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Homeowners meet to oppose Escondido Country Club project

In the latest chapter in the long running battle over what to do with the abandoned Escondido Country Club developers pushed to build hundreds of homes on the site but neighbors worry about increas...

SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) – In the latest chapter in the long running battle over what to do with the abandoned Escondido Country Club developers pushed to build hundreds of homes on the site but neighbors worry about increased traffic and noise.

A meeting held Tuesday night was filled with homeowners opposed to the proposed project.

“We are no longer fighting for a golf course. We just want a reasonable and responsible development,” said Mike Slater, Escondido Country Club Homeowners Organization, ECCHO, president.

The Santa Monica based developer, New Urban West, wants to build 392 homes along with a country club, pool, gym, restaurant, bar and trails.

Mike Schlesinger is the owner of the property who has some bad blood with ECCHO. He dumped chicken manure on the property surrounded by many retired families.

ECCHO defeated the original development plan through Prop H in 2014.

Tuesday night around 300 people showed up at an ECCHO sponsored meeting on how to respond to the environmental impact report on the new proposed project.

While ECCHO resists the project, another group, the “Renew Our Country Club,” ROCC, group with 250 was formed.

“The park, the restaurant – those are good things that would benefit everyone,” says Miles Grimes from the ROCC.

A change that ROCC knows needs to happen to increase their home values.

"It's not just 1978 anymore. Clearly, we need more housing in this community. I am completely satisfied with nearly 400 homes coming into this community," says Mike Finsterbush from the ROCC. 

But satisfying everyone will be another tough sell.

“We want to represent a positive change, we want to move forward,” said Grimes.

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