Sacramento

Legislation that would force developers and city officials to listen to complaints about school overcrowding caused by redevelopment was defeated Wednesday in a Senate committee.

The bill, by Assemblyman Larry Stirling (R-San Diego), was sought by Santee school officials after they realized that the proposed 706-acre Town Center development in their town could double the enrollments of two schools already filled to capacity.

The measure would have required redevelopment agencies to hold public hearings when school districts show they are suffering from overcrowding caused by growth. Such hearings might lead the agencies to change their plans to alleviate or eliminate the overcrowding, Stirling said.

But lobbyists for city and county governments argued that they, too, should be allowed to question redevelopment plans after they are officially reviewed. Their opposition led the Senate Local Government Committee to defeat the bill on a 3-2 vote.