Carlsbad CA— The County of San Diego Registrar of Voters notified the City of Carlsbad today that proponents of a citizen-led initiative called “The Agua Hedionda South Shore Specific Plan” have gathered enough valid signatures from Carlsbad voters to advance to the next step in the process.
The initiative required 9,784 signatures from registered Carlsbad voters, which is 15 percent of the total number of registered voters. On July 8 initiative proponents submitted to the city petitions with 20,479 signatures. The city provided the petitions to the County of San Diego Registrar of Voters for verification. The Registrar of Voters checks registered voter signatures until the required number can be “found sufficient,” meaning the signatures, names and addresses match current voter records. The Registrar of Voters checked 12,331 signatures before confirming the required number. The Registrar of Voters is not required to verify all signatures submitted, only enough to meet the required number.
Under the California Election Code 9114, the city must now consider a resolution to adopt the Registrar of Voters finding at the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting, which will take place Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 9 a.m., at the City of Carlsbad Faraday Administration Center, 1635 Faraday Ave. This procedural action will be the only agenda item at the meeting. Public comments on this agenda item must be limited to the adoption of the certificate of sufficiency.
On Aug. 25, at 4p.m., at Carlsbad City Hall, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive, city staff will present the findings of its “9212 report,” which provides the city’s objective analysis of the initiative’s effects on and compliance with the city’s land use policies, including the city’s voter-approved Growth Management Program. The report also evaluates the initiative’s potential economic, fiscal and environmental effects on the city. Following the presentation, the City Council may adopt the initiative without alteration, decide to put the initiative on the ballot and call a special election or request up to 30 days to further study and consider the effects of the initiative described in the 9212 report.
According to the Registrar of Voters, a stand-alone special election would cost between $450,000 and $550,000. With a stand-alone election, the city would be responsible for paying 100 percent of the cost.
The 9212 report scheduled for presentation on Aug. 25 contains an analysis of the initiative and related technical studies and environmental analyses provided by the initiative proponents. A team including city staff and outside experts from a variety of fields found the plan to be largely in compliance with city laws, policies and standards. The 9212 report is available on the city’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office.
The initiative proposes a comprehensive plan for future land uses on a 203.4 acre property east of I-5, between the south shore of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon and Cannon Road.
The 48 acres of land just east of I-5 on Cannon Road has an existing General Plan land use designation of travel/recreation commercial, meaning retail shops, restaurants, hotels and other similar visitor-serving commercial uses would be allowed. The approximately 155 acres east of that parcel is designated as permanent open space. The proposed initiative would allow visitor-serving retail development on about half of the 48 acre parcel and add the other half to the existing open space land and make the open space land available for public use.
See a map comparing current and proposed land uses.
The initiative was proposed on May 12 when Carlsbad residents Bill Dominguez, Carlton Lund and Maureen Simons submitted to the City of Carlsbad a notice of intent to circulate a petition for a citizen-led initiative. Caruso Affiliated is the primary sponsor of the plan described in the initiative.
The initiative and related public documents are available at www.carlsbadca.gov/cityhall/clerk/initiative.asp and at the City Clerk’s Office, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive.