Meaning of Measure D’s Defeat

In the June 8 Primary Election, Mission Viejo voters rejected Measure D, also known as the Mission Viejo Right To Vote. As of June 11, the tally was 6,671 Yes (38 percent) to 10,889 No (62 percent). Among votes still to be counted by the Registrar of Voters are the provisional and paper ballots cast on Election Day.

Had voters approved Measure D, any major zone change (involving a parcel of more than 2 acres) would have required final approval by a vote of the people. The measure specified that the developer (or other entity requesting a major zone change) would pay for such an election.

As one interpretation of the measure’s defeat, those who campaigned for the Right To Vote said the opposition’s mailers confused voters. The mailers contained outright lies about Measure D, including false claims it would prevent the hospital from adding an oncology wing or it would stop a school from adding an auditorium. Such statements are obviously false because they don’t involve land-use changes.

As another interpretation of the measure’s defeat, those who campaigned against it say voters like the status quo. As things are, developers wanting to build more housing in a built-out city only have to persuade three council members to approve their project. As a result, high-density housing projects coming before the council in recent years have been approved over the objections of entire neighborhoods.

Developers and builders could claim that residents “overwhelmingly” said on June 8 that they don’t care about preserving Mission Viejo as a planned community. Council members wanting to approve a zone change could also refer to the vote as general approval to make changes.

In the way rezoning decisions are made, nothing has changed. The next time a neighborhood is threatened with a high-density housing project, it will still be up to the residents to mobilize and get as many people as possible to attend council meetings to stop the project. Thus far, the developers have won every fight.