Amendment to Prop. M to be on November ballot

A proposed amendment to Proposition M will be on the November ballot, the San Diego City Council decided in a unanimous vote on July 26.

The amendment would remove the development restriction placed by 1998’s Prop. M that limits Pacific Highlands Ranch to 1,900 units until the connector between Interstate 5 and Highway 56 is built.

Scott Tillson spoke on behalf of San Diego for Responsible Neighborhood Planning, a group first formed in 1998 to pass the original Prop. M, which represents local leaders, residents, businesses and environmental groups.

Tillson said the measure is needed to de-link Pacific Highlands Ranch from the freeway connectors so it can become the vibrant community it was planned to be with its own parks, library and shopping center. If the development restriction stays, the community will be “stagnant” as the 5/56-interchange project is years away from a conclusion, Tillson said.

He said the proposition amendment would not delay or alter the freeway project, which is currently being studied.

The city will have to pay for the ballot measure, and the most recent cost estimate was $250,000. Tillson said the city should pay because the Prop. M measure was initiated by residents of Carmel Valley and PHR, and carries endorsements from the entire affected neighborhood planning groups as well as District 1 Councilwoman Sherri Lightner.

City Attorney Jan Goldsmith said that the mayor does have the ability to veto the proposition amendment. Lightner said unanimous support from the council would hopefully be a convincing reason not to veto the ballot measure.