, “We’re standing up to make a continuing bet on Borrego and what can be accomplished.”

Realtor Elena Thompson, speaking on Zoom from Encinitas, added, “I want to thank the developers for coming forward when many developers are packing up and moving out of state. We have to come to grip with the fact that we don’t want our entire town dying.” Thompson added that, if Rams Hill were not open today, 90 local jobs would be lost – seeming to suggest that the County should allow the developer to move the location of its buildable lots because of what Rams Hill does for the community.

Other hurdles to approving the specific plan amendment mentioned by the County include: groundwater quantity, including the quality of the development’s wells, and the need for a fire station within five minutes of all new development.

Rams Hill is also working on a development agreement with the County to provide benefits to the community, including grants for local Solar and recreation opportunities. To read the County’s full scoping letter in response to Rams Hills’ Specific Plan Amendment see the attachment to the CSG meeting agenda at: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/dam/sdc/pds/Groups/borregosprings/2024/BS241204AG.pdf

To submit a comment on the proposal to the County, contact Project Planner Daniella Hofreiter at DaniellaT.Hofreiter@sdcounty.ca.gov. Mail comments can be sent to Daniela Hofreiter, County of San Diego, Planning and Development Services, 5510 Overland Ave. Suite 110, San Diego, CA 92123. CSG Member Nancy McRae who lives at Rams Hill also recused herself. The CSG did not vote on the issue.

The next step is for Rams Hill to work with the County to address the issues raised in the scoping letter. The CSG, which is a local advisory board giving recommendations to the County about land use in Borrego Springs, has an opening on the Board.

The next meeting is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in the Community Room at the Borrego Springs Library.