Supervisors Fault Growth Strategy

San Diego County supervisors Tuesday assailed a proposed regional growth management strategy that relies on voluntary compliance by 18 cities and the county government to reach eight key “quality of life goals.”

In unusually strong terms, several supervisors said the strategy is doomed to failure if cities are not sanctioned for avoiding tough measures aimed at such goals as cleaning the air, providing an adequate water supply, unclogging freeways, protecting open space and sensitive lands, and building more affordable housing.

“It would take too long to go through every single recommendation and how absurd I think the report is,” Supervisor Susan Golding said. “This report is really the most incredible report I’ve seen in a long time, and I can’t believe we waited so long for it.”

Written by the San Diego Assn. of Governments, the draft report is being reviewed by municipalities and the supervisors so their suggestions can be incorporated in a final document. The report, released in July, was produced in response to a 1988 advisory vote on a ballot measure calling for creation of a regional panel to cope with effects of runaway growth.

Michael McLaughlin, director of land use and public facilities planning for Sandag, said no other government has offered such scathing criticism of the document. About 75% of the county’s municipalities have reviewed it.

The criticisms will be included in a new draft that will be submitted to a Sandag committee in November, said Susan Baldwin, senior regional planner for Sandag.