Ascend Specific Plan

The Ascend Specific Plan involves a major residential development proposal in San Marcos, California, seeking multiple land use and environmental approvals to transform a 16.12-acre former light industrial site into a mixed-density residential community. The project includes a Specific Plan, General Plan Amendment, and Rezone to change the land designation from Light Industrial to a Specific Plan Area, along with a Tentative Subdivision Map and Multi-Family Site Development Plan for 147 residential units—comprised of 59 free-standing single-family homes and 44 duplexes—all three stories tall with attached two-car garages. Access is planned through a signalized intersection at Melrose Drive and Diamond Street, with emergency access along the western boundary. The development will feature common open space and recreational amenities concentrated at the northern portion of the site, and construction must accommodate existing utility infrastructure, including San Diego Gas & Electric easements and a utility tower. Grading requirements include over 163,000 cubic yards of cut and more than 217,000 cubic yards of fill, with an import of approximately 54,000 cubic yards, and may involve rock blasting and temporary rock crushing operations. Environmental compliance is governed by the California Environmental Quality Act, with a detailed Environmental Impact Report analyzing impacts in areas such as greenhouse gas emissions, transportation, wildfire risk, hydrology, cultural resources, aesthetics, and habitat protection for the California gnatcatcher. Mitigation measures are integrated into the project design, and compliance with Title 24 energy standards, the California Green Building Standards Code, the Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act, and local municipal codes is required. The project must also fulfill requirements from regulatory agencies including CDFW, Caltrans, and Valley Water District, particularly concerning stormwater management, geotechnical stability, and water supply capacity. Although the site is located in San Marcos with a designated Assessor’s Parcel Number, no formal federal contracting or procurement framework exists—the process is purely a land use entitlement and environmental review proceeding under CEQA, not a solicitation or procurement contract. There is no contract value, line-item pricing, or federal acquisition regulation structure present; instead, the application is managed by the City of San Marcos Planning Division with oversight and public comment managed through a defined timeline culminating in December 2025, and coordination with designated planners and consultants like Chris Garcia, Michael Levin, and Sophia Habl Mitchell.