Pismo Beach council staves off city election on Spanish Springs

September 5, 2013

The Pismo Beach City Council staved off a referendum election on the proposed Spanish Spring project by voting unanimously Tuesday to repeal general plan amendments it adopted in June.

City Clerk Elaina Cano announced Tuesday that a petition circulated for a referendum election on the Spanish Springs project contained enough signatures, so the council had to either repeal the general plan amendments or set an election date.

Both the opponents and proponents of the project opposed the general plan amendments adopted by the council for the proposed project that would include hundreds of new homes and living units in Price Canyon.

Spanish Springs opponents opposed the general plan amendments because they represented a step toward project approval. Project backers said they wanted to avoid an election and were concerned that the general plan amendments as adopted would create legal liability with regard to proposed water usage.

Following the repeal of the plan amendments, the council cannot consider approving the project as currently proposed for one year. The project must return with significant changes to allow the council to adopt new general plan amendments in the next year.