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DATE: |
January 28, 2026 |
08 |
SUBJECT
Title
GENERAL SERVICES - ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO SUMMARILY VACATE A PORTION OF DEHESA ROAD IN THE CREST-DEHESA-GRANITE HILLS-HARBISON CANYON COMMUNITY PLAN AREA AND CEQA FINDING (VAC 2024-0163) (DISTRICT: 2)
Body
OVERVIEW
The Real Estate Division of the Department of General Services is processing a request from the owner (applicant) of Assessor’s Parcel Number 516-020-22 to summarily vacate a portion of the Dehesa Road public highway easement including all the incidental rights to extend drainage structures and excavation and embankment slopes beyond the remaining right-of-way (ROW) that encumbers a portion of their property located on the south side of Dehesa Road just east of Sloan Canyon Road, and across the street from Dehesa School. The property is located in the Crest-Dehesa-Granite Hills-Harbison Canyon Community Plan Area. A summary vacation is a streamlined process by which an excess public road right-of-way, or a public service easement is abandoned. It may be requested by the County of San Diego (County) or the public if the easement interests are found to be excess to County needs and are not required for the purposes for which they were obtained.
The County Department of Public Works has determined that the portion of Dehesa Road proposed for vacation is excess and no longer needed for present or future public use because the remaining ROW exceeds the width needed for existing traffic operations and will also exceed the minimum required half width for this classification of road. A road vacation often benefits the public by enabling improved use of the land it formerly occupied. The vacation was requested by the property owner and will reduce encumbrances that could allow for better use of the subject properties and allow for the potential for future development at the owner's discretion.
Today’s request is for the Board of Supervisors to adopt a Resolution to summarily vacate this excess portion of Dehesa Road.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
1. Find the proposed vacation is not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines section 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) because the action would result in the summary vacation of a public highway easement that is not needed for public road purposes, including the incidental rights, and will not have a reasonably foreseeable direct or indirect effect on the environment and is therefore not a project subject to CEQA as defined in section 15378.
2. Adopt a Resolution entitled: RESOLUTION TO SUMMARILY VACATE A PORTION OF DEHESA ROAD, IN THE CREST-DEHESA-GRANITE HILLS-HARBISON CANYON COMMUNITY PLAN AREA (VAC 2024-0163). Attachment C, on file with the Clerk of the Board.
3. Direct the Clerk of the Board to record the Resolution for Vacation No. 2024-0163 pursuant to State of California Streets and Highways Code Section 8336.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
The resolution to partially remove an encumbrance from private land that is no longer needed for public purposes will provide an overall public benefit and improve the use of the land made available by the vacation. The existing surrounding road system will continue to provide adequate access for the property and will not preclude future development.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
The proposed action to summarily vacate a portion of Dehesa Road and the incidental rights contributes to the County of San Diego Sustainability Goal No. 1 to engage the community to partner and participate in decisions that impact their lives and communities, and Goal No. 2 to provide just and equitable access to develop their land. This action will impact the property owner directly by providing improved use of the property by unencumbering a portion of their property for potential future development.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for this request are included in the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Operational Plan in the Department of General Services. If approved, this request will result in estimated costs and revenue of $6,500 to process the proposed vacation. The funding source is a deposit from the applicant. There will be no change in net General Fund costs and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
The Crest-Dehesa-Granite Hills-Harbison Canyon Community Advisory Group convened on December 8, 2025, and approved the partial vacation of Dehesa Street and voted (yes-9, no-1, abstain-0, vacant/absent-5) with recommended conditions including future improvements in front of Dehesa school which is across the street from the proposed vacation area, including a long turn lane, bike lane, sidewalk on both sides, crossing light and coordination with the trail system.
BACKGROUND
The owner of Assessor’s Parcel Number 516-020-22 has requested to summarily vacate a portion of the Dehesa Road easement that encumbers a portion of their property, including all the incidental rights to extend drainage structures and excavation and embankment slopes beyond the remaining right-of-way (ROW) . The portion to be vacated was dedicated to the County of San Diego (County) as a 102-foot-wide Easement for Public Highway recorded June 22, 1978, as File/Page No. 78-26033 for a proposed future realignment of Dehesa Road as shown on the map entitled “Route Location S.F. (Select Federal) 1402 Dehesa Road”, approved by the County Engineer on August 23, 1968. The subject property is in the unincorporated area of Crest-Dehesa-Granite Hills-Harbison Canyon Community Plan Area (Attachment A). The portion of the property that would be vacated consists of approximately 0.59 acres in total (Attachment B). This action would summarily vacate a portion of Dehesa Road as described and depicted in Exhibits “A” and “A-1” of Attachment C, and no parcels would be land-locked by the proposed vacation. The County Department of Public Works has determined that the portion of Dehesa Road public right-of-way, and the incidental rights proposed for vacation are excess and no longer needed for present or future public use because the remaining ROW exceeds the width needed for existing traffic operations of a two-lane roadway and will also exceed the roadway segment’s minimum required half-width ROW for the planned four-lane General Plan Mobility Element roadway classification. It will also be sufficient for current and future drainage structures, excavation, and embankment slopes. This segment of Dehesa Road is classified as a 4.1B Major Road with Class II Bike Lanes, which has a potential half-width ROW requirement of 48-feet. The portion retained is a minimum of 73-feet southerly of the centerline of the existing improved roadway. A summary vacation of an existing public highway, and incidental rights may be requested by the public if it is found to be excess ROW not required for street or highway purposes. In many cases a road vacation can be a public benefit through improved use of the land made available by the vacation.
