Date:
October 7, 2026 04
To: Board of Supervisors
Title
Strengthening Community Revitalization and Economic Development in Jacumba by Initiating a Zoning Ordinance Amendment Process (Districts: 2)
End
Overview
The County of San Diego General Plan recognizes that communities throughout the unincorporated area have different development patterns, characteristics, and needs. Villages accommodate the greatest intensities of development and a broad range of residential, commercial and civic uses. Jacumba Hot Springs (Jacumba) is designated as a Rural Village, reflecting its role as a community center whilst recognizing its rural, historic, and small-town character and has been experiencing much needed revitalization in recent years through private investment, restoration of historic buildings, and renewed interest in the community as a regional destination.
When the General Plan Update Implementation Programs were adopted in August 2011, direction was given to staff to conduct a Zoning Ordinance Amendment to “ensure that a range of housing types and densities can be achieved and that the designators facilitate development at the maximum density allowed by the general plan.”
Other communities have received zoning ordinance amendments and other planning mechanisms that have helped streamline permitting. For example, communities such as Alpine, Bonsall, Fallbrook, Lakeside, Ramona, Spring Valley, Sweetwater, and Valley Center utilize community-specific Design Guidelines to ensure that new development is compatible with each community's established character and identity. Today’s recommendations would build on similar efforts in other unincorporated communities by proposing zoning ordinance amendments intended to resolve what many stakeholders view as longstanding inconsistencies between Jacumba’s Rural Village policies and its outdated zoning regulations.
The recent revitalization of the Jacumba Hotel and Hot Springs area, construction of the JVR E...
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