A statewide ballot measure that would cap environmental review timelines could change how Del Mar and Solana Beach handle coastal development projects, including the North Bluff rezoning now underway.

Proposition 45, on the Tuesday, Nov. 3 ballot, would impose a time limit on California Environmental Quality Act reviews for projects designated as "essential," a category that includes housing, transportation, schools, clean energy and wildfire mitigation, according to the CalMatters voter guide. The California Chamber of Commerce placed the measure on the ballot. Sources differ on whether the cap is 365 calendar days or 365 business days, which would amount to roughly 18 months. CalMatters describes it as a "365-day limit," while a California YIMBY analysis and CBS News specify 365 business days.

The measure carries particular weight in Del Mar. The entire city sits within the Coastal Zone.

The Del Mar City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, Sept. 22 to approve a contract with consultant Moore Iacofano Goltsman for CEQA work on the North Bluff rezoning. The city's agenda report described the 13-month timeline as streamlined to meet CEQA, Coastal Act and state government code requirements, as the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. A City Council vote on the rezoning is targeted for October 2027.

That rezoning effort began after the Del Mar Fairgrounds fair board decided in August to stop negotiating with the city on housing at the fairgrounds site.

What Prop 45 would do

Beyond the review cap, the measure would compress the litigation window. Anyone challenging a project's environmental review would have 30 days after government approval to file suit. Courts would have 270 days to resolve the case, according to CalMatters. Developers could continue building while litigation proceeds, Voice of San Diego reported.

The measure would also limit public comment on environmental reviews to 45 days and restrict courts from blocking entire projects. If a legal challenge succeeds, the remedy would apply only to the specific issue raised in the lawsuit, according to the California YIMBY analysis.

That same analysis states Prop 45 would create a 90-day deadline for all public agency approvals beyond CEQA, including Coastal Development Permits. That provision could directly affect Del Mar and Solana Beach, where bluff-top projects routinely require coastal permits that can be appealed to the California Coastal Commission.

The measure's estimated fiscal impact is initial costs for state and local governments likely in the high tens of millions of dollars annually, potentially exceeding $100 million, partly offset by fees, according to the state voter guide.

Who supports and opposes it

Supporters include the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Building Industry Association and the California Council for Affordable Housing. The group Building A Better California, backed by billionaires including Google co-founder Sergey Brin, has spent $10 million promoting the measure, according to Voice of San Diego.

Opponents include the California Labor Federation, the California Democratic Party, Sierra Club California and the California League of Women Voters. The State Building and Construction Trades Council of California and the Ironworkers of the State of California have spent more than $2.5 million in opposition.

"This ballot measure is a wolf in sheep's clothing, pretending to be about speeding up construction," Dave Osborne, president of the District Council of Ironworkers, California and Vicinity, told Voice of San Diego.

Opponents argue government agencies lack the staff and expertise to complete environmental studies within the proposed timelines. Supporters counter that CEQA's current process invites frivolous litigation that delays housing and drives up costs.

Local timing

The measure lands on the same ballot as Del Mar's City Council race, where four candidates are running: Terry Gaasterland, Jas Grewal, Meghan Spieker and Jeff Sturgis. No Del Mar or Solana Beach officials have publicly commented on Prop 45. The next council will oversee the North Bluff rezoning through its planned vote in October 2027.

A League of Women Voters of North County San Diego candidate forum is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2 at Del Mar Town Hall, 1050 Camino del Mar, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.