The Department of Public Works (DPW) has received the recommendations made by the Community Planning Group (CPG) for future improvements in front of Dehesa school, which is across the street from the proposed vacation area, including a long turn lane, bike lane, sidewalk on both sides, crossing light and coordination with the trail system. DPW will evaluate each of the CPG’s future improvement requests for Dehesa Road and prioritize potential projects within the County’s Capital Improvement Program based on the results of the evaluation. The proposed road vacation and remaining half-width ROW will not preclude construction of the CPG’s improvement requests. In addition, the Department of Parks and Recreation has reviewed and approved the proposed road vacation without any trail reservations.
This request is to take the necessary actions to summarily vacate a portion of Dehesa Road and incidental rights pursuant to Public Streets, Highways and Service Easements Vacation Law, California Streets and Highways Code Section 8300 et seq. (Act), which establish procedures where a legislative body may summarily vacate a public street, highway, or right-of-way that is not required for street or highway purposes, including the incidental rights. The summary vacation of a public highway can be completed by Board approval, adoption, and recordation of the RESOLUTION TO SUMMARILY VACATE A PORTION OF DEHESA ROAD IN THE CREST-DEHESA-GRANITE HILLS-HARBISON CANYON COMMUNITY PLAN AREA (VAC 2024-0163), attached as Attachment C.
Under the Act, the following findings must be made by the Board to approve the proposed summary vacation:
1. The portion of Dehesa Road and incidental rights are considered excess right-of-way of a street or highway not required for street or highway purposes because this portion of road exceeds the minimum half width ROW needed for the existing 2-lane roadway and exceeds the 48-feet minimum half width ROW needed for the current future classification of roadway. Therefore, the Board may find that the aforementioned ROW may be summarily vacated pursuant to California Streets and Highways Code section 8334.
2. Pursuant to California Streets and Highways Code section 8334.5, the Board is required to ensure that the vacation will not affect in-place public utility facilities. There are no in-place public utility facilities that will be affected by the proposed vacation. Therefore, in place public utility facilities will not be affected by the proposed vacation.
3. Pursuant to California Streets and Highways Code sections 892 and 8314, consideration of the vacated portion of Dehesa Road and incidental rights for non-motorized transportation use must be reviewed before the vacations can be approved. The County’s Department of Parks and Recreation has determined that the portion of Dehesa Road and incidental rights to be summarily vacated are not needed for trail purposes.
4. Pursuant to California Streets and Highways Code section 8313 and California Government Code section 65402, the Board shall consider the General Plan prior to vacating a right-of-way. Staff from the County’s Department of Planning & Development Services has reviewed the proposed summary vacation and determined that it is in conformance with the County of San Diego General Plan because it does not conflict with the General Plan’s Mobility Element.
The proposed summary vacation is in the public interest because there is public convenience associated with the removal of encumbrances from private lands that are no longer needed for public road purposes. In this instance there would be a public benefit through improved use of the lands made available by the vacation and would not preclude future development.
ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT
Find the proposed summary vacation is not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines section 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) because the action would not have a reasonably foreseeable direct or indirect effect on the environment and is therefore not a project subject to CEQA section 15378. The proposed action would vacate a portion of road easement that is not needed for future road purposes, the including incidental rights. Since the proposed action would merely partially remove encumbrances from title and not result in any physical change in the environment it is exempt from CEQA review pursuant to Section 15060(c)(2) and (c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
The proposed action supports the Community Engagement Strategic Initiative in the County of San Diego’s 2026-2031 Strategic Plan by promoting opportunities for property owners to exercise their right to be civically engaged and find solutions to current and future challenges. The proposed action will summarily vacate a portion of a public highway, and incidental rights that are excess to the County’s needs and are unnecessary for public road purposes.
Respectfully submitted,
DAHVIA LYNCH
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
ATTACHMENT A - Location Map
ATTACHMENT B - Vacation Exhibit
ATTACHMENT C - RESOLUTION TO SUMMARILY VACATE A PORTION OF DEHESA ROAD, IN THE CREST-DEHESA-GRANITE HILLS-HARBISON CANYON COMMUNITY PLAN AREA (VAC 2024-0163), including EXHIBITS “A” and “A-1”.