Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

UPDATE: The dirty tricks of North River Farms

Enough signatures verified for referendum against the project

Photo of volunteer signature gatherers from Feb. 4 Reader story
Photo of volunteer signature gatherers from Feb. 4 Reader story

The controversial North River Farms project that promises to build 585 homes on Oceanside’s last remaining agricultural district hit a serious roadblock on Thursday. The county registrar certified that the self-described “anti-sprawl” group called Let Oceanside Vote was successful in overriding the city council’s November zoning change vote that allowed the project to proceed.

Because the referendum was successful, the city council must now rescind its 3-2 vote or place the question before the voters of Oceanside. Voters would then decide the development’s fate with a yes or no decision. City clerk Zeb Navarro says that if the city council does not decide to rescind its November vote, the public vote would be held in a special election or would appear on the November 3 general election ballot.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Navarro says he does not expect the council will call for a special election because of its $750,000 price tag. “In these fiscal times I find that very unlikely.”

The project was proposed by Integral Communities, a developer with a nationwide reach that maintains an office in Encinitas. An attempt to reach Integral’s Ninia Hammond, the North River Farms project manager for a comment was unsuccessful.

The city council will decide at its March 25 meeting how to proceed. The council decided at an emergency meeting March 18 that the public will no longer be available to gather in council chambers during council meetings for the duration of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The fact that more than 12,500 signatures were collected in less than 30 days by a mostly all-volunteer group indicates that the public is ready to turn down Integral’s project at the ballot box, says Kathryn Carbone part of the Let Oceanside Vote leadership team. “When we were in the field gathering signatures, most people already knew about the issue and were ready to sign the petition. Some people even sought us out in the field. I had people coming up to me at Vons with a smile on their face saying ‘Can I sign that?’ before I even got a word out to greet them.”

County registrar Michael Vu sent a letter to Oceanside city clerk Zeb Navarro on March 19 that of the 12,623 signatures collected, 2,130 were determined to be invalid. That meant that 11,739 signatures were valid. This figure exceeded the minimum of 9,609 signatures, which is ten per cent of Oceanside’s total registered voters. It took the registrar’s office nearly three months to verify the signatures.

In January, Integral filed a lawsuit claiming “egregious violations” hoping to stop the petition. It is unclear if the court system’s inactivity due to the Corona Virus will impact the successful referendum.

“It’s important to note that according to the registrar of voters, that out of 12,623 signatures, only four were withdrawn, after a campaign by Integral which compelled people to withdrawal their signatures,” says Carbonne.

“North River Farms’ high-density housing project on Oceanside farmland has met with tremendous public opposition,” says a release from Let Oceanside Vote. “It was rejected for land rezoning three times by the Oceanside Planning Commission. If the council does not rescind its decision, Oceanside’s voters can decide at the November 3rd election if this type of sprawl is really what Oceanside needs, or create a plan will be better for the area.”

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Mary Catherine Swanson wants every San Diego student going to college

Where busing from Southeast San Diego to University City has led
Next Article

Reader writer Chris Ahrens tells the story of Windansea

The shack is a landmark declaring, “The best break in the area is out there.”
Photo of volunteer signature gatherers from Feb. 4 Reader story
Photo of volunteer signature gatherers from Feb. 4 Reader story

The controversial North River Farms project that promises to build 585 homes on Oceanside’s last remaining agricultural district hit a serious roadblock on Thursday. The county registrar certified that the self-described “anti-sprawl” group called Let Oceanside Vote was successful in overriding the city council’s November zoning change vote that allowed the project to proceed.

Because the referendum was successful, the city council must now rescind its 3-2 vote or place the question before the voters of Oceanside. Voters would then decide the development’s fate with a yes or no decision. City clerk Zeb Navarro says that if the city council does not decide to rescind its November vote, the public vote would be held in a special election or would appear on the November 3 general election ballot.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Navarro says he does not expect the council will call for a special election because of its $750,000 price tag. “In these fiscal times I find that very unlikely.”

The project was proposed by Integral Communities, a developer with a nationwide reach that maintains an office in Encinitas. An attempt to reach Integral’s Ninia Hammond, the North River Farms project manager for a comment was unsuccessful.

The city council will decide at its March 25 meeting how to proceed. The council decided at an emergency meeting March 18 that the public will no longer be available to gather in council chambers during council meetings for the duration of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The fact that more than 12,500 signatures were collected in less than 30 days by a mostly all-volunteer group indicates that the public is ready to turn down Integral’s project at the ballot box, says Kathryn Carbone part of the Let Oceanside Vote leadership team. “When we were in the field gathering signatures, most people already knew about the issue and were ready to sign the petition. Some people even sought us out in the field. I had people coming up to me at Vons with a smile on their face saying ‘Can I sign that?’ before I even got a word out to greet them.”

County registrar Michael Vu sent a letter to Oceanside city clerk Zeb Navarro on March 19 that of the 12,623 signatures collected, 2,130 were determined to be invalid. That meant that 11,739 signatures were valid. This figure exceeded the minimum of 9,609 signatures, which is ten per cent of Oceanside’s total registered voters. It took the registrar’s office nearly three months to verify the signatures.

In January, Integral filed a lawsuit claiming “egregious violations” hoping to stop the petition. It is unclear if the court system’s inactivity due to the Corona Virus will impact the successful referendum.

“It’s important to note that according to the registrar of voters, that out of 12,623 signatures, only four were withdrawn, after a campaign by Integral which compelled people to withdrawal their signatures,” says Carbonne.

“North River Farms’ high-density housing project on Oceanside farmland has met with tremendous public opposition,” says a release from Let Oceanside Vote. “It was rejected for land rezoning three times by the Oceanside Planning Commission. If the council does not rescind its decision, Oceanside’s voters can decide at the November 3rd election if this type of sprawl is really what Oceanside needs, or create a plan will be better for the area.”

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Oceanside toughens up Harbor Beach

Tighter hours on fire rings, more cops, maybe cameras
Next Article

Houston ex-mayor donates to Toni Atkins governor fund

LGBT fights in common
Comments
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
March 20, 2020
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
March 22, 2020
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
March 29, 2020
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader