The Intracorp Vote Was About More Than One Project

One of the questions I hear most often is, "Why are you so concerned about the Intracorp project on Poway Road?"

The answer is simple.

It isn't just about one project. It's about the precedent it sets for every project that follows.

When the Poway Road Specific Plan was adopted, it represented years of public input and careful planning. Residents, business owners, and city leaders worked together to create a vision for the future of Poway Road—a vision that balanced new housing and economic development with the unique character that makes Poway special.

That plan was supposed to be the rulebook.

When future projects are approved in ways that many residents believe are inconsistent with the intent of that rulebook, it raises an important question: What value does the Specific Plan have if it can be set aside?

California requires Poway to build more housing. I support responsible development that helps meet those housing needs. But responsible development also means respecting the plans and promises made to our community.

The concern is not simply the Intracorp project itself. The concern is what comes next.

Every approval becomes a reference point for the next developer. If one project receives exceptions or interpretations that stretch beyond the vision of the Specific Plan, future applicants will naturally expect similar treatment. Over time, the carefully crafted standards that residents relied upon become increasingly difficult to defend.

That's how communities gradually lose control of their own planning.

As your City Councilmember, I will support growth—but growth that follows the community's adopted plans. If our plans need to change because of new state housing laws or changing community needs, those changes should happen openly, honestly, and with meaningful public participation. They should not occur one project at a time through decisions that weaken the standards residents expected the City to uphold.

Poway deserves leadership that respects both the law and the people.

We can provide housing.

We can support our local economy.

We can revitalize Poway Road.

But we can—and should—do it while honoring the plans that were created with our community's input.

Our General Plan and our Specific Plans are more than documents sitting on a shelf. They are promises to the people of Poway. If elected, I will work to ensure those promises continue to mean something.

Bob Walder

Candidate for Poway City Council, District 3