North County Citizens for a Clean Environment

10/06/2026

Escondido residents are already fighting one massive land‑use battle at North County Mall — and now the City is entertaining another major project that would reshape a beloved public space. Recent reporting shows that city leaders are still weighing a proposal for a 16‑acre ice sports complex at Kit Carson Park, including three rinks, up to 3,000 spectator seats, retail, a restaurant, and 430 new parking spaces.

Why does this matter for the Costco fight? Because it shows a pattern: large, high‑impact projects being pushed forward without fully addressing neighborhood impacts, traffic burdens, or long‑term land‑use consequences.

Key concerns raised by residents about the ice‑rink proposal echo what we’re seeing with the Costco plan:

• Loss of existing community amenities. The ice complex would replace four heavily used softball fields — just like the Costco plan would displace long‑standing mall uses and intensify traffic for nearby neighborhoods.
• Major crowd and traffic increases. A 3,000‑seat venue and hundreds of new parking spaces would dramatically change the park’s atmosphere. Costco’s mega‑gas station and warehouse traffic would do the same to North County Mall and surrounding streets.
• Accessibility concerns. Kit Carson Park is free and open to everyone; ice sports are not. Similarly, the Costco project prioritizes regional shoppers over the families who live closest and bear the impacts.
• Long-term land commitments. The proposed ice facility includes a 25‑year lease with extensions up to 50 years. Costco’s ground‑lease arrangement at the mall locks the city into decades of consequences.

Residents are right to question why Escondido keeps entertaining massive, high‑intensity projects without transparent community engagement or serious mitigation for neighbors.

If you’re concerned about the Costco proposal at North County Mall, we invite you to get involved. Our group is working to ensure residents — not outside developers — shape the future of Escondido. Email us at [email protected] to join upcoming informal meetups near the mall.

Together, we can protect our neighborhoods and demand smarter land‑use decisions.

Three of the six candidates say the city should cancel its shooting range contract with ICE.

10/01/2026

A new inewsource investigation is raising important questions about the large housing development proposed near Harmony Grove. Neighbors are voicing concerns about traffic impacts, wildfire evacuation limitations, and whether the project aligns with long‑term planning goals for the area.

This is a significant land‑use issue for Escondido, and it’s worth everyone’s attention. Transparent review, clear communication, and real community input are essential for any project of this scale.

Full article:

Developers say the two-story homes on 17 acres currently just outside Escondido would help the city with its housing needs.

09/18/2026

Last month, the City approved a 55‑year ground lease giving Costco the former Sears parcel at North County Mall for just $100,000 per year — the same rent Sears paid in 1986. Even more concerning, the lease gives Costco up to 36 months of free rent, meaning taxpayers subsidize a Fortune 50 corporation while neighborhoods absorb the impacts.

The City also declared the lease is not a CEQA project, so none of the environmental impacts of a 30‑pump fuel station — traffic, emissions, benzene, idling — were analyzed before approval.

The lease doesn’t require Costco to build anything. Costco has no obligation to construct a store or operate a business on the site, yet the City locked itself into a potential 55‑year agreement with no competitive bidding and only speculative claims of future sales tax revenue.

North County deserves transparent, fair-market deals — not long-term giveaways on public land.

09/14/2026

A major land‑use shift may be coming to Escondido. A controversial 1,100‑acre property in the San Pasqual Valley — once slated for the 550‑home Harvest Hills/Safari Highlands Ranch project — could be returned to the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, according to Tribal Chairman Stephen Cope.

For years, the site has been tied up in environmental concerns, wildfire‑risk debates, and strong community opposition. With the development stalled, a land trust agreement may finally move the property toward tribal stewardship, correcting a historic displacement and reshaping the future of the valley.

This is the kind of long‑term land‑use decision that affects environmental protection, cultural history, and regional planning across North County. The Costco proposal is getting a lot of attention right now — and for good reason — but it’s not the only project that matters. What happens in San Pasqual Valley will have real impacts on the community and the region.

Worth keeping an eye on.

A controversial Escondido property could be among the first land returns to the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians.

09/10/2026

NEW LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Costco Lease Called a “Bad Deal for Escondido Residents”

A local Escondido resident just published a powerful Letter to the Editor in the Times‑Advocate about the City’s newly approved Costco lease — and it’s already sparking conversation.

The letter lays out the core concerns clearly:
➡️ The City approved a $100,000/year flat lease with no inflation adjustment for up to 55 years.
➡️ Costco pays zero rent for up to 36 months while pursuing approvals.
➡️ Meanwhile, small businesses in Escondido pay full rent, rising costs, and get no special treatment.

The writer also points out what the City did not provide:
❗ No market rent analysis
❗ No fiscal impact study
❗ No explanation of why this rate is fair to taxpayers

Residents near the site will bear the traffic, noise, pollution, and fuel station impacts — while Costco receives a sweetheart deal on public land.

This is exactly why so many people are speaking up. The letter is worth reading and sharing.

👉 Read the full letter here:
https://www.times-advocate.com/articles/letter-to-the-editor-costco-lease-is-a-bad-deal-for-escondido-residents/

If you’re interested in submitting your own Letter to the Editor, comment or message — drafting one only takes a few minutes, and adding more voices makes a real difference.

Escondido deserves better.

Editor, Times-Advocate: As a resident who lives near the former Sears site at NCF, I’m writing because the City’s newly approved lease with Costco is not just disappointing, it’s fundamentally unfair to the taxpayers and small businesses of Escondido. According to The Time’s Advocate’s own...

08/29/2026

The headline says it all: “Escondido Council Approves Costco Deal, but Mayor Calls It Very One-Sided.”

Credit where it’s due — the mayor was right to call the deal one‑sided. It is one‑sided. A below‑market lease on public land, years of reduced rent, and a massive warehouse + fuel station dropped next to neighborhoods that already deal with traffic and pollution from the mall. Families living near North County Mall will carry every impact of this decision.

But here’s the problem: after saying the deal was one‑sided, the mayor still voted for it. And so did the rest of the Council. They heard the concerns, acknowledged the imbalance, and approved it anyway — putting corporate interests ahead of residents and taxpayers.

Escondido deserves leadership that protects neighborhoods, not sweetheart deals for billion‑dollar corporations.

Escondido just approved its long-awaited Costco, but the mayor says the city got a raw deal.

08/28/2026

UPDATE: The City quietly approved a deeply discounted lease for Costco at North County Mall — just last week.

For a 160,000+ sq ft warehouse, comparable mall anchors typically pay $80,000–$120,000+ per month in Southern California.

But the City is giving Costco the space for about $8,300 per month — a fraction of market rate.

Meanwhile, nearby neighborhoods are being asked to absorb:

• 15,000+ new daily car trips
• Idling, v***r emissions, and benzene from a 30‑pump fuel station
• Late‑night truck noise and bright lighting
• Longer emergency response times
• Traffic spilling into Felicita, Bernardo, Beethoven, and Lake Hodges neighborhoods

We want the mall to succeed — and many of us shop at Costco — but a massive warehouse and mega‑fuel station next to homes is not what the mall was designed for, and it won’t help other mall tenants.

North County deserves transparency and fair deals, not corporate giveaways.

08/28/2026

More coverage on the proposed Costco takeover of the old Sears building — and none of it addresses what neighbors have been saying for months. This project isn’t just a store. It’s a high‑volume warehouse and a huge fuel station dropped right next to homes, schools, and senior communities.

The articles highlight how quickly the city is moving this forward, but they barely touch the real‑world impacts:
• Traffic gridlock at Via Rancho Parkway
• Delivery trucks day and night
• Gas station fumes and air quality issues
• Noise and congestion spilling directly into nearby neighborhoods
• Safety concerns for families who rely on already‑strained roads

Residents around the mall aren’t getting a “convenience.” They’re getting a permanent traffic and pollution generator in their backyard — while Costco gets a bargain lease on public land.

Escondido needs to stop prioritizing corporate deals over the people who actually live here!

The retail giant will take over the former home of Sears at the North County Mall off Interstate 15.

08/26/2026

Escondido just pushed the Costco lease at the old Sears building even closer to approval — and the details are worse every time we learn more. According to new reporting, the city is preparing to hand over a massive, freeway‑adjacent property for far below market rate, plus years of reduced rent. That’s corporate welfare, plain and simple.

Costco is a multibillion‑dollar corporation. Families and small businesses around the mall pay full freight. Why is the city giving away public land at a discount while residents deal with rising costs and shrinking services?

And let’s be honest: the people who live near the mall — seniors, families, long‑time homeowners — will carry the impacts. More traffic, more noise, more pollution, more congestion at an already strained interchange. The city keeps calling this an “economic boost,” but the only thing being boosted is Costco’s bottom line.

Escondido deserves better than sweetheart deals for giant corporations.

08/24/2026

Neighbors in Escondido are now facing another major land‑use push — this time a plan to annex county land for a 140‑home development between Idaho Ave and Birch Ave. Residents just outside the city limits are organizing under “Protect Rural Escondido” after learning their quiet, rural neighborhood could be absorbed into the city and transformed with dense two‑story housing. They’re raising concerns about traffic, loss of rural character, and whether Escondido should be expanding into unincorporated areas at all.

Developers are pitching the project as “attainable housing,” but homes are expected to land in the high $700k range, and neighbors say the density doesn’t fit the area. The City Council already cleared the way for annexation back in 2024, but LAFCO still has to weigh in — and residents are showing up, signing petitions, and pushing back.

This is happening at the same time the city is advancing the proposed Costco at the North County Mall, so it’s important to keep an eye on how these projects together could reshape the area.

Developers say the two-story homes on 17 acres currently just outside Escondido would help the city with its housing needs.