Escondido

The Escondido City Council on Wednesday night unanimously voted to rescind approval of a 256-unit residential complex and 80-bed convalescent home in a residential area.

The council was faced with a referendum organized by slow-growth activists who gathered almost 7,000 signatures to stop the plan.

“We’re delighted,” said Skippy Vershure, a member of the Greater Escondido Homeowners’ Assn. who helped organize a petition drive to stop the project proposed by engineer Arland Wiberg.

In January, the council voted, 3-2, in favor of Wiberg’s plan to place the two facilities along Bernardo Avenue, a street previously zoned for half-acre and one-acre single-family homes.

Mayor Jim Rady and Councilmen Ernie Cowan and Doug Best, all of whom voted for the plan, changed their position and rejected Wiberg’s project rather than hold a special election, which would have been needed had the council not overturned its decision. A special election would have cost the city $30,000.

Residents gathered 6,931 signatures, far exceeding the minimum needed to qualify the petition. Because of the council’s action, the issue will not go on the ballot.

City Clerk Jeanne Bunch said earlier that it was the first time in her memory that a City Council land-use decision had been challenged by a petition for a referendum.

Wiberg said he was disappointed by the council’s decision and said he wouldn’t pursue the project.

“I don’t want to be responsible for dividing the community,” Wiberg said.