Blueprints For San Diego's Future Growth

One million more people are expected to call San Diego home in the next 40 years. What is being done to prepare for the population surge now? Local leaders have been at work updating the county general plan...a rather bland title for a blueprint for San Diego's future growth.

Guests

KPBS Senior Metro Reporter Alison St John.

Transcript

1 MILLION MORE PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO CALL SAN DIEGO HOME IN THE NEXT 40 YEARS. SO WHAT'S BEEN DONE TO PREPARE FOR THE POPULATION SURGE NOW. LOCALLY THEY HAVE BEEN AT WORK UPDATING THE COUNTY PLAN PROCEEDING AS FUTURE GROWTH. WHAT'S IN THE WORKS TO ACCOMMODATE A MORE CROWDED SAN DIEGO .

WHY IS THE COUNTY WORKING ON UPDATING ITS PLAN FOR GROWTH IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS NOW.

YOU MIGHT SAY IT'S ABOUT TIME. IT'S BEEN ABOUT 30 YEARS. SO THIS UPDATE IS QUITE OVERDUE. BUT BASICALLY THIS IS A MAJOR CHALLENGE FOR THE REGION. WITH A MILLION MORE PEOPLE COMING IN THE NEXT FEW DECADES AND AT THE SAME TIME WE'VE GOT SHRINKING RESOURCES THAT WE ALSO HAVE GLOBAL WARMING COMING. THIS MEETS SOME VERY DIFFICULT KINDS OF CHARGES. BUT THEY AREN'T READY TO THE ON AGAIN. SO 2010 THERE WAS NO VOTE ON IT.

A COUPLE OF HUNDRED PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO TESTIFY. THEY HAVEN'T VOTED ON IT YET. YOU GOT PEOPLE ARE VERY UPSET BECAUSE PART OF THIS PLAN WOULD MEAN THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO USE THEIR LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT. SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT HOW THEY COULD BECOME THE CITY. YOU PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO SEE A LOT OF EXTRA DEVELOP AN CLOSE TO WHERE THEY LIVE. THEY MOVED OUT OF THE COUNTRY FOR PEACE. SO THAT ONE OF SEE THAT CHANGE.

ARE THE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS THAT STILL HAVE TO BE ANSWERED BEFORE THIS GOES TO FOCUS

REPORTER: THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS. THERE'S ABOUT 30 DIFFERENT THINGS. IS THERE ENOUGH WATER IN THAT COUNTRY TO SUSTAIN THE AMOUNT OF GROWTH THAT WE EXPECT. WHAT ABOUT FIRE CAN WE GET THE FIRE TRUCKS THE PLACES THAT ARE BURNING IN TIME TO MEET STATE RESPONSE TIMES. DO WE HAVE SOME MONEY THAT WE CAN OFFER FARMERS TAX BREAKS OR THE AND OF THINGS. THESE ARE ALL QUESTIONS OUR STILL BEING DEBATED.

WE DID ABOUT THEM AS A UNIT. THAT THEY TEND TO VOTE WITH ONE VOICE ON MANY ISSUES. TO WHAT DEGREE IS THE BOARD APPROACHING THIS NOW.

IS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO PREDICT. BUT THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENT INTERESTS. WITH UNINCORPORATED AREAS. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE MOST AT STAKE. THEY ARE LUMBERING FOR THEM TO REALLY PROTECT THEIR INTERESTS. ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT THERE 200 PROPERTY OWNERS WERE VERY UPSET AND THE SUPERVISORS HAVE SAID ANYTHING TO WAIT TO MAKE THIS WORK.

THERE'S DEADLY A DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY THAT SUPERVISORS CONSIDER DEVELOPERS. THEY MAY WANT AN AMENDMENT TO THIS. WHERE THERE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE ONE. A LOT OF THE PROCEDURES FOR ALLOWING THERE TO THE AMENDMENTS. THAT COULD'VE BEEN. WE'LL CONTINUE TO WATCH THAT ONE. OF COURSE MANY PEOPLE YOU HAVE CARS, AND SO THERE'S ALSO PLAYED TO EXPAND THE FREEWAYS BETWEEN LA JOLLA AND OCEANSIDE. HOWEVER, COUNSELING HAS NEW LAWS TO CURB GREENHOUSE ADMISSIONS. HOW IS THAT GOING TO AFFECT WHAT THEY DO IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION.

IT COULD HAVE A MAJOR EFFECT. IT'S THE FIRST GOVERNMENT IN THE STATE TO BE DEVELOPING THIS PLAN. SO A LOT OF OTHER REGIONS ARE LOOKING AT SAN DIEGO TO SEE HOW IT'S DEVELOPING. SO THE THING ABOUT THE EXPANSION THAT WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT IT IS NOT AN ISOLATION IT IS PART OF A MUCH BIGGER PLAN WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER MOVING PARTS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T END UP IN GRIDLOCK. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS HAS BEEN CONSIDERED AND, FOR THOSE LANES THE PROPOSED THEY WOULD BE MANAGED LANES. THEY WOULD BE PRESERVED OR THINGS LIKE BUSES.

THE PUBLIC ACTUALLY CAN MONITOR THE. TO OPPOSE THE PLAN TO WIDEN INTERSTATE FIVE. IS THERE ANY SENSE THAT THIS WE'LL HAVE AN IMPACT ON WHAT GOES FORTH.

ALREADY IT SEEMS TO HAVE AN IMPACT. BUT THEY HAVE SAID THEY AGREED WITH ANY LANES BUT FROM THERE TO OCEANSIDE PERHAPS WE SHOULD JUST PUT IN THE MANAGED LANES. SO ALREADY THERE SOME OF TO NOT GO THAT FULL MASSIVE AMOUNT OF A WAY OUT.

I'M SURE WE WILL SEE SOME LEGAL ACTION.