Poway, California, Maderas Golf Course Hotel, Measure W (November 2016)

• Text of measure
  • Ballot question
  • Impartial analysis
• Support
  • Official argument
• Opposition
  • Official argument
• Path to the ballot
• See also
  • External links
  • Footnotes
• More
  • Local ballot measures
  • State ballot measures
  • Local politics

Measure W: Poway Maderas Golf Course Hotel
The basics
Election date:
November 8, 2016
Status:
d Defeated
Topic:
Local zoning, land use and development
Related articles
Local zoning, land use and development on the ballot November 8, 2016 ballot measures in California San Diego County, California ballot measures
See also
Poway, California

A measure allowing for the construction of a hotel was on the ballot for Poway voters in San Diego County, California, on November 8, 2016. It was defeated.

A yes vote was a vote in favor of allowing the construction of a hotel with up to 240 rooms on the Maderas Golf Course property.

A no vote was a vote against allowing the construction of a hotel with up to 240 rooms on the Maderas Golf Course property.

Election results

Measure W
Result		Votes	Percentage
d No		11,999	51.46%
Yes		11,319	48.54%

Election results from San Diego County Elections Office

Text of measure

Ballot question

The following question appeared on the ballot:

“

Do you approve Specific Plan Amendment 16-002 as adopted by the Poway City Council to amend the Old Coach Golf Estates Specific Plan, to allow development of a hotel with up to 240 rooms on the existing Maderas Golf Course site located at 17750 Old Coach Road?

”

Impartial analysis

The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Poway City Attorney:

“	Under California law a specific plan allows a systematic implementation of a city’s general plan for all or part of the area covered by the general plan. A specific plan must include text and diagrams specifying, among other things, the location and the extent of uses of land within the area covered by the plan. A specific plan can limit those uses otherwise allowed by the underlying zone. Since 1990 the Old Coach Golf Estates Specific Plan (“OCGESP”) has applied to the development and operation of that part of Poway that includes the Maderas Golf Course (“Maderas”). As adopted by the Poway City Council the OCGESP currently limits development to a 27-hole championship golf course and clubhouse as well as a community of high quality, detached, single-family home sites on large parcels located throughout the plan area. The owner of Maderas has applied for an amendment to the OCGESP in order to expand the allowable uses to include the construction of a hotel with not more than 240 rooms (the “Amendment”). Any hotel must be built within the “Golf Course Envelope” as that term is defined in the OCGESP. The Amendment also includes a definition of “hotel,” providing that any hotel must be designed to complement the clubhouse and the surrounding area, and may include a spa and other related facilities commonly found in a resort destination hotel. On July 19, 2016, the Poway City Council approved the Amendment as requested by the owner of Maderas. The approval of the Amendment only allows the possibility of a hotel in the Golf Course Envelope; the property where Maderas is located will retain the zone classification of PC “planned community” and any hotel will still require the additional approval of a conditional use permit by the City Council under the City’s Zoning Code. Even though the Amendment has been approved by the City Council the City’s General Plan and Zoning Code (Title 17 of the Poway Municipal Code) both provide that the City Council’s approval is not effective unless approved by the City’s voters. These voter approval requirements come from what is known as Proposition FF, adopted by the City’s voters in 1988. Proposition FF amended the City’s General Plan to require, among other things, that any change to the Old Coach Planned Community Development Plan that would increase the commercial use within the Old Coach area must be approved by the City’s voters. Proposition FF also added section 17.20.130 to the Poway Municipal Code specifically requiring voter approval of any increase in commercial use within the Old Coach Planned Community. Because the Amendment allows the increase in commercial use at Maderas, and because Maderas is located within the Old Coach Planned Community, the City Council’s approval of the Amendment is not effective unless approved by a majority vote of those voters casting ballots at the election. In compliance with Proposition FF this measure was placed on the ballot by the City Council of the City of Poway.	”
—Poway City Attorney

Full text

The full text of the measure is available here.

