Public comment at the Nov. 19 San Diego County Board workshop framed many of the broader community concerns that preceded the housing discussion.

Dorothea Flanagan asked the board to designate Route 76 a scenic highway to limit billboards that obscure views of mountain ranges; Robert Gherman criticized recent 50-year aviation leases at Gillespie Field and warned such terms can encourage resale and noncompatible uses near flight schools. “Please, designate Scenic Highway from Oceanside to the casinos,” Flanagan said during in-person comment.

Phone and in-person callers raised public-health concerns about commercialization and marketing of tobacco and high-potency cannabis. Kathleen Lippett argued that legalization and industry promotion had not reduced demand or youth exposure and urged demand-reduction strategies. Barbara Gordon, a public-health advocate, urged the board to strengthen county tobacco-retail licensing, reduce retailer density, and restrict flavored-product advertising.

Several callers urged tenant protections and preservation. Georgette Gomez and Jose Lopez of ACE and Casa Familiar highlighted community land trusts and tenant-protection tools, and one speaker urged the county to pursue local rent-stabilization measures and stronger eviction protections. Michelle Walther, a voting constituent, made sharp allegations about animal-welfare failures in county shelters and called for administrative accountability; no staff response was recorded in the public-comment segment.

The public comment record also included industry and business voices: the Building Industry Association proposed a phased implementation plan to align zoning, streamline permitting and expand near-term actions to build village-oriented housing; the San Diego Regional Chamber urged caution about imposing additional regulations that raise construction costs.

Clerk notes: the board heard an initial set of non-agenda speakers (5 in person, 5 by phone) early in the session, then took remaining non-agenda comments at the close; Item 1 generated 30 requests (20 in person, 10 by phone) including three group presentations and seven e-comments on the record.

What the transcript shows: a range of community priorities—view-shed protection, airport land-use oversight, public-health concerns about tobacco and high-potency cannabis, shelter and animal-welfare allegations, tenant protections and preservation—were all raised directly to the board. The transcript records complaints and policy recommendations but no immediate staff actions beyond the housing-item follow-ups; allegations of wrongdoing (for example, about shelter leadership) were not resolved during the meeting.