Costa Mesa slow-growth measure leads

Proposals to split Costa Mesa into voting districts, allow manufacturing of some medical marijuana products and require voter approval of larger development projects in the city all claimed early leads as ballots were tallied Tuesday night.

Another measure requiring voter approval for a number of changes that could be proposed at Fairview Park also staked itself to an early advantage as of 9:30 p.m., according to initial results the Orange County Registrar of Voters.

Costa Mesa voters were faced with two measures concerning growth and development on Tuesday’s ballot.

In the early going, more than two-thirds of votes cast were in favor of Measure Y, which would require voter approval of some larger development projects — namely those that entail a general plan amendment or zoning change and would also add 40 or more additional dwelling units or 10,000 or more additional square feet of commercial space on top of what already exists.

A sizably smaller majority of early voters also favored the competing Measure Z, a council-authored measure that instead seeks to ratify the city’s existing land-use regulations and create a fee applying to all new development north of the 405 Freeway and west of Fairview Road, with the purpose of increasing recreation, open space and public park facilities.

In the early going, voters also widely cast their ballots in favor of Measure EE — a proposal to split Costa Mesa into voting districts.

The city initiated the shift to district-based elections to avoid a threatened lawsuit that alleged the current at-large balloting method — in which all council members are chosen by citywide vote — violated the California Voting Rights Act of 2001 by diluting the ability of local Latino residents to elect their preferred candidates.

Measure EE, if adopted, would carve Costa Mesa into six voting districts covering different parts of the city. Residents in each district would elect one council member from that area to represent them.

It would also add a mayor elected by citywide vote, increasing the number of council members from five to seven. Currently, Costa Mesa’s mayor is selected by a majority vote of the council.

In the three-way ballot-box battle to determine the future of medical marijuana in the city, the City Council-sponsored Measure X was polling in positive territory.

That measure would maintain Costa Mesa’s existing ban on over-the-counter dispensaries, but would allow businesses that research, test, process and manufacture some medical marijuana products to open in an area north of South Coast Drive and west of Harbor Boulevard — provided they obtain permits from the city.

Residents sponsored the two other initiatives, Measure V and Measure W, to allow a number of medical marijuana businesses to open in town: up to eight in the case of V and up to four under W.

Under both measures such businesses would be restricted to commercial and industrial areas and subject to a 6% tax.

As of 11:30 p.m., Measure V was going down to defeat but Measure W was winning.

Tuesday’s ballot also played host to a back-and-forth over how much say voters should have in deciding what can happen in Fairview Park.

As of 9 p.m., the citizen-sponsored Measure AA looked solidly on the way to approval. That measure would require voter approval for a number of changes that could be proposed at Fairview Park, such as extending the park’s operating hours, installing additional lighting or building permanent structures. Maintenance, preservation or restoration work would not be subject to a vote.

According to early results, that measure was outperforming a competing initiative from the City Council, Measure BB, that would prohibit the development of athletic fields in Fairview Park without voter approval.

Measure BB would allow implementation of other recreational uses, such as those identified in the park’s master plan.

Also on Tuesday’s ballot was Measure TT, a nonbinding question asking whether the Mesa Water District and the Costa Mesa Sanitary District should pursue a merger.

As of 9 p.m., a slight majority of votes cast were in favor of the measure.

Because the measure is advisory only, even if it passes it’s a not a given that the two agencies will merge. Officials at Mesa Water, which placed the measure on the ballot, say the results will provide a clear indication of how much support there is for the concept.

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Twitter: @LukeMMoney