I also inquire about the vacant lots before purchasing. When we bought our last property, in rural Poway (but with the Lakeside zip code hahaha), we were surrounded with open space. I checked it out. I found out about the County’s zoning plan, and that my area was zoned for minimum 4 acre parcels. I was surrounded by preserves. So far, so good.
I found out the view to my west was an open space preserve. The vacant parcels around me could be built out, and they were, with one house every 4-6 acres. I found out I was in the unincorporated area of the County, with no fire department having jurisdiction. Schools are Poway, post office is Lakeside, fire service from the CA station in Ramona, and police service from whoever could get there first.
At the time, I didn’t know that just a few years prior, Scripps Poway Parkway was completed to go to my main cross street, Highway 67, and that Highway 67 was widened. I thought those roads had been there forever. I also didn’t know that the county has contemplated continuing Scripps Poway Parkway through my neighborhood, to continue to Barona Mesa. I didn’t know that a few years before my purchase, the residents defeated an offroad vehicle park just 1/2 mile to the south. If built, the noise would have been bothersome.
I didn’t know that the County did not maintain brush control, had inadequate fire protection and an underfunded fire department.
So even if you check out your property, I think you can still miss lots of things.
In the Bressi Ranch case, the homeowners could check the zoning, and hope it is not industrial. If it is residential, they would need to find out if the city has a history of changing residential to other uses.
Anytime you have a view of vacant land, you take a chance of losing that view, unless that land is a Preserve.
