City- and resident-sponsored growth measures to face off on Costa Mesa’s November ballot

Costa Mesa residents will weigh the pros and cons of two different growth-control initiatives this year after City Council members opted Tuesday to craft their own measure to compete against one authored by local residents.

The council voted 3-0, with members Katrina Foley and Sandy Genis absent, to draft an alternative growth measure for the Nov. 8 election ballot.

“I think it’s very important that there’s an option,” said Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer, who suggested the idea.

Though the city-sponsored measure hasn’t yet been written, Righeimer said he’d like to examine charging park fees for commercial development or requiring builders of some larger projects to incorporate bike paths.

“One of the things I think the community wants to see is that, when development happens in the city, the community gets something out of it,” he said.

Mayor Steve Mensinger said he thinks the city’s measure also should include language limiting residential development in some areas on the north side of the 405 Freeway.

“We don’t want to lose the industrial base for multifamily (housing),” he said.

Some residents, though, said a city growth measure would be a waste of money and energy. City staff estimates the cost of retaining outside counsel to prepare a competing measure at $10,000 to $20,000.

The proposed language of the city measure will be presented for council review at a later date.

Resident-backed initiative also on ballot

The decision to forge ahead with a city-sponsored initiative came shortly after the council voted unanimously to place a resident-sponsored growth-control initiative on the Nov. 8 ballot.

That measure, pushed by the group Costa Mesa First, would require some larger development projects in the city to get approval from local voters, not just the City Council.

The proposed ordinance, which qualified for the ballot by petition, would cover projects requiring a general plan amendment or zoning change that also would entail construction of 40 or more dwelling units or at least 10,000 square feet of commercial space or generate more than 200 average daily vehicle trips.

Proponents of the measure say it’s important to give residents a say in whether to approve larger developments.

“What this is really about is what the people want for the future of their city,” said Costa Mesa resident Robin Leffler. “What do we want? That’s a simple question, and I think it’s going to get answered in November.”

If both the city- and resident-sponsored measures pass, the one with the most votes would prevail, city spokesman Tony Dodero said.

Council members said Tuesday that they were concerned the resident initiative is too strict and could expose the city to lawsuits.

During their March 15 meeting, council members retained consultant Keyser Marston Associates Inc. to assess the measure’s possible effects.

The consultant’s report, included in Tuesday’s agenda, says “a review of the available scholarly literature indicates that there is consistent evidence that imposing voter-approval requirements on proposed development creates a negative impact on development opportunities.”

Residents, the report says, “rarely approve projects that are put forward for a vote.”

Requiring voters’ OK also prolongs the development process, which increases costs, the report says.

“The voter-approval requirement adds a significant component of uncertainty in the development process that can discourage investment in new major development projects and in the recycling of underutilized or blighted properties,” according to the report.