PL24-0126/PL24-0127/PL25-0359: Juniper Street Office to Residential Conversion

2026030459

City of Escondido

NOE - Notice of Exemption

3/11/2026

3/11/2026

Ivan Flores

City of Escondido

Principal Planner

Lead/Public Agency

201 N Broadway
Escondido, CA 92025

(760) 839-4529

ivan.flores@escondido.gov

Darshan Patel

Hotel Invesments

President

Project Applicant

1650 Hotel Circle N, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92108
San Diego, CA 92108

(619) 293-3349

darshanp@hotelinvestmentgroup.com

S. Juniper Street and E 4th avenue

92025

.67

229-472-11-00

Categorical Exemption

Class 32, Section 15332 (In-Fill Development Projects)

(a) The project is consistent with the applicable general plan designation and all applicable general plan policies as well as with applicable zoning designation and regulations. The Project is consistent with applicable general plan designation and all applicable general plan policies, as well as with applicable zoning designation and regulations, in that the proposed Project entails a multi-family residential development consistent with the Specific Planning Area 9 and all applicable General Plan policies as outlined in the Planning Commission staff report dated February 10, 2026, as well as the development standards within the Downtown Specific Plan for Southern Gateway District, except for the incentives/concessions and waivers requested and granted as part of the Density Bonus request, and as permitted by State Density Bonus Law and Article 67 of the Escondido Zoning Code. (b) The proposed development occurs within city limits on a project site of no more than five acres substantially surrounded by urban uses. The Project site is located within City of Escondido limits, on a site that is less than five acres, and is substantially surrounded by urban uses, as the Project site is approximately 0.67 acres. It is surrounded by residential uses to the south and west, and commercial uses to the north and east. (c) The project site has no value, as habitat for endangered, rare or threatened species. The Project site has no value as habitat for endangered, rare or threatened species, in that the Project site is developed with an existing office building and surface parking. The Project site is listed as “Urban/Developed” within the City’s Draft Subarea Plan (Figures 3-1 through 3-3). (d) Approval of the project would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality. Approval of the Project would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality, in that the Project would be required to comply with the City’s noise ordinance, which includes construction and operational noise limits. The Project screened out of significance thresholds associated with traffic and air quality pursuant to the City’s Traffic Impact Guidelines Scoping Agreement and Climate Action Plan Consistency Checklist. The Project site is currently served by existing City water infrastructure and would be required to comply with all stormwater standards for water quality purposes. The Project is consistent with the City’s General Plan and Zoning regulations (refer to the Planning Commission staff report dated February 10, 2026) except for all incentives/concessions and waivers requested and granted as a part of the Density Bonus request and would therefore would not result in adverse impacts related to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality. (e) The site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services. The Project site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services in that the Project site is a previously developed site with existing utilities located adjacent to the site. The Project would be required to build to the City’s standards that allow for the Project to connect to existing services, including sewer and water connections. The City’s Utility Department reviewed the proposed Project and determined adequate service may be provided to this site, with the connection to existing infrastructure per City requirements. The Project design includes adequate solid waste facilities and would receive service by the City’s solid waste, recycling, and organics provider: EDCO. The site’s location within the downtown area allows it to continue to be served by the City’s Fire and Police Departments. Therefore, the Project can be adequate served by all required utilities and public services Furthermore, the Project does not trigger any of the exceptions that disqualify the use of an exemption pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2: (a) Location. Classes 3, 4, 5, 6, and 11 are qualified by consideration of where the project is to be located – a project that is ordinarily insignificant in its impact on the environment may in a particularly sensitive environment be significant. Therefore, these classes are considered to apply all considered to apply all instances, except where the project may impact on an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern where designated, precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies. The exemption proposed is a Class 32 (In-Fill Development Projects) exemption, and the Project does not include a Class 3, 4, 5, 6, or 11 exemptions. Based on the absence of an exemption inclusive of a Class 3, 4, 5, 6, or 11 this exception is not applicable. (b) Cumulative Impact. All exemptions for these classes are inapplicable when the cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type in the same place, over time is significant. The Project is located within the Downtown Specific Plan which has a certified Final Environmental Impact Report for the existing land uses through the specific plan. The Project is consistent with the adopted specific plan, and is consistent with the types of projects envisioned for this area of the plan. Therefore, no cumulative impacts would occur that were not analyzed under a prior FEIR. (c) Significant Effect. A categorical exemption shall not be used for an activity where there is a reasonable possibility that the activity will have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances. There are no unusual circumstances involved in the Project, as it is located in an urban area of the City and is consistent with the development standards and use of the property as envisioned through the adopted Downtown Specific Plan. Therefore, no significant effects would occur as a result of the Project. (d) Scenic Highways. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project which may result in damage to scenic resources, including but not limited to, trees, historic buildings, rock outcroppings, or similar resources, within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway. This does not apply to improvements which are required as mitigation by an adopted negative declaration or certified EIR. The Project site is not located along a designated state scenic highway, nor would the project damage scenic resources such as trees, historic buildings, rock outcroppings, or similar resources within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway. The closest officially designated state scenic highway is the portion of SR 52 approximately 18 miles south of the project site (California Department of Transportation 2024). Therefore, this exception would not apply, and the Project is potentially eligible for a Categorical Exemption. (e) Hazardous Waste Sites. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project located on a site which is included on any list compiled pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code. As demonstrated by the Applicant, the Project is not located within a Hazardous Waste Site pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code. (f) Historical Resources. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project which may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource. The Project includes conversion of an existing office building that was constructed in the early 1970s. The Property is not identified on City’s Local Register of Historic Properties, the California Register of Historical Resources, or the National Register of Historical Resources. Based on staff’s analysis of the proposed Project the Project would not affect a historical resource as defined in the CEQA Guidelines. Additionally, the Project does not trigger any of the exceptions outlined in Section 33-922 (e)(1) – (4) of Article 47 (Environmental Quality) of the Escondido Zoning Code: (e)(1) Plant or animal species, which disturb, fragment or remove such areas defined by either the California Endangered Species Act (Fish and Game Code Section 2050 et seq.), or the Federal Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. Section 15131 et seq.) as sensitive, rare, candidate, species of special concern, endangered, or threatened biological species or their habitat (specifically including coastal sage scrub habitat for the California Gnatcatcher); The Project includes the conversion of an existing office building into residential units. As discussed in the Planning Commission staff report dated February 10, 2026, minimal site improvements will be made to the Property while the majority of the work will be within the interior of the office building. There is existing ornamental vegetation and landscaping throughout the site, which will continue to exist even after occupation of the building. (e)(2) Archaeological or cultural resources from either historic or prehistoric periods; The Project is located within an urbanized area of the City, and as discussed in the Planning Commission staff report, dated February 10, 2026, the Project includes very minimal modifications to the existing site. Any excavation work would be limited to trenching for utility lines. The building itself is not considered a cultural resource pursuant to Article 40 (Historic Resources) of the Escondido Zoning Code. (e)(3) Stream courses designated on U.S. Geological Survey maps; The Project does not include any vegetation (e.g. riparian habitat) or natural floodways that would indicate the presence of a stream course designated on a U.S. Geological Survey map. (e)(4) Hazardous materials, unstable soils or other factors requiring special review. The Project site does not involve hazardous material as discussed in Section 15300.2(e).