San Diego

The San Diego City Council changed its policies Monday to conform to Proposition A and give voters the final say on development of San Diego’s urban fringes. But the action left unanswered whether the 5,100-acre La Jolla Valley project is included under the Proposition A controls.

Assistant City Atty. Curtis Fitzpatrick told the council that his staff had never officially given an opinion on that question and won’t until the issue arises. Fitzpatrick also said his office had issued no formal opinion on the life of the growth management initiative, commenting that “there are arguments to be made on both sides.”

Councilman and acting Mayor Ed Struiksma recommended that the council adopt the policy changes--which it did, unanimously--then let staff members work out the details later.

Struiksma said he was convinced that La Jolla Valley was included under Proposition A requirements and stressed that council action implementing the voter initiative “sets the stage to allow La Jolla Valley (developers) to make their case” before voters in the first citywide election on the issue.

It was the massive project proposed by Campus Crusade for Christ on virgin land east of Interstate 5 near Rancho Bernardo that sparked the initiative measure. On Nov. 5 voters overwhelmingly approved the measure, which called for a vote on any development planned for land set aside in the city General Plan for development after 1995.