Encinitas Planning Commission Approves Torrey Crest Final Map for 30 Homes on Melba Road
The Encinitas Planning Commission on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, approved the final map for the Torrey Crest density bonus subdivision in Old Encinitas. The item was on the commission's consent calendar, and a Citizen Portal meeting summary reported a 5-0 vote. The final map subdivides seven existing parcels into 30 lots. The applicant listed by the city is Richmond American Homes of Maryland, Inc.
What the map covers
The city staff report lists the site as 1220-1240 Melba Road and 1190 Island View Lane. The commission approved the tentative map on Sept. 19, 2024, for 30 new single-family homes (27 market-rate and three very-low-income affordable units), one private road, one park, one HOA lot, and two stormwater lots. Staff found the final map substantially the same as the tentative map, said all relevant conditions had been met, and said the subdivider had posted financial securities for the required improvements. Approval of a final map is ministerial, so no new conditions could be added, and no City Council hearing was required.
Staff said four public comments asked whether anything had changed since the 2024 approval, and staff confirmed nothing substantive had. Neighbors also raised noise, dust, and water concerns tied to grading already under way. Staff said those are handled under construction permits, not the map. Citizen Portal reported that residents asked for repeated toxic-material testing. When the project was first approved in 2024, The Coast News reported resident concerns about mature trees, traffic, and toxic materials.
Why it matters
- The final map creates the 30 legal lots. It is not a sales release, and no prices or sales dates were announced in the sources.
- Three of the 30 homes are set aside for very-low-income households under the 2024 approval.
- For Old Encinitas buyers, this moves a small batch of new detached homes a step closer to market.
Sources: City of Encinitas Planning Commission agenda, Oct. 1, 2026; city staff report on the Torrey Crest final map; Citizen Portal meeting summary (Oct. 2, 2026); The Coast News on the 2024 tentative approval.
Related on this site: 87 El Camino condos; the Ocean Bluff 27-home project. Those are different sites.
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For a buyer in Encinitas, new detached homes are often a jumbo-versus-conforming question. See jumbo loans in Encinitas.
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