New Lawsuit Targets Harmony Grove Approval Over Outdated Fire Plan

Overview

• The Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Town Council and Endangered Habitats League filed the suit, challenging San Diego County’s October approval of the 450‑plus‑home Harmony Grove Village South project.
• Plaintiffs argue the county relied on a 2018 fire protection plan that does not reflect newer state wildfire regulations and leaves the area with only a single two‑lane evacuation route on County Club Drive.
• Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District Chief David McQuead said in September that today the project would not pass without secondary access, and a letter quoted in the suit says county staff discouraged an updated analysis.
• Supervisors approved the project while directing staff to explore a second access road, as the site sits in a very high wildfire risk area between Escondido and San Marcos.
• A separate Sierra Club CEQA case filed in November challenges the use of outdated environmental review and raises traffic and emissions concerns, while the county declined comment and the developer has defended the fire plan as a gold standard.