"Smart growth" may be a great theory, but it was not until recently we saw for the first time what it looked like in action. And it wasn't pretty.

The scene was a meeting of the San Diego Association of Governments where local elected officials met to dole out $19 million in federal highway money to 14 smart-growth projects throughout San Diego County —— everywhere except coastal North County.

A nine-member panel of volunteers from throughout the region —— everywhere except coastal North County —— came up with a list of projects that were supposed to create incentives for smart growth. The hope is that smarter planning will create more affordable housing, alleviate traffic congestion and rebuild infrastructure.

Thanks to Encinitas Councilman Jerome Stocks, we learned they came up with something quite different: heavy on social engineering masquerading as urban planning; light on real world solutions. And nothing for coastal North County.

The city of San Diego is getting $2 million for "pedestrian pop outs," bike racks and new traffic signals in North Park. National City is getting several million dollars to refurbish its downtown with a fountain, benches, and again, more bike racks.

City Heights is getting a bike trail. La Mesa is getting two street elevators. North County is getting the shaft.

It's easy to see why. One member of the panel, a recent university graduate, complains that government policies cause "obesity" because they are "auto-centric." Two other members of the panel are card-carrying leaders of the largest bicycle organizations in California. Others are advocates for public housing and the disabled.

Road lovers are nowhere to be seen.

Contrary to the impression one might get from a group spending $19 million of road money on flowerpots, sidewalks, elevators, fountains and bike racks, we don't have a lot of transportation money to throw around.

Just this year, in the widely discussed federal highway bill, the average San Diegan received about one-tenth of what the average Alaskan received in highway funds.

And for the last several years, the state has diverted highway taxes to the general fund. This double whammy explains why Southern California freeways are among the most crowded in America.

Now this. And the same local governments that spend millions of transportation dollars for bike racks and flower pots want home-buyers and business owners to pay $900 million in fees because they say there is no money for better roads.

The $19 million will buy lots of city enhancements, but most of these faux transportation projects are really deferred maintenance programs that each city should pay for out of its own pocket, not from car-centric taxes.

Stocks said the panel's recommendations were "insane." And he's right. And although Stocks was not able to stop the insanity this time, his vigilance did put SANDAG on notice: Things are going to be different when $280 million for smart growth starts flowing from sales tax revenues in two years.

Smart growth is an important way to create housing opportunities and alleviate traffic congestion.

But there is one catch: Smart growth requires smart decisions.

North County Times columnist Michael D. Pattinson is president of Barratt American, a builder based in Carlsbad.