Escondido

Residents of an Escondido neighborhood believe they have collected enough signatures to overturn City Council approval last month of a 256-unit residential complex and 80-bed convalescent home along Bernardo Avenue, which previously was zoned for half-acre and one-acre single-family homes.

Leaders of the Greater Escondido Homeowners Assn. on Friday turned in to the city clerk’s office referendum petitions signed by 6,854 people. The petitions call for the City Council to repeal its zoning action or hold a special election on the issue.

At least 3,910 signatures must be certified as registered city voters to qualify the referendum for the ballot. But at least two of the three council members who voted in favor of the project--Mayor Jim Rady and Councilman Ernie Cowan--have said they would change their votes and reject the controversial project by Arland Wiberg rather than call for a special election, which would cost more than $30,000.

“Assuming the signatures are verified--and I assume they’ll have enough because of the number they collected--I can’t see any need to subject the city to an expensive election,” Cowan said. He added that he would work with a developer and Bernardo Avenue neighbors for agreement on a “compromise” project.

City Clerk Jeanne Bunch said this is the first time in her memory that a City Council land-use decision has been subjected to a voter referendum drive. She said the actual number of qualified signatures would be figured by the county registrar of voter’s office within 30 days, and that the issue probably would return to the City Council on March 4.

“We have put the City Council majority on notice that Escondido residents will no longer stand by and allow the council to approve projects that have negative impacts on our neighborhoods,” said Kris Murphy, a leader of the referendum drive.