San Diego approves 5,000-home plan near Mexico border

San Diego officials approved a proposal that could build up to 5,130 homes on a 490-acre site between Otay Mesa and San Ysidro near the Mexico border, reports Phillip Molnar in The San Diego Union-Tribune.

The plan, dubbed Southwest Village, covers several parcels of private and public land and "envisions a somewhat walkable area with bike lanes and bus routes, construction of new roads and infrastructure projects, 175,000 square feet of commercial space, as well as a new school and 200 acres of open space."

Although the plan approves rezoning that could yield over 5,000 homes, the initial proposal from developer Tri Pointe Homes includes 778 multifamily units and 142 single-family homes. Critics of the plan have voiced concerns about environmental degradation, fire safety, and sprawl. "There is a bus line in the area, Route 905, but it would need to be rerouted for a southern stop once Southwest Village is built, or county planners could add another bus line."