A proposal to create a second Latino-majority City Council District south of the Interstate 8 freeway faces competition from proposals to form a new district north of I-8.

Supporters of these plans Monday in Linda Vista spoke before the San Diego Redistricting Commission, the citizens group charged with drawing a new council district in time for elections next year.

About 100 people attended the next-to-last public hearing before the commission begins drawing a new district, the first in San Diego since 1965.

Supporters of the Latino-majority new district also urged to keep District 8, Logan Heights, San Ysidro, predominantly Latino.

One individual disagreed, saying the district is not contiguous and the South Bay portion should be removed.

Supporters of a proposal to get an Asian-American elected to the council through the redistricting process also made their case. The Asian and Pacific American Coalition is proposing a new district that takes in Mira Mesa, Kearny Mesa, Rancho Peñasquitos, Torrey Highland, University and Miramar.

Supporters of the Latino plan said they backed a new Asian district but not the one proposed by the coalition, also known as APAC.

Allen Chan, one of APAC's leaders, called criticism of the Asian-led plan "attacks" on his group's efforts "to seek the basic rights of fair representation protected by the U.S. Constitution."

APAC's plan, meanwhile, was at odds with one being pushed by Rancho Peñasquitos area residents. That plan does not include Mira Mesa. The proposed district would take in Rancho Peñasquitos, Rancho Bernardo, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Sabre Springs, Torrey Highlands and Black Mountain Ranch.

The district's boundaries would be closely tied to the Poway Unified School District and Palomar-Pomerado Health District, he said. Andy Berg said his group's plan is supported by the Rancho Peñasquitos planning group and town council and Rancho Bernardo Town Council and Carmel Valley Planning Group.

The Redistricting Commission will take race and ethnicity into consideration when it draws a new map along with other socio-economic factors. The redistricting plan must comply with the Federal Voting Rights Act. The city's charter also requires that the plan "shall provide fair and effective representation for all citizens of the city, including racial, ethnic and language minorities."

City voters last year approved the creation of a ninth council district, to be done during redistricting, which began this year after the release of 2010 Census population figures for San Diego. Each district is to have about 144,000 residents at the end of redistricting.

Supporters of a new Latino-majority district had the largest presence at the public hearing Monday.

Those who spoke voiced support for a new district that would be more than 55 percent Latino and have City Heights as its center. They also cited the growth of the city's Latino population, which is almost 30 percent.

"If they're a third of the (city's) population they deserve to have more than one seat," Bridgette Browning of Golden Hill said.

"It's the right thing to do. They've been brushed aside constantly," she said. "They need to have sufficient representation so people are listening."

Mateo Camarillo, chairman of the Latino Redistricting Committee, said the Latino-majority district plan has been drawn in a way that also helps strengthen representation of African-Americans in District 4 and gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual people in District 3. "It's a win, win plan," he said.

Midori Wong, chief of staff of the Redistricting Commission, said the group has received about half a dozen proposals for new districts and citywide district boundary changes.

The commission has been holding public hearings in all the districts since last month. The last one, before the commission starts drawing a preliminary plan for a new district, is to be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the La Jolla Woman's Club in La Jolla.

The commission will hold public hearings on the preliminary plan in July and is scheduled to adopt a final plan in August. It would become effective after 30 days.

The plan must list reasons for adoption and if it's rejected by a referendum the commission would be charged with drawing a new plan.

Leonel.sanchez@sandiegored.com