San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer threw his support Thursday behind a county ballot measure aimed at creating a North County housing development that would establish 2,135 new homes and 1,209 acres of open space.
Measure B, also known as the Better Choice Measure, would uphold a Board of County Supervisors approval to amend the county’s general plan to authorize development of the Newland Sierra project.
The development is proposed for an area west of Interstate 15, east of Oceanside and Vista, south of Bonsall and north of Escondido and San Marcos.
The project would also include a school site, 81,000 square feet of retail, 19 miles of trails, and 36 acres of parks.
Supporters say 60% of the new homes will be affordable housing for working families starting in the $300,000 range.
Faulconer said at a Thursday news conference that the measure would address “a severe housing shortage in San Diego County, one that has pushed the American Dream of home ownership out of reach for a growing number of San Diegans.”