Panel Declines to Take Stand on Growth Measure

A citizens advisory committee working to update the city’s Growth Management Plan refused Thursday to take a position on an interim ordinance designed to prevent developers from stampeding to get building permits.

Instead, the group will ask the City Council next Tuesday to grant their committee 30 days to draft “a more reasonable approach” to the problem.

The committee members criticized a hastily drafted proposal that called for limiting development in the city after evaluating each neighborhood. The proposal would impose development fees for construction in urbanized areas similar to the benefit assessment fees now levied in the less-urbanized outskirts of the city.

Ordered by Mayor

Dr. Robert Freilich, the city’s growth management consultant, told the group that he was under orders from Mayor Maureen O’Connor to come up with a draft interim ordinance by Tuesday, but copies of the draft legislation were criticized by committee members, who pointed out what they said were inconsistencies and errors in its text.

Committee member and developer Janay Kruger pointed out that builders would be able to build 1,200 housing units a year for the next 20 years in the North Park-Mid-City area under the interim ordinance proposed by Freilich, but would be limited to 11 housing units a year in North City West, where a 14,000-home community is scheduled to be built during the next two decades.

Other builders on the committee contradicted Freilich’s claim that interim growth controls are needed immediately, before runaway growth destroys the city’s carefully drafted growth management plans.

Most developers “have pulled their building permits as far into the future as possible--for 1987, 1988, 1989,” Keith Johnson pointed out, in anticipation of the imposition of school fees, increases in other assessments and the threat of a citywide building moratorium.

‘Basic Flaw’

“There is a basic flaw in the system (proposed by Freilich). He is telling people that they can’t live where they want to live,” Johnson said, explaining that areas that had been growing slowly would be allowed to grow rapidly under the proposed ordinance, while fast-developing communities would be penalized.

Lynn Benn, a community planning group leader, said the interim law would allow “an incredible growth rate,” not put brakes on development. Under the Freilich proposal, 8,743 housing units could be built citywide--the third highest number ever recorded in San Diego’s history.

Mike Stepner, assistant planning director, urged the committee to reach some consensus in order to present the City Council “with something they can consider and debate” on Tuesday, but found little support for his proposal.

Ron Roberts, chairman of the citizens’ group and of the city Planning Commission, said that he will outline the committee’s divergent views and request that the City Council grant a month’s time to work on the interim ordinance.