SAN DIEGO — Those living in the city of San Diego voted on Measure C in the November 8, 2022 general election to decide if the Midway District should be excluded from the current 30-foot height limit on buildings in the coastal zone.
Measure C Live Election Results
A city of San Diego measure that would remove the 30- foot coastal height limit for buildings in the Midway District was too close to call Wednesday.
As votes were tallied from Tuesday's election, the yes and no votes were evenly split on Measure C, likely leaving the proposal undecided for days as vote-by-mail ballots continue to be tallied.
Measure C's passage would exclude the 1,324-acre Midway-Pacific Highway Community Plan area from the existing 30-foot height limit on buildings, which supporters say will spur housing opportunities and revitalize a rundown neighborhood.
Opponents say removing the height limit would block coastal views and cause density issues leading to traffic congestion in the area.
In 2020, voters approved an identical measure to remove the height limit, but opponents sued the city and a judge ruled in their favor, stating that the city did not conduct proper environmental analysis before putting that measure before voters.
Opponents have sued again to block Measure C, alleging the city's latest environmental impact analysis only studied the measure's effect on views, and not other factors such as traffic, air quality, and water quality, among others.
Measure C's supporters include San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, Councilman Chris Cate, and the Midway Community Planning Group. In their ballot statement, supporters say the measure "is the key to creating a pedestrian- friendly, transit-oriented community with entertainment, shops, and outdoor recreation." They also say the Midway District is not a coastal area and should not have been included in the Coastal Height Limit Zone established in 1972.
Opponents, including environmental group Save Our Access, say the measure will force "high-rise development into existing beach communities" to the benefit of developers. Save Our Access, which filed both lawsuits challenging the height limit ballot measures, say more parks and open space would be beneficial, rather than high rise development projects.
A YES vote on Measure C means
This would mean the City of San Diego would exclude the Midway-Pacific Highway Community Plan area from the 30-foot height limit for development in the Coastal Zone.
A NO vote on Measure C means
This would mean the City of San Diego wouldn't exclude the Midway-Pacific Highway Community Plan area from the 30-foot height limit for development in the Coastal Zone.
Measure C explained
In September, the San Diego City Council voted to greenlight the Midway Rising plan, which aims to re-develop the 48-acre Sports Arena property. However, if voters don't pass Measure C next month, those plans, which include more than 4,000 new homes, won't be able to move forward.
Supporters say this is critical to creating more housing and revitalizing the community, opponents argue it will create congestion and block coastal access.
OFFICIAL BALLOT QUESTIONS
MEASURE C REMOVING 30-FOOT HEIGHT LIMIT IN MIDWAY-PACIFIC HIGHWAY COMMUNITY PLAN AREA: Shall People's Ordinance O-10960 be amended to exclude the Midway-Pacific Highway Community Plan area, which includes the Sports Arena, from the 30-foot height limit on buildings in the Coastal Zone, with any future development still required to comply with other governing laws?
Watch Related: Measure C: Battle over Midway development heads to the Ballot Box (Oct 24, 2022)