San Diego
A state appeal court Friday upheld the city of San Diego’s decision to allow development of a 525-acre “county island” near Scripps Ranch, rejecting the Sierra Club’s contention that the land is part of a “future urbanizing” zone that is off limits to construction without a vote of city residents.
The decision by the 4th District Court of Appeal affirms a Superior Court decision allowing development of the parcel without a citywide election.
The land became controversial when the Sierra Club and San Diegans for Managed Growth, the two plaintiffs in the lawsuit, began secret negotiations in June to drop the legal action in return for a $500,000 payment from the parcel’s developers. The Donald L. Bren Co. and the Brennan Katkov Development Corp. plan more than 600 homes on some of the land.
The settlement negotiations were dropped when news reports about them brought outrage from environmentalists, who contended that the two groups were selling out their principles, and from builders concerned about setting a precedent.
The lawsuit centered on differing boundaries drawn on two different city planning maps and which map controls development policy.
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