Support

Supporters

The following individuals signed the official argument in favor of the measure:

• Michael Flickinger, General Manager, Maderas Golf Course
• Jack Cohen, Chair, Poway Chamber of Commerce
• Dolores Canizales, President & CEO, Poway Chamber of Commerce
• Don Higginson, former Mayor
• Kelley Burt

Arguments in favor

Official argument

The following official argument was submitted in favor of the measure:

“

Proposition W protects Poway’s community character and way of life. The hotel at Maderas Golf Course will be limited to no more than 240 rooms, will bring jobs and tax revenue to our City, and will be designed to blend with the surrounding golf course and neighborhoods. Important safeguards protect Poway residents: Full environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is required by law. A two-story building height limitation is required by law. Hotel approval by public hearing at the City Council is required by law. The Proposition keeps the golf course economically sustainable, preventing densification and maintaining community character. Proposition W won’t raise your taxes but the hotel will provide increased revenues for Poway! The hotel will generate an estimated $1.5 million in Transit Occupancy Tax, plus property taxes. That’s three times more TOT than Poway receives today. These are taxes paid by hotel guests and the hotel’s owners, NOT you! $1.5M in TOT could pay for: Poway’s annual budget for Fire Prevention and Paramedics Poway’s annual budget for the Performing Arts Center Almost all of Poway’s Parks and Open Space Capital Improvement budget Poway residents say this about Proposition W: “I like that Proposition W puts the tax burden on the right people—the owners of the project and not on Poway residents.” Don Higginson, businessman and former Mayor of Poway “If we want to continue to be ‘The City in the Country,’ we need to say yes to projects like Proposition W.” Kelly Burt, Neighbor of Maderas Golf Course If you want new funding for critical City services without raising your taxes, VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION W!

”

Opposition

Opponents

The following individuals signed the official argument against the measure:

• Steven Stone, President, GVCA
• Anita Edmondson, Vice President, GVCA
• Jack Tripp, Treasurer, GVCA
• Dave Zettel, Secretary, GVCA
• Dale Long, Board Member, GVCA

Arguments against

Official argument

The following official argument was submitted in opposition to the measure:

“

Demand transparency, honesty, more information. Vote NO on W Don’t be fooled. Nothing being promised by developer Sunroad Enterprises is what it appears. There are too many red flags and unanswered questions to approve a development of this scale and impact. Not a “boutique” hotel, defined by industry as 100 rooms or less. The plan is a RESORT DESTINATION HOTEL with spa and related facilities on the scale of the 287-room Rancho Bernardo Inn. Inflated tax revenue? How is the alleged $1.5 million in hotel tax revenue being calculated without substantiating project scope? Will it require all 240 rooms and what level of occupancy to meet that revenue? If development size is reduced, WILL ACTUAL REVENUE BE LESS? No guarantees. The developer can make NO GUARANTEES how the City will spend the tax revenue; these are empty promises. Nothing is final. Specifications on height limit, square footage, etc. are not final and CAN BE CHANGED AND APPROVED by the City with little say from residents. Where is the water coming from? Purchased city water? On-site wells? Is water usage by a large resort sustainable? All City Council members declined to take a position on the development. What the Poway community is saying about Proposition W: “We urge Poway voters to pay attention and be as knowledgeable as possible before casting their ballots.” –Steve Dreyer, Editor, Poway News Chieftain “I strongly recommend that you vote NO, until such time that a more comprehensive plan is presented to the voters.” –Concerned citizen “The City has recently demonstrated a pattern of decision-making on projects without adequate community input. I have real concerns about how big decisions on a large hotel will be made.” – Concerned citizen ALL POWAY VOTERS deserve transparency and accurate information and should demand it by voting NO on Prop W.

”

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in California

This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing officials of Poway, California.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Poway Local zoning, land use and development. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Poway, California, Maderas Golf Course Hotel, Measure W (November 2016) - Google News

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2016
• Local zoning, land use and development on the ballot

• San Diego County measures

California

• November 8, 2016 measures in California
• Local ballot measures, California
• Poway, California

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas

External links

Suggest a link

• San Diego County Elections Office website