Costa Azul, a new hotel, office and restaurant project in the Carmel Valley, was approved by the San Diego Planning Commission on July 22nd. As an additional benefit for the community, the project offers a public path and a small park.
The new mixed-use development will include a seven-story Element by Westin Hotel and a five-story office building with space for two restaurants on the corner of El Camino Real at the end of Valley Center Drive.
The Costa Azul location is on a corner of El Camino Real, which already houses several hotels, including the Hampton Inn, Residence Inn, San Diego Marriott Del Mar, and the future five-story, 127-room Hyatt Place hotel next door that fills the empty rooms Tio Leos.
“We’ve been around for quite some time,” said developer Hunter Oliver of the project, which was first proposed in 2014 and unanimously approved by the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board in 2018. Architect Darrel Fullbright said they listened “hard” to feedback from the community. Inclusion of ideas to improve architectural design and provide more community benefits.
The developers had planned to stand before the planning committee for approval last October, but this was delayed.
The planning committee approved an elevation deviation for the project because the maximum elevation in the area is 60 feet and 14% of the project is above the elevation limit. A terrace effect was used to break up the height, and staff found the height to match the heights of the surrounding buildings, including the 12-story Marriott.
The two and a half meter wide pedestrian promenade will connect walkers, runners and cyclists around the project from Valley Center Road. The trail continues down and joins Old El Camino Real and Carmel Valley Road towards Torrey Pines State Beach.
The office building will have a roof terrace open to the public for events, and the restaurants are designed to keep users on site. After Teo Lio is gone, Taco Bell is the only restaurant in the immediate area: “The end of the Carmel Valley really needs it,” Remington Diaz said during a public comment.
The commissioners questioned the project’s easement, as Costa Azul was designed for the Caltrans flyover ramps that will connect the SR-56 to Interstate-5. The connector project has been in development for decades and is currently not being funded for either the final design or construction: “I’m not sure it will be built in my lifetime,” said Oliver.
Prior to the hearing, the Commissioners received a “robust” public comment against the project of around 400 pages, citing the need for a full environmental impact report on the project due to its possible impact on traffic and air quality. During the public statement, it was also asked whether office use was permitted in the commercial visitor zone.
Commissioner Douglas Austin said the opposition appeared to be like a “weaponry weapon from CEQA” and insincere as the project had been in development for several years and the questions were asked just days before the hearing.
“I find these objections petty and more than insincere,” agreed Vice Chairman James Whalen. “This is the oldest part of the Carmel Valley and it’s wonderful what they have done here.”
“I think this will be a nice addition to the area,” Austin said, adding that the developer had to have done something right to get a 10-0 vote from the planning committee.
