OCEANSIDE — City planning commissioners are seeking a formal meeting with the City Council after expressing frustration over a proposed policy shift that would give the council broader authority to review appeals of commission-approved development projects.
In March, the City Council voted 3-2 to allow de novo public hearings for appealed development projects, meaning the council could evaluate an entire project rather than being limited to only the specific issues raised in an appeal.
The change still requires a project to be appealed before the council can review it.
On April 14, city staff brought forward zoning text amendments to align the city’s Local Coastal Plan with the new policy. Planning commissioners were asked to recommend the changes for future council approval, but instead voted 5-1 to take no action and called for a meeting with the council to discuss the change and clarify their role.
“It’s another knock on the Planning Commission is the way I take it,” said Commissioner Tom Rosales, who made the motion. “Again, it’s as if there’s not a level of confidence that the Planning Commission got it right… I guess the entire thing annoys me.”
Commissioner Louise Balma, who has served on the commission for 23 years, echoed the sentiment, describing the move as a “jab” at the commission.
“It’s like when you thought you were doing a good job and now all of a sudden, you’re being questioned,” she said. “Everyone on this commission pretty much knows what they’re doing – it does kind of hurt a bit, it feels like there’s no respect.”
Commissioner Michael Ogden was the lone dissenting vote, siding with the City Council’s authority.
“I see no other option than to accept that change,” Ogden said. “I didn’t understand the change, but it’s ultimately up to City Council as the elected leaders representing the city’s voters, not the planning commissioners.”
Council members who supported the change in March cited frustration with the current policy’s limits on their ability to evaluate appealed projects fully. The proposal has drawn mixed reactions from the public. While some residents backed the change, others, including the Building Industry Association of San Diego, warned it could delay or discourage new housing developments.
Planning Commission Vice Chair John Malik was absent from the April 14 meeting.
