SANTEE, Calif. (KGTV) — The Santee City Council is expected to take up a revised plan for the proposed Fanita Ranch development at a meeting Wednesday night.
In April, a judge ordered the city council to throw out approval of the long-planned housing project, designed to bring 3,000 homes to the area, over wildfire concerns.
"We hope for a favorable vote tomorrow," said Jeff O'Connor, vice president of HomeFed, the project's development company.
O'Connor said they spent months refining the project's wildfire evacuation plan and will present it to city leaders during the council meeting.
"We have nine different scenarios of different circumstances in how we would go about evacuating under each of those circumstances," O'Connor said.
The development has also been certified as an essential housing project, which requires developers to add affordable housing and workforce housing units. It also means the project no longer needs a public vote.
Following the judge's ruling against the development in April, the city council voted to drop the project from the November ballot.
Some people disagreed with the move.
"The Santee City Council, I believe, is disrespecting the wishes of the people and trying to go ahead and approve this development without that vote," said Stephen Houlahan, a Santee resident and former city councilman.
However, Santee Mayor John Minto said removing the referendum had nothing to do with helping the project move forward.
"When the court made a decision to change the fire plan and ordered us to vacate the project, it took away the project so if there's no project, you really can't have a referendum," Minto said.
Minto adds since the development is now qualified as essential housing, it only requires a vote from the city council.
However, residents will be able to voice their concerns during the public hearing portion following the presentation.
The meeting on Wednesday is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m.
