Zoning Issues Divide Voters

Less than two years after Palm Springs voters shook up City Hall by electing a new mayor and three new council members, creating a Democratic political majority, they’re at it again.

Two voter initiatives on the ballot in Tuesday’s election would strip the council of authority over two major land-use issues, prompted in part by some controversial decisions by the new city leaders.

The initiatives come after a narrowly approved November ballot measure on another aspect of the council’s zoning plan -- further indication that the rapid growth in the Coachella Valley is emerging as a polarizing political issue.

“This is probably one of the most important votes Palm Springs will face,” said Councilwoman Ginny Foat. “It really will determine the future of the city.”

Up for approval:

* Measure B --It would create a nearly 56-square-mile preservation zone, limiting development on property at the base of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountains to one home per 40 acres. A “yes” vote would approve the preservation zone.

* Measure C -- Garnering less attention, but equally contentious, this is a referendum on the council-approved Palm Hills project, which would include a golf course, hotel and more than 100 homes. A “yes” vote would allow the development.

Although voter initiatives on growth are common in coastal and urban parts of the state, they are less common in Southern California’s inland counties. Political observers say if such initiatives continue, they could alter the political landscape of the Coachella Valley.

“This is a new trend, and if it’s successful in Palm Springs, we might see it run its course all the way through the valley,” said Riverside County Supervisor Roy Wilson, who represents the area.

Supporters say the measures are necessary to stop a council that they accuse of rubber-stamping development.

“The essence of the battle is, we are trying to preserve Palm Springs as a charming tourist resort which has natural beauty,” said Measure B supporter Frank Tysen, a former planning commissioner who owns a local bed and breakfast. “The battle has been going on for quite some time, and it got aggravated when the new council was elected. They talked about being business friendly [but] have turned out to be totally developer friendly.”

In November 2003, Ron Oden was elected mayor and Mike McCulloch, Steve Pougnet and Foat were elected to the council, promising to change direction from the conservative administration they were replacing.

“We thought this was going to be a new beginning,” said Jim Jones, a former councilman who once supported Oden but who helped collect signatures to put Measure B on the ballot. “After that election, people felt quite positive that things would change for the better. Unfortunately that has not happened. The response of the council to the citizens is certainly far from being responsive.”

Jones said the council had not listened to citizens on development issues and had reduced public comment time during its meetings to discourage citizen participation. Council members, all of whom except Foat oppose Measure B, say that is untrue.

Some blame initiative proponents for failing to work with the city in seeking a solution.

“I believe very strongly in the initiative process. It is designed as an avenue for people to take when they have talked to elected officials and they do not respond,” Oden said. “The fact is they never came to us to talk about this. If they had, I daresay we would have come up with something that was balanced.”

Oden says he opposes Measure B because it would, without compensation, restrict the use of property, and he supports Measure C because he says the city needs a high-end golf resort to compete with other Coachella Valley courses.

“You don’t want to do planning for the city by initiative,” he said. “The only way you know there’s life is by growth, and we want to grow, but we want it to be balanced growth. We want to make sure we follow the guidelines of the general plan, which has been working for decades.”

McCulloch said mountain protections already exist, and that Measure B could eventually cost the city $10 million annually in lost property and sales taxes.

“I’ve been elected by more than a handful of people. I have duty to all of Palm Springs, not just a vocal minority,” he said. “Zoning by initiative is a bad idea. Trust your elected officials -- we were elected.”

Foat, who said she was leaning toward supporting Measure B, said the ballot activism was the result of more politically savvy people moving to the desert. The population, once mostly retirees and second-home owners, now includes a large, politically active gay population and has grown more diverse.

“The city has changed. This was not a very politically active city when I first got here, when I bought my house 14 years ago,” she said. “People are now becoming very interested in city government and what the city is doing. We have a large group of people very concerned about what’s happening with our development. Citizens in Palm Springs are starting to exercise real political freedom. I don’t think the City Council has quite caught up with that.”