Say no to irresponsible development in Valley Center and save our heritage oak tree.

The Harmonia Estates development is located between Betsworth and Mirar De Valle on just over 45 acres of environmentally sensitive land bordering Park Circle. Originally proposed as a 17 home community by the previous owners, the new owners, a group of out of town and out of touch investors, Harmonia Lotussa Investors LLC and Touchstone Development, have proposed 67 houses. Current zoning restriction of 2 acres requires a discretionary permit from the county to allow for the proposed 5,000 sq ft lot size. Their plan cuts corners on the most critical safety requirements of all, emergency access and evacuation routes, not because they have no options, but because the options they have are too expensive for their taste.

Access to Harmonia (Harm On Us) Estates is of major concern. Per the project proposal submitted to the county planning and development services in April 2026, access to Harmonia Estates is being proposed via an existing private road off Mirar De Valle. No such private easement  exists. In addition, in an email to the county, Kerry Garza, President Touchstone Development, had this to say about access via Mirar De Valle.

“We want to avoid having to do any improvements to the intersection of Mirar De Valle and Cypress Ridge because it would be extremely costly (if not impossible to meet standards).” Yet, this is the exact access route proposed by the developer in their submission to the county. IMPOSSIBLE TO MEET STANDARDS.

"REMOVE EX. TREE"

A small note on the plans. A big impact to our community.

This is not just a tree. This heritage oak shaded the cows of the Konyn Dairy. It stands sentinel over one of the original hand dug wells. It was a backrest for farmhands eating lunch in the field on a hot Valley Center afternoon. It has watched this land change for decades, long before Out of Touchstone ever looked at it on a map.

They have already taken the cows!

They have already taken the sunflowers!

We will not let them take the tree!

"SECONDARY FIRE ACCESS ROUTE"

A small note on the plans. A potentially deadly impact to our community.

At 2 am, sky glowing orange, embers falling, 100+ vehicles from Harmonia Estates trying to evacuate…..onto a walking trail in the Park Circle Community. That is Touchstone's secondary evacuation plan. A walking trail. Into a neighboring community that already has its own residents to evacuate.

This is not a plan. This is a prayer.

So we have an “impossible to meet standards” primary route and a walking trail standing between 67 families and a wall of fire in one of San Diego County's highest fire hazard zones.

We have watched our hills burn before. We know how fast it moves. We know there is no second chance when the road is blocked or choked with panicked neighbors.

Touchstone will not be here when that happens. They will have cashed out and moved on.

We will still be here. Our families will still be here. Our neighbors will still be here.

And a walking trail might be the only way out.

They don't live here. They don't evacuate here. They just cut corners here.

We are demanding the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, the County  Planning & Development Services, and the Valley Center Planning Group require Touchstone Development to preserve our heritage oak tree and design for the wellbeing of our community, not the benefit of their bottom line.

Build it right or get a fight.

Note: Donations made through change.org boost our petition's visibility but do not go directly to our effort.  If you would like to contribute to our legal fund please contact us directly through our website. 

Reference: Harmonia Estates, PDS2026-TM-5668,  PDS2026-MUP-26-004