5 New Encinitas Housing Projects (And What They Mean for Your Commute)

By Loren, Beach Life Group @ Compass

If you've driven Quail Gardens Drive or Encinitas Boulevard lately and wondered why there's suddenly a crane, a construction fence, or a new roundabout going in — you're not imagining it. Encinitas is in the middle of one of the biggest housing build-outs in its history, driven largely by state mandates that require the city to plan for thousands of new units.

Here's a plain-language guide to the five biggest projects underway right now, where they are, and how they're likely to affect traffic in the neighborhoods around them.

Why so much is happening at once

Most of these projects sit within a few blocks of each other, clustered around two intersections: Quail Gardens Drive & Encinitas Boulevard, and Encinitas Boulevard & Rancho Santa Fe Road. That's not a coincidence — California's Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process pushed Encinitas to rezone certain corridors for higher-density housing, and these sites were among the first to move through approval.

The upside is more housing supply in a market that's been chronically short on it. The trade-off, which residents have raised at nearly every public hearing, is that Quail Gardens Drive and the surrounding roads were built for a much lower volume of daily trips than they're about to see.

The projects, one by one

(Note: Sage Olivenhain and the Encinitas Boulevard Apartments project are the same development — it's now leasing under its new name — so this list covers five projects at four sites.)

1. Quail Meadows Apartments — 448 units

Location: Quail Gardens Drive, across from San Diego Botanic Garden

This is the largest residential project in Encinitas history. After significant community pushback over its original scale, the developer (Baldwin & Sons) revised the plan down from 485 units in two six-story buildings to 448 units across two four-story buildings, with underground parking and a new roundabout planned at Kristen Court and Quail Meadows Drive to help manage access. It includes 90 affordable units. The project has cleared city and coastal approvals and is moving toward construction.

Traffic takeaway: This is the project residents have flagged most often for congestion and evacuation concerns, since Quail Gardens Drive is a two-lane road. The new roundabout is meant to ease turning movements, but expect construction traffic in the near term and added daily trips once it's occupied.

2. Dos Lunas — 202 units

Location: 696 Encinitas Boulevard, at Quail Gardens Drive

Built by Raintree Partners, Dos Lunas is a four-story, three-building community above Moonlight Beach with a mix of studio through three-bedroom units. Construction began in late 2025, with completion targeted for 2027.

Traffic takeaway: Because it sits right at the Encinitas Boulevard/Quail Gardens intersection, expect this one to compound congestion at that corner alongside Quail Meadows and Sunshine Gardens — it's one of three projects converging on the same short stretch of road.

3. Sunshine Gardens — 140 units

Location: Quail Gardens Drive & Encinitas Boulevard, across from Smart & Final

A three-story residential development that's furthest along of the group — it's nearly complete, with an open house expected around May 2026. Of the three Quail Gardens-area projects, this is the one to watch first for near-term traffic changes, since residents will be moving in well before Quail Meadows or Dos Lunas are finished.

Traffic takeaway: This will be the first of the three to actually add daily car trips to the intersection, giving a preview of how the area handles the added volume before the bigger projects come online.

4. Sage Olivenhain (formerly the Goodson Project / Encinitas Boulevard Apartments)

Location: 2222 Encinitas Boulevard, near Rancho Santa Fe Road

This is the project that's had the longest, most contested path through the city — years of resubmissions, a lawsuit threat from the state Attorney General over housing law compliance, and objections over building height (an early version proposed 69 feet, well above the city's standard 39-foot limit) and a parking-garage-centric "wrap" design. The city council approved an amended version in 2022 under developer Randy Goodson at 236 market-rate and 41 affordable units (277 total). It's now built by Greystar and leasing under the name Sage Olivenhain, marketed as an upscale community with a resident lounge, pool, and co-working spaces.

Traffic takeaway: Of all five projects, this one has drawn the most sustained concern over Rancho Santa Fe Road corridor traffic and evacuation capacity for Olivenhain, a rural community that funnels through that same two-lane road. Since it's now leasing, it's the project on this list where added daily trips will show up soonest — worth watching if you live or work along that stretch.

5. Belmont Village Encinitas — 188 units (senior living)

Location: Manchester Avenue, on a 6.7-acre hillside site

Different from the others in that this is a senior living community, not standard multifamily housing — a mix of 71 independent living, 89 assisted living, and 28 memory care units, plus 8 cottage buildings with 16 affordable single-family homes. It complements Belmont Village's existing community nearby on Manchester Avenue.

Traffic takeaway: Senior living communities generally generate meaningfully fewer daily vehicle trips than standard apartments (fewer commuters, more shuttle and staff traffic instead), so this is the lowest-impact project of the five in terms of added congestion — though construction traffic on Manchester Avenue, including water main and road-widening work, is worth being aware of in the near term.

What this means if you're buying, selling, or just live here

• If you're near Quail Gardens Drive: This corridor is seeing the most concentrated change — three projects, over 700 units combined, converging on one two-lane road. If traffic and access are a priority for you, it's worth driving the area at commute hours before making a decision.
• If you're near Encinitas Blvd & Rancho Santa Fe Rd: Sage Olivenhain is now leasing, so this is the project most likely to add visible daily traffic in the near term at one of the city's busiest intersections.
• If you're near Manchester Avenue: Expect some construction disruption in the near term, but long-term traffic impact should be lighter than a comparable apartment project of the same size.
• For sellers: New construction nearby can be a plus (fresh infrastructure, new neighbors, added local spending) or a minus (construction noise, temporary congestion) depending on timing and buyer priorities — it's worth discussing how to frame it either way.

Encinitas is changing quickly, and I keep close tabs on projects like these because they shape not just traffic, but property values, school enrollment, and neighborhood character in the years ahead. If you want a read on how a specific project might affect a property you're watching, I'm happy to walk through it with you.

— Loren, Beach Life Group @ Compass