Update on Traffic Issues along the Quail Gardens Drive and Saxony Road Corridor

Posted on: April 29th, 2022

This article is an effort to continue to keep homeowners in Encinitas Ranch updated on the impending developments along Quail Gardens Drive and Saxony Road and the associated traffic problems that are expected.
Below is a link to an article posted about this issue published in early December of 2021. https://encinitasranch.org/reminder-of-the-encinitas-city-housing-element-2021-2029/

Recently, members of our board have led the formation of a consortium of HOA’s and neighborhoods that adjoin both Quail Gardens Drive and Saxony Road. We represent over well over 800 homes across five HOA’s and the homeowners on Kristen Court that adjoin Quail Gardens Drive and Saxony Road
- Encinitas Ranch Community Association
- Quail Park HOA
- 1 Channel Island HOA
- Kristen Court
- Quail Pointe HOA
- Saxony HOA
In addition, we are working closely with the E3 Collaborative and Chris Calkins, the CEO of Carltas and the master developer for all of Encinitas Ranch including the golf course, the 500 homes as well as the Encinitas Towne Center
- The E3 Collaborative includes the San Diego Botanic Gardens, the Leichtag Foundation, Seacrest Village, the YMCA, the Encinitas Union School District (EUSD) Farm Lab and the San Dieguito Museum
We are united in our deep concerns over the clear lack of focus and attention being given to developing plans to mitigate what is sure to be significant traffic problems that will impact residents who live along the Saxony-Quail Gardens Drive corridor.
In the near future these two roads will see over 1000 new housing units being built:
- Sunshine Apartments – 250 units
- Baldwin & Sons – 195 units
- Quail Meadows– 450 units
- Fox Point Farms – 250 units
- Clark Avenue Apartment – 200 units
The Leichtag Foundation and the E3 Collaborative commissioned a detailed study of traffic in this corridor back in 2014 by a well known transportation consulting firm, Fehr & Peers. The study cost $125K and was paid for by the Leichtag Foundation. Recommendations were developed, vetted with the community through various outreach efforts, presented to the Traffic Commission in 2015 and then ignored.
From the viewpoint of the residents who live along Saxony and Quail Gardens Drive there has been no recent work done to examine the impact of these developments on the residents who live along these roads and virtually no communications have been shared with them.
All of the approved sites have single entry/exits to Quail Gardens Drive. These add to the 11 existing single points of entry along the 1 mile road that are the sole access for the more than 1000 existing residences fronting on Quail Gardens Drive.
In its eagerness to approve this large addition of housing the City has not taken steps to protect the existing residents and their access.
The approved plans show only minor striping and left turn pockets for the new developments as improvements, notwithstanding that the new projects will nearly double the traffic generated on Quail Gardens Drive.
Peak hour traffic does not follow the customary pattern since the road is used as a primary access for high school students attending San Dieguito Academy and as the primary access to Leucadia and the Encinitas Ranch Town Center Shopping Center for residents south of Leucadia.
The entry and exit from Paseo De las Flores and Paseo De Las Verdes are controlled only by stop signs on the cross streets. Access is difficult today at various times and is likely to become nearly impossible with the addition of the new residences.
The single access point for the development at Fox Point also threatens to create an extremely dangerous condition at Leucadia Boulevard, with an unprotected bicycle lane and unsignaled left turn lanes. The volume of traffic on Quail Gardens south of Leucadia off cycle to the left turn from Leucadia will compound the access problems for all of the residents whose properties access Quail Gardens Drive south of Leucadia. The lack of any widening along the frontage, and any entry right turn pocket to the Foxpoint development only further creates risk to cyclists, pedestrians and drivers north of Leucadia Blvd.
Giving the developers of these sites the freedom to add this demand in the circulation system with realistic mitigation is a significant failure by the City Council. With these hundreds of new homes and more than a 1000 new residents, the circulation on this constricted road should be addressed for safety, liability and for the quality of life of the all of the residents.
The perception on the part of many homeowners is that the city has chosen to dump all of this housing on Quail Gardens Drive while seemingly giving all of their attention to the areas west of I5 such the Leucadia Streetscape and the Coastal Rail Trail.
This is a fundamental issue about safety, liability and quality of life.
Quail Gardens Drive is considered an local collector road by regulatory definitions. It is extremely unsafe for mobility choices including biking and pedestrians. Anyone riding a bike along this road will tell you how dangerous it is and we believe it is a matter of time before a tragic accident occurs. And, there is no available city-owned right-of-way for widening except through heavy use of Eminent Domain.
This consortium plans to meet with city council members to solicit their support for taking action to address our concerns. We will continue to keep homeowners up to date on the status and when help may be needed.
If you are interested in becoming more involved please contact Pat Campbell at Curtis Management: [email protected] or at 760-643-2200.