Dueling Land-Use Measures Attract Statewide Attention

A slow-growth ballot measure in Newport Beach has alarmed developers and lobbying groups across the state, who are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to kill it.

The developers say Measure S, the grass-roots initiative that would require citywide votes on major developments, would cripple the city’s economy and spark more efforts elsewhere.

They have raised $405,061 in support of a dueling initiative, Measure T, that would cancel Measure S. Computer chip maker Conexant Systems of Newport Beach, the California Business Properties Assn. in Sacramento, the Newhall Land Co. of Valencia and dozens of other business interests have contributed to the fight against Greenlight, as the slow-growth initiative on Tuesday’s ballot also is known.

The Irvine Co. alone has spent $187,000. By contrast, Greenlight supporters have raised $62,562.

“There’s a lot at stake here,” said Mark Petracca, chairman of UC Irvine’s political science department. “[It] has much less to do with individual development . . . in Newport Beach. What’s at stake is a precedent-setting trend setting a type of involvement by the public. If it can pass here, it is passable in a lot of other places.”

Voters in Colorado and Arizona will be asked to approve stringent rules on development on Tuesday. Across California, 50 land use initiatives appear on the ballot.

In Brea, a measure would require a citywide vote on major developments in the hills above town. And in San Clemente, voters will decide whether to impose a partial moratorium on development.

More than $1 million has been raised for the three Orange County contests. While the vast majority of the statewide initiatives have attracted mostly local interest, the dueling measures in Newport Beach have gained a far higher profile, partly because it is home to many of the biggest developers.

In March, Orange County voters overwhelming approved a measure that requires a two-thirds vote on airports, landfills and jails near residential neighborhoods. Yet Newport Beach voters resoundingly rejected that measure.

Now, those residents may embrace a similar proposal to require public votes on major projects. Measure S would trigger a citywide vote on developments that exceed the city’s general plan by 100 homes, put 100 additional cars on the roads during rush-hour or add 40,000 square feet of commercial space.

“Every real estate development company, every community developer . . . in the entire state and country has the incentive to make sure this thing gets killed,” Petracca said.

That’s exactly what Measure T aims to do. If it prevails at the polls on Tuesday, it would give developers a meaty side benefit. It would cement into the city charter less stringent traffic impact standards, making it difficult for officials to raise the requirements for builders.