Developer proposes 214 condos in Imperial Beach

IMPERIAL BEACH — The same company that may be building the controversial Lake Pointe apartment complex in Chula Vista’s Eastlake area is also proposing a 214-unit condominium development in Imperial Beach.

The tentative proposal also incorporates a bike trail connecting the Bayshore Bikeway to the city’s beach.

Integral Communities has not applied for any permits for the Shores at Silver Strand yet, but in the interest of transparency and due process, presented its vision to City Council last week in order to get early feedback on what Assistant City Manager Greg Wade said he believes is the single largest residential development the city has ever seen.

The 214-unit project would consist of three-story beach bungalow-style townhomes for sale on almost nine acres where the former Bernardo Shores RV Park was located, off Highway 75 and adjacent to the now-demolished El Camino Motel in the northern part of the city.

The two- and three-bedroom homes would range from 1,100 to 1,750 square feet, and each would have its own attached two-car garage, along with additional open parking on site, exceeding the city’s minimum parking requirements per unit, said Marc Perlman, vice president of land acquisition at Integral Communities.

The 24 units per acre is well below the city’s maximum of 43 residential units per acre for the property zone, he added.

The company’s current target price range for the condos is between $200,000 and $300,000.

City Manager Gary Brown said staff members introduced the project early in order to lay out its broad aspects and get council members’ thoughts and feelings before embarking on a lengthy, expensive and risky process.

Because of its location near wetlands and within the California Coastal Commission’s Appeal Jurisdiction, Integral Communities would need to receive a special permit from the Coastal Commission before beginning construction, but first it needs buy-in from the City Council.

City Council members had mixed reactions at their regular meeting last Wednesday. Some said it is a good use of prime real estate, while others said they would rather see commercial development on the proposed site.

Councilman Bobby Patton said he loves the bike path concept.

“I think we should get started on that right now,” he said.

Councilman Edward Spriggs asked if Integral Communities had looked into building on the old El Camino Motel property as well, but Perlman said the owner of the property “has higher price expectations than we think are realistic.”

Councilwoman Lorie Bragg said she hates to see a great piece of property on a major travel corridor put to residential use.

“I am disappointed that there’s not a commercial component there,” she said. “I love the way the architecture will look, but no commercial, to me, is disappointing.”

Councilman Brian Patrick Bilbray agreed with Bragg, saying that while he has nothing against residential development, this proposal goes “completely against” everything he believes the city needs, which is commercial development.

Perlman said his company analyzed the possibility of including some retail uses in the design, but that the property wouldn’t provide great visibility for commercial operations. That, combined with the high demand required for retail businesses to survive and thrive, presents too high a risk for empty storefronts, he said, which residents would not like.

Mayor Jim Janney said the Shores at Silver Strand could provide exactly what the city needs, and that is more residents. He explained that Imperial Beach struggles to attract retailers to set up shop in the city’s excess of commercial spaces precisely because of the shortage of buying power in the city.

“We already have more square footage available (on that road) than we could ever support,” he said. “What hurts us when we’re trying to get retail is our rooftop counts.

“This looks like a high-quality development here. This a gateway project that would present itself extremely well to people traveling south on Highway 75. It’s a great use for the property.”