Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Environment

Oceanside Open Space Development Initiative Qualifies For Ballot

The Morro Hills in Oceanside are shown in this photo, July 26, 2017.
Alison St John
The Morro Hills in Oceanside are shown in this photo, July 26, 2017.

Oceanside is the latest city in San Diego County to mount an initiative to restrict housing development on land currently zoned as open space. the Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources, or SOAR, initiative has collected enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.

The measure would prevent the city council from changing the zoning on any open space in Oceanside, including parks, golf courses and farmland, without a vote of the people.

Oceanside has more than 3,000 acres of rolling farm land known as Morro Hills, reached by country roads with names like Sleeping Indian and Precious Hills.

Advertisement

The fields and orchards are increasingly encroached on by new housing developments. The city has tried to boost agritourism to help keep farming viable in Morro Hills. But the region needs housing, and some farmers, challenged by higher water and labor costs, have sold their land to developers.

Many of the smaller farmers support the SOAR initiative, but larger farmers and the San Diego Farm Bureau oppose it, saying unless farms remain economically viable, the open space could turn from green fields into brown wasteland.

The city council will decide May 9 whether to the measure, call a special election or put it on the November ballot.

Oceanside Open Space Development Initiative Qualifies For Ballot
Oceanside is the latest city in San Diego County to mount an initiative to restrict housing development on land currently zoned as open space. The “SOAR” initiative has collected enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.

The North County Focus newsletter is your bi-weekly guide to all the news coming from North County, plus a handpicked selection of events and trivia tidbits.