17016 / 50.48% Yes votes ...... 16695 / 49.52% No votes

See Also: Index of all Propositions

Proposition D (“Measure”) would amend the Land Use and Open Space and Conservation Elements of the Carlsbad General Plan to designate an area for special planning consideration called “The Cannon Road Open Space, Farming and Public Use Corridor” (“Area”). The Area contains approximately 307 acres located in the central portion of the City along Cannon Road east of I-5 and shown on Exhibit A to the Proposition. It designates 208 acres as open space and promotes agricultural uses as long as feasible. All land within the Area not presently zoned open space would be rezoned to open space. It directs the City to initiate a public planning process with broad public participation to fully accomplish the goals, objectives and action programs of the Measure and provides that if determined necessary the City shall establish an overlay zone to provide more detail on permitted uses and land use regulations in the open space zone. It reaffirms the existing open space designation for this Area and requires a vote of the people to change that designation in the future. It establishes goals, objectives and implementing policies and action programs which:

Prohibit residential development;

Enhance the opportunity to provide public accessibility to open space;

Allow consideration of active and passive recreation uses;

Provide for comprehensive planning process, with significant citizen input, to determine appropriate open space uses;

Permit only open space, farming and compatible public uses. Permitted uses are: Openspace,

Utilize all existing programs, land use protections and explore possible new mechanism to keep existing THE FLOWER FIELDS® in production;

Raise agricultural uses in the area from-priority 5 to priority 1.

The measure cannot be amended except by a subsequent vote of the people of Carlsbad. It becomes effective 10 days after certification of the vote, authorizes City Council to make any other amendments to other planning documents to fully implement it and requires the City to initiate a comprehensive planning process with broad public participation and input for its implementation. This measure shall prevail if it receives a higher majority vote than Proposition E on this ballot.

A “YES” VOTE MEANS: You wish the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance to be amended.

A “NO” VOTE MEANS: You do not wish the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance to be amended.

FISCAL IMPACT: The cost to implement this measure includes implementation of a comprehensive planning process and amendment of other documents in an unknown but not significant amount.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: The Measure was determined not to have any significant adverse environmental impacts and a negative declaration was adopted by the City Council at its meeting of August 8, 2006.

City of Carlsbad

Proposition D will protect the Flower and Strawberry Fields Area of the City by permanently placing it in an Open Space designation. It encourages farming to continue in the Area for as long as possible. In the future, should farming cease in the Area, this proposition would only allow other Open Space uses. Residential and other non-Open Space uses would be prohibited. The proposition creates a comprehensive planning process, with broad citizen involvement, to determine the other Open Space uses that would be appropriate for the Area. It increases the opportunity for public accessibility to the Area by allowing the consideration of recreational uses such as public trails in a manner that is compatible with existing farming.

Proposition D protects the Flower and Strawberry Fields in a way that does not strip-away all existing, private property rights that were approved previously by the City and the State Coastal Commission. This could save the Carlsbad taxpayers millions of dollars in potential legal costs, compensation and financial subsidies.

Proposition D includes all the recommendations made by a 25-member Citizens Committee. The Committee supported placing this proposition on the ballot because they believed it was the right way to protect this Area of the City.

A YES vote on Proposition D will put control for the future of the Flower and Strawberry Fields Area in the hands of the Citizens of Carlsbad where it belongs. It lets the community decide what are appropriate Open Space uses for the Area should farming not be possible in the future.

We strongly urge you to vote YES on Proposition D. It is the right way to protect this important Area of the City.

CLAUDE A. LEWIS
Mayor

MARK PACKARD
City Council Member

ANN J. KULCHIN
City Council Member

MATTHEW HALL
Mayor Pro Tem

Proposition D (DEVELOPMENT):

• Protections are temporary. SDG&E can end farming at any time.
• Allows farming, does not encourage farming.
• Allows private development on open space.

• Civic Centers
• Private Schools & Clubhouses
• Fairgrounds
• Entertainment Facilities
• Parking Lots & Structures
• Quasi-public Buildings
• Cell-phone, Microwave, Broadcast Towers
• Large Recycling Facilities
• Amphitheaters
• Transportation Right-of-Ways
• Windmill Farms
• Other Uses “...similar to permitted uses.”

• City anticipates 463,000 s.f. of Commercial Shopping Centers plus another Golf Course in the immediate area.
• City claims no additional police, fire, or other costs to accommodate Commercial Development larger than the Company Stores Shopping Center.
• Current Municipal Golf Course project is $55,000,000 TAX DOLLARS over budget. They want to build another?

Passage of Proposition D (DEVELOPMENT) will be the beginning of the end of Carlsbad’s strawberry and flower-growing fields Legacy.

In a grassroots effort, more than 7,000 Carlsbad voters signed petitions to place this Citizens’ Initiative on the ballot as Proposition E. Prop E is an effort to preserve some small remnant of Carlsbad’s agricultural history, prevent massive development and overcrowding, and preserve open space, public access, and sensitive habitat. As the Flower Fields® have shown, agriculture and agri-tourism can help the local economy while providing benefits for Carlsbad residents.

VOTE YES ON CITIZENS’ PROPOSITION E! VOTE, NO ON POLITICIANS’ PROPOSITION D!

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER!

Only this Citizens’ Initiative:

• amends Carlsbad’s General Plan to ensure permanent protection for the agricultural lands along the south shore of Agua Hedionda Lagoon;
• allows open space, habitat, and power line uses;
• retains plans for public trails and lagoon access;
• prevents the development of incompatible large stadiums, private entertainment facilities, parking lots in the strawberry fields; and
• does not create new traffic problems.

Proposition E:

• helps the City avoid lawsuits.
• complies with California state mandates, including the Habitat Management Plan.
• preserves Carlsbad’s Growth Management Plan.
• frustrates City politicians’ efforts to violate our Constitutional rights, including property rights.
• requires no new infrastructure.

• This Citizens’ Initiative was created by an independent group of Carlsbad residents to preserve current coastal open spaces, historic coastal agricultural lands, and other compatible uses in this area.
• City politicians, working with large landowners and developers, have created a competing ballot measure designed to defeat this Initiative and enable massive development of this area. The City has already spent over $150,000 on this effort. Don’t be misled! Read the fine print.

MICHAEL BOVENZI
Contractor/Developer

JIM STRICKLAND
(Retired) US Navy Chief

RONALD D. ALVAREZ
Member of Concerned Citizens of Carlsbad

The main purpose of Proposition D is to support the preservation of the Flower and Strawberry Fields.

• Proposition D makes farming and agricultural uses the top priority for allowed land uses in the area.

• Although the existing Flower Fields are already protected, Proposition D provides for additional protection.

• It permanently locks into place an Open Space designation for the Flower and Strawberry Fields area.

• If a property owner in the area cannot continue to farm their land, the Proposition only allows a small list of other open space uses.

• Residential and commercial development is prohibited by the Proposition.

• Proposition D does not allow farming operations on lands proposed to be preserved in their natural state for endangered plants and animals.
• It supports improved, public access to the area by allowing public trails and other compatible public recreational uses.

We strongly urge you to vote YES on Proposition D and NO on Proposition E.

CLAUDE A. “BUD” LEWIS
Mayor, City of Carlsbad

MATTHEW HALL
Councilmember, City of Carlsbad

MARK PACKARD
Councilmember, City of Carlsbad

ANN J. KULCHIN
Councilmember, City of Carlsbad

NORINE SIGAFOOSE
Carlsbad City Council