ELECTIONS ’88 ORANGE COUNTY : SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO MUNICIPAL ELECTION : Growth a Key Issue in Council Race

A municipal slow-growth and traffic-control initiative may not be on the city of San Juan Capistrano ballot until November, but it is already an issue for City Council candidates in Tuesday’s election.

At candidate forums, many of the city’s 11,740 registered voters have been asking the five candidates what they think of the city’s Citizens Sensible Growth and Traffic Control Initiative, as well as a similar countywide slow-growth measure, which is on the June ballot.

Ilse M. Byrnes, Jean LaBurn and David A. Hanson are challenging incumbent Councilmen Lawrence F. Buchheim and Kenneth E. Friess. Buchheim has been on the council 10 years and Friess 12 years. The three challengers previously have each run unsuccessfully for council seats.

The five candidates take different stands on how to implement slow growth, redevelopment, traffic control and low-income housing, but they all agree that San Juan Capistrano should maintain its small, mission-town flavor.

“The main thing in the city is that it is as it was,” said Buchheim, 61, a property manager who was born and raised in San Juan Capistrano.

Similar Initiatives

The countywide slow-growth initiative would block the county from approving development in unincorporated areas where traffic is unacceptably heavy unless road improvements are made first.

The city initiative is the same as the county’s.

Buchheim is opposed to both measures, especially in the city. “We have a growth initiative already,” he said, referring to the city’s General Plan, enacted in 1974, which includes a slow-growth ordinance enabling the City Council to set a limit on the number of residential building permits issued each year.

Like Buchheim, 45-year-old Friess, a general contractor, doesn’t believe the city initiative would help slow San Juan Capistrano’s growth because the General Plan already regulates building.

But Friess said he believes the countywide initiative is a good idea, although it’s about 15 years too late. He noted that the Orange County Board of Supervisors and leaders in other cities laughed at San Juan Capistrano when it implemented slow-growth measures 14 years ago.

“I think (the county initiative) will pass because it’s gotten the supervisors’ attention,” said Friess, who is running for his fourth four-year term on the council.

San Juan Capistrano is “a victim of other communities,” said LaBurn, 60, owner of Better Business Records, an office supply store in the city.

Traffic Tie-Ups

Most of the traffic that comes through the city and causes tie-ups is from surrounding communities, LaBurn said. She, too, said she believes the initiative would duplicate current city policy.

Even if the city and the county measures pass, said Hanson, a 50-year-old real estate agent, South Orange County will face problems with traffic.

“The problem is there is no convenient mass-transit system in Orange County,” he said. “The (bus) routes are so long and go way out of the way that no one wants to take (buses).”

Byrnes, a 60-year-old historian, is the only candidate who favors both the city and county initiatives.

“We’re up to capacity now; I think (both slow-growth initiatives) will stop the growth,” said Byrnes, whose husband, Roy, served on the City Council from 1972 to 1976.

All three challengers said they are running for the council because the city needs new representatives.

‘Need New Blood’

“We need new blood on the council,” Byrnes said, referring to the length of time Buchheim and Friess had been on the council. “We need new ideas. . . . The communication between the citizens and the council has to be improved.”

“The council has almost become a rubber-stamp council,” LaBurn said. “They all think the same way, and I think we need someone a little different in there.”

Hanson said he doesn’t believe the city is diligent enough in enforcing building, zoning and sign codes.

He also proposes a petition drive for a city initiative to ask the state Public Utilities Commission to lower San Diego Gas & Electric Co. rates. Nearby communities such as Laguna Niguel have discussed asking the PUC to change their supplier of electricity to Southern California Edison Co.

Hanson said he believes it is unlikely that the PUC will authorize any changes, but he added: “I hope by even bringing it up to force SDG&E; to lower their rates.”

Also on Tuesday’s ballot is Proposition C, asking voter approval to allow the city to continue collecting an additional 2% tax on hotel and motel rooms in the city.

The City Council adopted the increase in October, 1985, hiking the tax from 6% to 8%. A new state law requires voter approval of tax increases implemented between August, 1985, and November, 1986. If voters reject the measure, the rate would fall back to 6%.

Ten polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Election results are expected around 9:30 p.m. Votes will be tallied at City Hall.