The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to place a housing development measure before voters in 2020.
The “Safeguard Our San Diego Countryside Initiative” proposes amending the county general plan and requiring voter approval for increases in density of more than five homes in areas already zoned rural or semi-rural.
The initiative is aimed at projects that “significantly increase the density of development outside of existing towns and villages” and “alter the character” of the county’s traditional agricultural communities.
Backers gathered more than 100,000 signatures in support of the proposal before filing the initiative with the Registrar of Voters in July, missing the deadline to appear on next month’s ballot. State law requires that it be placed on a statewide election ballot — the next one being March 3, 2020, according to county spokesman Gig Conaughton.
Though he voted in favor of placing the initiative before voters, Supervisor Bill Horn questioned the process, asking, “What do you need supervisors for?”
The San Diego Union-Tribune recently reported that most of the supervisors oppose the measure, saying they should decide what projects merit amendments to the general plan.
— City News Service
