Petition seeking a direct vote on Costa Mesa development is making the rounds

Costa Mesa activists have begun circulating a petition in an effort to have new major developments face a vote of the people instead of just going before the City Council.

Costa Mesa First, a political action committee, has until Jan. 6 to collect about 5,000 verified signatures for its proposal — which it calls “an initiative to give the people of Costa Mesa control of their future” — to qualify for the November 2016 general election ballot.

The 11-page petition calls for City Council and voter approval for new commercial or residential projects that meet certain requirements. Included are projects that would require a zoning change or an alteration to the city’s general plan, add 40 or more new homes or 10,000 square feet of retail or office space, or generate an average of more than 200 additional car trips for an area.

The petition argues that Costa Mesa’s traffic is “already oversaturated” and its land-use standards are “ill-defined and inadequate” — so much so that the city cannot adequately handle the gridlock, water pollution and other effects of development.

But while Costa Mesa First leaders argue that Costa Mesa voters deserve a greater say when it comes to new developments, others contend the proposal would stifle growth in a city that needs more revenue from property and sales taxes to keep up with efforts to pay for public safety and rising pension debts.

Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer strongly opposes the proposal, which he called particularly unfavorable to small businesses, like a new Subway or drive-through Starbucks, and large corporations that may want to build a new headquarters in town or expand.

No business wants to wait until November 2016 for its plans to get approved, he said.

“They’ve got brands to protect,” Righeimer said. “They don’t want to get into a political fight.... [The petition] doesn’t just scare off business; they don’t even show up. They’re just gone.”

Former Councilman Jay Humphrey is helping lead the Costa Mesa First effort. He said he is worried about what he calls the “shotgun development” in the city and the various zoning rules being changed to accommodate it.

Humphrey has called the petition reasonable, inasmuch as Costa Mesa voters can “have the ability to weigh in on the things that they are going to be faced with” in the coming decades.

Righeimer, who narrowly won against Humphrey in the last City Council election, said Humphrey should “just win an election and do what you want to do. Do not put a nuclear bomb in the city and explode it because you didn’t get what you wanted.”

Growth in Costa Mesa has been readily apparent in recent years, particularly in the form of new residential projects on the Eastside and Westside. With the change has come significant community debate on the merits of such development, with some people believing it boosts blighted areas and others contending that Costa Mesa is a densely populated city already built-out to capacity.