Committee to Evaluate Growth Guidelines Warned to Behave

A citizen’s committee created by county supervisors to evaluate growth guidelines was off to a rough start Thursday as officials were already issuing warnings about dissension at the first meeting.

The committee is intended to be the first formal arena for discussions among developers, sponsors of the slow-growth initiative and community leaders about growth in Orange County. But the controversy began when slow-growth leaders complained that the committee was stacked against them.

No Rocks, Riley Warns

As the group’s members were introduced at a press conference Thursday, Supervisor Thomas F. Riley warned, “If I begin to hear things about throwing rocks at each other, I will be down here to disband it. I just hope we are not sitting here (as representatives) for the initiative or against the initiative.”

Supervisor Don R. Roth also said at the conference: “I’m concerned about the lack of harmony that might come out of the committee itself. The problem I have with the concept of the committee is that at any time, one side can say to the other: ‘You’re pro-business.’ ”

The committee includes 11 members: two from the slow-growth initiative group, two from the Building Industry Assn. and seven appointed by the supervisors. Supervisors Riley and Gaddi H. Vasquez both got two appointments because their districts include the most unincorporated territory. The other three supervisors each appointed one member.

Because all five of the supervisors have criticized the initiative, the slow-growth sponsors complained that they are outnumbered on the committee 9 to 2. But the supervisors pledged that their appointees are objective citizens.

One, Bob Bennyhoff, a community activist from Orange Park Acres appointed by Vasquez, said: “I am probably the person who has nothing to do with developers but argue with them. My mind is not made up about anything.”

The committee will evaluate a growth-management plan that the supervisors have adopted “in concept” as a guideline for approving construction. The county’s growth plan is aimed at reducing traffic congestion and limiting development, but it is not as strict as the slow-growth initiative that will be on the ballot June 7.