Silvergate development goes to story pole stage in Rancho Santa Fe

For the last few weeks on the long vacant lot on Calzada del Bosque, a set of story poles have marked the height, bulk and scale of the proposed Silvergate Rancho Santa Fe senior housing development.

During the project’s review back in February, the Rancho Santa Fe Association’s Art Jury voted 4-1 for AmeriCare to proceed to the next stage which included the story poles, providing a visual representation of the development for the community. Silvergate’s current design includes 162 total units across the 30-acre site.

The plans include 44 cottages and six buildings with two apartment buildings of 94 units, a 24-unit memory care building, a clubhouse, spa and private restaurant, set around resident amenities such as a pool, trails, gardens and pickleball courts. The poles delineate the proposed setbacks from the road and neighboring homes, and show the ground elevations that raise the project out of the flood plain.

Once AmeriCare is past the story pole phase, they will move on to plan review with the Art Jury, which has not yet been scheduled. In addition to review by the Art Jury and the RSF Association board, the project will also be reviewed by the San Dieguito Planning Group and the county for a major use permit.

As the story poles went up on Calzada del Bosque, a group of neighbors put up a statement of their own. Along the road and on nearby streets, a group called Protect the Covenant have placed signs with messages like “Protect San Dieguito Valley” and “Stop Silvergate”. According to the website linked on the signs, the group of Association residents oppose the high-density development in the rural environment with concerns about traffic congestion and noise and light pollution.