Escondido's leaders will weigh the need for more housing and jobs against potential traffic, fire and environmental concerns when it considers a proposal early next year to build 550 luxury homes in the mountains above the San Pasqual Valley.

A draft environmental impact report that analyzed the project, known as Safari Highlands Ranch because of its proximity to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, was released earlier this month. It will be the largest residential development to come before the Escondido City Council in decades.

The project being proposed by Concordia Homes of Carlsbad will place homes well above and to the east of the neighborhoods of Rancho San Pasqual and Rancho Vista Monte off Cloverdale Road. The gated community would cater to high-end home buyers by offering large houses on large lots with spectacular views.

The houses would be built on nearly 1,100 acres that Escondido would annex from the county. Currently, under county zoning laws, only 27 houses could be built there.

The environmental report lists several impacts that cannot be mitigated, including traffic, noise and air pollution, the latter two being in play only during the years of construction.

Another big hurdle the developer will face is the issue of staffing a new fire station that will be built as part of the project. While Concordia will pay for the station, the millions of dollars needed to staff it with equipment, firefighters and paramedics over the coming years would be the city’s responsibility. Right now, the city is sweating ballooning unfunded pension costs that are forcing it to make cuts to city services, such as the recent unpopular decision to outsource the public library’s staff to a private company.

The city began the process of annexing the land in 2015.

Safari Highlands is opposed by a number of environmental groups concerned about the destruction of wildlife habitat and corridors, by neighbors in rural areas to the north, and by a well-organized group called the San Pasqual Preservation Alliance, which is made up mostly of about 650 people who live in what would be the neighboring communities west of Safari Park and near the Eagle Crest Golf Course.

Their concerns include traffic, community character, fire hazards and the impact on local schools.

They have hired an attorney, Everett DeLano, to challenge the project.

“This is the definition of sprawl,” DeLano said this week.

“This is a massive cut and fill on some very steep terrain,” he said. “It’s kind of incredible.”

A similar project for the same property was rejected more than a decade ago, but a spokesman for the new developer -- Concordia Homes -- said he's confident the strength of the project will sway the council.

"We feel very positive about how things are going and that it will bring much-needed housing to the city of Escondido," said Chris Wahl in June.

More than three years ago, the council gave Concordia the go-ahead to pursue development of the land without making any guarantees it would be approved. About 200 people, almost all in opposition, attended that pre-development hearing.

Councilwoman Olga Diaz made it clear back then that she would never vote for the project.

"It's a significant investment in infrastructure that the taxpayers will have to maintain,” she said during a candidates forum. “It's in a fire zone that can't handle any more capacity on the roads when there is an evacuation."

Diaz said Concordia is a quality developer and she is sure the homes would be beautiful, "but it’s the wrong place for that kind of growth. I told the developer not to waste their money because this is not a good idea."

But the majority of what has been a pro-growth council has said high-end homes in the city would hopefully attract high-tech, well-paying businesses to Escondido, something they covet for the tax revenues they could bring in.

The city has scheduled a public open house meeting on the environmental report on Nov. 7 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. in the Mitchell Room at City Hall, 201 N. Broadway.

The format of the meeting will allow for people to drop in at their convenience.

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