A plan to build 140 townhomes in 22 three-story buildings on the former Garrison Elementary School campus received unanimous approval Wednesday from the Oceanside City Council. The townhomes will range from 1,320 square feet to 2,100 square feet with two, three or four bedrooms in seven different fl oor plans, according to a city report. Each unit will have a deck or balcony and a two-car garage, and the complex will have 38 guest parking spaces distributed among the buildings. Near its entrance the development will include a 10,900-square-foot “pocket park” open to the public and privately maintained by the homeowners association. “We specialize in infill, medium density, attainable housing, primarily for sale,” said Gordon Jones, regional vice president for The True Life Companies, the developer. The 8.3-acre former campus on Garrison Street is in the Loma Alta neighborhood, north of Oceanside Boulevard and west of El Camino Real. The access along Garrison from Oceanside Boulevard is lined with apartment buildings and a few commercial activities. “This is an absolutely terrific transitional use from the nearby apartments,” Jones said, adding that it would create home-buying opportunities for residents who otherwise would be renting. The complex will include 14 townhomes, or 10% of the total, reserved for sale to buyers who quality as moderate income based on San Diego County guidelines. The developer also will contribute an estimated $1.8 million in in-lieu fees to the city’s housing fund. The fees bring the development in conformance with Oceanside’s new, higher minimum of 15% affordable housing. The Garrison project was originally scheduled to be heard by the City Council on Oct. 15, but was postponed at the applicant’s request to address concerns raised by the group Preserve Calavera and others. Afterward, the developer agreed to add bike racks in common areas, increase the use of native plants in landscaping, and work on a transportation management plan for the future residents. Traffic from the townhomes is expected to average 973 trips a day, according to the city’s report. When the school was open it generated from 785 to 1,720 vehicle trips each weekday. The developer also will pay the city $7,500 to add “sharrows” on Garrison to designate lanes shared by motor vehicles and bicycle riders, and $115,000 for the installation of pedestrian improvements at the intersection of Oceanside Boulevard and El Camino Real. Garrison Elementary closed in 2019 because of declining enrollment and the discovery of some large sinkholes on the property. Studies showed the sinkholes were caused by a faulty drainage system and not by soil conditions. The property will be regraded and new drainage will be installed along with the landscaping and other improvements. Mayor Esther Sanchez said she was pleased with the way the developer worked with the community to gain support for the project. She praised the decision not to request the concessions, waivers or density bonus available under California’s density bonus law, even though the project could qualify by its inclusion of affordable housing. The law is often used to build taller, denser residential projects than otherwise allowed by local zoning. “This is unusual as we deal with state mandates,” Sanchez said. A fiscal analysis of the project completed for the city in May by the Zimmerman Group of Laguna Niguel estimated that based on the anticipated sales prices, the total assessed value of the project will be $108.8 million upon buildout. Based on that data, Zimmerman estimated that total annual recurring revenue to the city’s general fund from the development will be $555,275 and total annual recurring expenses to the general fund will be $440,309. That would create an annual recurring surplus for the city of $114,966. The school formerly on the property produced an annual general fund deficit of $7,875, according to the firm’s analysis. ...read more read less