History of San Diego County's Rural Planning Failure |
SOFAR's actions are predicated on the evidence that San Diego County legislators have repeatedly failed to plan for resource protection. A brief synopsis of the more significant ruptures in leadership follow here. At the bottom of the list are examples of two Citizen Initiatives to correct County Failures. 1965- Williamson Act Legislation What it is: This beneficial Act provides for the establishment of agricultural preserves to grant tax breaks for agricultural uses. 1973- Open Space Element What it is: State-required General Plan Element that identifies and protects productive open space lands. 1973- Draft Open Space Element What it is: Recommended 25-acre rural zoning. 1973- Supervisor Jack Walsh Letter Documenting that Open Space Committee was packed with special interest. 1973- Proposed Large-Lot Zoning What it is: Proposed zoning ordinance amendment to provide 1975- Conservation Element What it is: State-required General Plan Element to identify and 1978- Land Use Element What it is: State-required General Plan Element. 1979- Draft Agricultural Element What it is: An exhaustive economic and land-use study; affected 750 square miles of rural lands; and was two years in the making. 1980- Rural Community Plan Updates What it is: Ten rural community plans were up-dated with 1981- Central Mountain Plan Update What it is: County initiates GPA 91-02, the Central Mountain Plan update, planning for the heart of the forest lands. 1982- Multi-Species Conservation Plan What it is: Mitigation plan to protect 85 endangered species. 1993- GPA 94-01 What it is: Proposed urban limit line and rural zoning general plan amendment. 1994- Rural Task Force What it is: Group to tackle issues facing County's rural lands. 1995- AG 20 Lawsuit What it is: SOFAR's successful legal challenge of County's 1996- GPA 96-03 What it is: County's response to court order to properly protect 1998- General Plan 2020. What it is: Update of County's General Plan. Could take 3 years. County population expected to grow by 1 million residents by 2020. Plan will determine how that future growth will be absorbed and distributed in Cost of rural planning failure by County of San Diego OVER 11 MILLION DOLLARS. Citizen-Initiatives: 1992- Forest Conservation Plan (Successful Initiative) What it is: Qualified with 110,000 signatures. Plan to save the forest with 40-acre large-lot zoning. 1997- Proposition B Rural Heritage & Watershed Initiative (Unsuccessful) What it is: A land-use measure that would amend the General Plan to prevent urban development from County's rural lands. Would implement County's own growth management plan. |
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