CARMEL VALLEY — A proposed condominium and retail development in Carmel Valley, formally known as The Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch, is gradually moving forward despite opposition from some residents.

In front of a full house Oct. 9, the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board expressed its support for the Pardee Homes project, pending some landscaping adjustments and reduction of scale.

The site, which is located on Village Center Loop Road just north of Canyon Crest Academy High School, would consist of 292 condominium units and 215,000 square feet of retail space, including a movie theater, public transit center and grocery store.

Ted Shaw of Latitude 33, the firm in charge of the design process, said one of the goals of the project is to emphasize pedestrian usage over vehicles. “We really believe in this plan,” Shaw said.

More than two-dozen residents of the Airoso housing complex, which is located across the street from the proposed development, were in attendance to express their concerns.

According to Dean Dubey, a representative from Airoso’s homeowners association, the proposed movie theater is their biggest worry — especially in regard to late-night shows, which he said he feels would increase traffic and youth-oriented problems that could spill over into the residential areas.

“Our residents don’t want a theater at all,” Dubey said. “It would be much more of a regional draw.”

Shaw felt that the grocery store would generate more intense traffic than the cinema. “There would be more people coming to it on a regular basis throughout the day and into the evening,” he said.

Shaw added that Latitude 33 and Pardee Homes envision the theater as being on the smaller side, probably a six- to eight-screen theater.

“It’s not about the number of screens that it would have,” Dubey said. “The impact would come from the number of people that come to the shows.”

Also a point of contention was the design of three- and four-story condominiums that would be located in the northern section of the development.

At the request of Airoso, Pardee Homes shifted the four-story element of the complex further to the west and away from Airoso to reduce visual impact.

To further reduce the visual impact on existing neighbors, the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board requested that the condominium units alongside Village Center Loop Road be reduced to two stories in height, and Pardee Homes agreed.

The planning board also felt that the grassy area in the middle of the plaza, which Pardee sees as a predominately urban hardscape, is too small.

“I’d like it to be more open, so kids can run through it and play on the grass while their parents are sitting on the edges,” said planning board member Ken Farinsky.

Finally, the planning board expressed support for the proposed cinema, but requested that it be reduced in size.

“Maybe instead of a 46,000-square-foot theater it will be 35,000 square feet,” said Ron Brockhoff of Pardee Homes. “That would make it four to six screens. We will also consider offering some conditions on times and hours of operations. Something that will make the community and the board more comfortable.”

Planning board member Dave McIntyre said that Pardee should look into additional security for the area around the cinema.

“Maybe uniformed guards or video cameras. Something high-visibility so the kids will see them, because that is a problem,” McIntyre said.

Pardee Homes will present an updated design and seek final approval at the board’s next meeting, tentatively scheduled for Nov. 13.

“Our job as a board is to make sure this project adheres to our standards, but I don’t think we’re going to get everyone comfortable with everything,” said planning board member Christian Clews.

For more information about the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board, visit www.cvsd.com.