The San Diego County Planning Commission will review a controversial plan Friday to convert a golf course into a sand mine.
EL CAJON, Calif. — The San Diego County Planning Commission will soon consider the approval of a controversial plan to convert the Cottonwood Golf Club courses into a sand mine. A meeting to review the plan was scheduled for June 13, but was later rescheduled for the following month.
The proposal, called the Cottonwood Sand Mine Project, aims to mine 4.3 million cubic yards of sand on 214 acres of the current golf course site. The mining process would occur in three phases over ten years, and the cleanup, equipment removal and final reclamation would occur in a fourth phase over two years. The project would also make certain improvements to Willow Glen Drive before mining.
The project is located at 3121 Willow Glen Drive within the Valle De Oro Community Planning Area. The project site extends approximately 600 feet east of the intersection of Willow Glen Drive and Jamacha Road, to approximately a quarter mile west of the intersection of Willow Glen Drive and Hillsdale Drive.
Back in March, the Valle de Oro Community Planning Group unanimously voted to recommend denying the project. Opponents highlighted potential health effects, increased traffic impacting emergency vehicle routes and environmental concerns as primary reasons for their opposition.
In March, the project’s developer provided a statement to CBS 8, arguing that the proposal would “ultimately transform a defunct golf course property into 200 acres of permanent, preserved open space for the community to enjoy.” The developer also emphasized the regional benefits of creating a local sand supply, stating it would “reduce the increased costs and environmental damage caused by trucking sand in from outside the region and Mexico.”
If the planning commission strikes down this proposal, the developer may appeal the decision. The proposal would then go to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.
