Rapid Development Sparks Recall Of Murrieta Mayor

In a close recall election where growth was the central issue, Murrieta voters have removed Mayor Jack van Haaster from office. Councilman Kelly Seyarto narrowly survived the recall, while Councilman Doug McAllister easily staved off the recall.Citizens last year formed a group called Rescue Murrieta in response to several controversial project approvals. Members argued that the pace of growth has been too rapid, resulting in traffic congestion, lost open space and other ills. They targeted van Haaster, Seyarto and McAllister for recall, contending that the three are beholden to developers.