Ballot Box Land Use Planning

Over the last few years, land use initiatives and referenda have been more predominant at the San Diego ballot box.  A trend is emerging in which project applicants are sponsoring initiatives that seek not only to approve traditionally legislative “framework” instruments such as general plan amendments, but also to approve the underlying land use project itself.  Referenda are being placed on ballots to overturn land use decisions made at the local level. Well funded applicants are using the initiative and referenda power to achieve their own version of manifest destiny.

Though SDCTA historically does not take up specific land use decisions as issues unless there are transformative, high magnitude fiscal implications (e.g., Soccer City versus San Diego State University West initiatives) or specific revenue proposals tied with land use decisions (e.g., Chargers initiative in 2016), SDCTA should have a definition and policy on “ballot box land use planning” akin to our definition and policy on “ballot box budgeting.”