SDCTA Urges County to Adopt a Real Equity Mechanism in its General Plan Update
On behalf of the approximately 2,000 individual and organizational members of Citizens Coordinate for Century III, League of Women Voters of San Diego County, San Diego County Taxpayers Association, San Diego Housing Federation, Center on Policy Initiatives, Move San Diego, and Save Our Rural Economy, we are writing to request that that Planning Commission take steps to determine whether an equity mechanism, such as transfer development rights, should be integrated into the County General Plan update prior to its adoption. Our organizations applaud the Commission's recognition that an equity mechanism could be a valuable tool in improving the planning process. Our members believe that an equity mechanism has the potential to accomplish various critical goals, including encouraging the preservation of habitat and agricultural and rural lands, reducing wildfire risk, and promoting growth patterns that support walkable and transit-friendly communities with a diversity of housing types. In order to begin the process of integrating such a tool, the County should take the immediate step of requiring staff to take a focused look at how these mechanisms work and how implementation could occur in the County. As part of this process, we request that the Commission, at its April 16th General Plan update hearing, recommend that: 1. Staff immediately put together a stakeholder group to comprehensively explore available equity mechanisms and the feasibility of their implementation in the County. 2. The County Board of Supervisors forgo its arbitrary November deadline for approving the plan, if necessary, in order to fully investigate equity mechanisms. Thank you in advance for your thoughtful consideration of our recommendation. We look forward to attending and participating in your April 16th hearing.