The battle lines are drawn for the campaigns in support of and against a major development on the shores of Carlsbad's Agua Hedionda Lagoon.
Both sides have submitted ballot arguments for February's special election on Measure A.
All five Carlsbad city council members put their names on the argument for Measure A.
Measure A reminds voters the land in question — a parcel next to Interstate 5 — has been zoned for commercial use for more than 20 years. Opposing this specific development would not mean the 27 acres earmarked for a shopping center would remain open space. It will be developed eventually.
The ballot argument against Measure A, prepared by the nonprofit group Citizens for North County, calls the development a Los Angeles-style 500,000-square-foot shopping mall that will draw shoppers from throughout the region and cause traffic gridlock on Interstate 5 and nearby roads.
The argument against Measure A is signed by former Carlsbad Planning Director Michael Holzmiller, the former chair of the city's Planning Commission Victoria Scully and recently retired City Attorney Ronald Ball.
As with most new developments, traffic is one of the major concerns. The supporting ballot argument states that though traffic will get heavier, traffic flow will be better than it would be without the development because of the developer’s investments in nearby roads.
A key issue has been a lack of specifics about the actual development. Much of the information on the project so far has focused on the developer’s plans to preserve 85 percent of the 200-acre property as open space.
According to the argument against Measure A, voters would be giving the developers a blank check. Once the project is approved, the city has no power to modify what is built there for 15 years.
The city’s argument for the measure states city staff have evaluated the plan and found it meets or exceeds city standards for growth.
Caruso Affiliated, the developer of the proposed shopping and entertainment center, has already spent more than $5 million on promoting the plan. Bryce Ross, Caruso vice president, said he is helping to set up an information center on the site.
“Our goal is to reach as many Carlsbad residents as we can, to make sure they have the facts about the plan so they can make informed decisions,” Ross said.
Opponents have raised and spent a few thousand dollars to collect the signatures for this election. DeAnn Weimer, of Citizens for North County, wrote the argument against Measure A. The group will focus on educating the public about facts that have not yet been heard and making them aware of what is at stake, she said.
Ballots for Feb. 23 special election will be printed in early January and mailed out to Carlsbad voters later in the month. Mail-in ballots will be available Jan. 25.
