By Miriam Raftery

March 3, 2020 (San Diego) -- Two land use intiiatives on the countywide ballot could influence the future of major housing developments in our region.

Measure B, a developer-backed proposal to affirm a 3-2 vote by Supervisors to build the controversial Newland Sierra housing project at  far higher density than the county general plan allows, is going down in a resounding defeat, with 58.34% voting no and 41.66% voting yes.

Measure A, which would give voters countywide the right to vote on any major housing project that would require a waiver of the general plan, is losing 51% to 49% with 100%of precincts counted by mail-in ballots still to be tallied.  

October 25,  2016 (San Diego's  East  County)--  Measure B on the  countywide ballot was paid for by  a  developer.  Accretive Development wants voters to approve Lilac  Hills, a massive,  master-planned community the size of Del Mar in rural Valley Center. 

Why should voters in East County and elsewhere in San Diego care?  First, because taxpayers countywide could wind up footing part of the bill and second,  because if Measure B passes, developers of other controversial  projects could similarly seek to bypass state enviornmental review and the county plannning process.  That's why major environmental groups such as  Sierra Club, Save Our Forests and Ranchlands, and Cleveland Natoinal Forest Foundation are all opposed to the ballot proposition.

Hear our interview with Mark Jackson from the No on Measure B committee, originally aired on  our show on KNSJ radio, by clicking the audio link.