Slow Growth Expected to Dominate Encinitas General-Plan Hearing

After nearly two years of sometimes-stormy debate and scores of meetings, Encinitas will take a final look today at its proposed general plan, the municipal constitution that will guide the city into the next century.

Fittingly enough for this seaside city of more than 53,000 people, which incorporated in 1986 on a wave of anti-development sentiment, the slow-growth issue is expected to highlight the daylong meeting.

Aside from dramatically reducing projected housing densities from the days of county rule, the current draft of the land-use blueprint proposes a cap on housing construction of about 300 units annually and requires voter approval for significant changes in land use or for density increases.

Study Released

Adding fuel to the debate is a study released this week by the San Diego Assn. of Governments showing that about three out of four Encinitas residents want to slow growth through housing limits rather than allowing market forces to prevail.

Moreover, the survey indicated that 87% want the voters to ratify the general plan and 70% prefer to see land-use alterations go to a vote of the people.

Results of the study, which was based on a telephone survey of 506 Encinitas households from Jan. 10 to 14, will likely prove valuable ammunition for slow-growth advocates should pro-development forces attempt to alter the proposals now included in the general plan.

‘Very Impressive’

“The Sandag survey is very impressive in its support for growth management,” said Councilwoman Marjorie Gaines. “All the major growth management provisions have real strong support. And some of the findings seem to indicate that people feel even more may be required.”

In particular, Gaines pointed to a finding that 93% of city residents favor having the impact of traffic dictate whether development goes forward. The general plan does not now tie growth to the congestion on city streets.

The council, however, is not unanimous in its backing for the slow-growth proposals.

Councilwoman Gail Hano, for one, said she remains convinced that the growth-control provisions are not necessary. Hano said the lower densities in the general plan, combined with the slow-growth mood of the council, are enough to guarantee that Encinitas will not be overrun by development.

‘Don’t Think They Belong’

“I don’t think they belong there,” Hano said of the slow-growth proposals. “I would prefer working with the plan, seeing if there are any big mistakes in it, then going for growth management if we need it down the road.”

Among the other issues expected to be broached during the meeting are the plan’s effect on traffic.

Some officials expect that homeowners along Leucadia Boulevard--slated to grow from two lanes to four--will ask that the roadway remain unchanged. Moreover, residents of streets now handling a heavy traffic load may request that changes be made in the plan to ease congestion.

Officials also expect a flood of landowners angered because the plan lowers the number of units they could build, reducing the potential development value of the land.

65,000 Population

The density reductions in Encinitas, taken in total, would allow an eventual population of 65,000 at buildout, contrasted with a buildout population of 75,000 under the old county land-use plans, according to Craig Jones, a senior planner with the city.

Officials expect public testimony to last most of the day, with a presentation by Sandag on the growth study slated for 11 a.m. After the last speaker, the council will take up the various issues, possibly carrying over discussions to another meeting next week.

Once everything has been hashed out, the council would adopt the general plan in concept and order the city planning staff to make any last changes. Those alterations would be incorporated in the plan, which would be returned to the council in a couple of weeks for final adoption.

Overall, both Hano and Gaines gave the general plan high marks.

“I think its had a lot of review, and I think it’s generally good,” Gaines said. “There are always some things I would have chosen to do differently, but we’re not a one-person governing body, and no one is going to be 100% happy with the finished product.”