The Coast News Group
The new pharmacy at the corner of El Tordo and La Granada will replace the existing pharmacy, above, which is more than 60 years old. Photo by Christina Macone-Greene
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New RSF Pharmacy on track

A new home for the Rancho Santa Fe Pharmacy located on the corner of El Tordo and La Granada is moving along quickly to replace the current pharmacy across the street. The pharmacy will remain open during the construction of the 4,466-square-foot building.

Rancho Santa Fe Association Building Commissioner Tom Farrar is in communications with both the county and pharmacy owner. According to Farrar, the most recent update is that full construction drawing is under review with the county.

“The county has approved the site plan, has approved the architectural elevations and soil reclamation plan,” he said. “The last set of approvals that are needed are actually the construction drawings.”

Farrar said the goal is to break ground around December 2018 barring bad weather. He also pointed out that the pharmacy would offer a state-of-the-art visual layout, which will be aligned with state regulations for heightened security.

A better visual floorplan will offer pharmacists a clear view of activities including more enhanced medication supervision.

The square footage will be divided in half, offering 2,233 square feet for the pharmacy, and the remainder for general retail, which will include ice cream, candy and other items.

“They are also going to have a nice patio out front with tables and chairs, so folks can sit there and wait for their prescription,” he said.

Farrar said parking will be rooftop with 12 to 14 spots with additional parking at the street level.

The current pharmacy offers four parking spots.

“The new pharmacy will resolve the parking issue,” he said.

Rancho Santa Fe Association Manager Christy Whalen described the Rancho Santa Fe Pharmacy as an important anchor in the Village.

“We think a new, redesigned, larger pharmacy will serve our community even better,” she said. “We are excited about the ice cream shop and having a place for adolescents and teens to gather in the Village. We believe it will add to the charm of our Village.”

As far as a construction timeline, Farrar estimated it would take about eight months to a year to create a building of that size.

“Again, this is a big guess,” Farrar said.

While the pharmacy is waiting on the construction approvals from the county, there is another small item that will need approval at the Association — and it does not require a hearing.

“They (the pharmacy) will need to submit a construction management plan for the Association,” Farrar said. “Basically, we work with them on that, and this is to review any potential construction impact such as traffic or if they have to close a lane let’s say for a couple of hours — it’s really just kind of a management plan in terms of their construction.”

The original application date for the pharmacy was August 2016. The new pharmacy will replace the existing pharmacy, which is more than 60 years old.