Elections
Election Update: Slow Growthers Win In Davis, Mendocino County
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 4 November 2009 - 12:13pmSlow-growth advocates won major victories in November 3 local elections when voters rejected a housing project in Davis and a shopping center in Mendocino County, as well as sewer extensions in Modesto.
But slow-growth forces suffered some unexpected losses. In Santa Barbara and Ventura, two cities with a history of voter-controlled development, initiatives that would have imposed strict height limits on new buildings were rejected. In the Bay Area, Walnut Creek voters approved amended parking standards necessary for the construction of a Neiman Marcus store downtown.
Morgan Hill Voters Endorse Downtown Development
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 20 May 2009 - 2:37pmVoters in the Santa Clara County city of Morgan Hill have changed their minds and approved a growth control modification to permit additional housing development in the downtown area. Measure A keeps in place Morgan Hill’s population cap of 48,000 by 2020, but permits 500 more units downtown than had been allowed.
Lodi Voters Kill Redevelopment Plan
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 26 March 2009 - 10:39amVoters in Lodi rejected redevelopment, while those in Alamo said no to incorporation of a new city during municipal balloting on March 3. In Los Angeles, voters narrowly rejected two charter amendments, one for a solar energy program, the other for fiscal incentives for business development. Only in Glendora did the electorate provide a positive response to proposed change. A measure rezoning the site of a former automobile dealership for other retail uses passed easily.
November 18 Election Update: Another Transit Victory
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 5 November 2008 - 11:12amIn balloting November 4 on local land use measures in California, slow-growth advocates won 22 of 39 elections. Opponents of development rejected an ambitious plan for the San Diego waterfront, endorsed a tight growth control initiative in Redondo Beach, and extended agricultural land protections in Napa and Solano County. But pro-growth forces won high-profile victories in Oxnard, where a subsequent vote requirement was proposed for most projects, and in Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, San Marcos and Redwood City.
Redevelopment Wins Big On Election Day
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 4 June 2008 - 9:44amRedevelopment may have been the biggest winner in Tuesday’s primary election. Statewide, voters rejected Proposition 98, an initiative to prohibit the use of eminent domain for economic development purposes. In San Francisco, voters supported a huge redevelopment project at the former Hunter’s Point shipyard and Candlestick Point. And in Napa County, voters rejected a slow-growth initiative that was aimed at halting redevelopment of a former industrial site just south of Napa.
February Election Update: Stanislaus County Approves Growth-Control Initiative
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 27 February 2008 - 3:51pmStanislaus County voters became the first in the Central Valley to approve a county-wide growth-control initiative when they backed a ballot measure that prohibits the rezoning of agricultural land for residential uses without voter approval.
While voters in what had been growth-friendly Stanislaus County endorsed growth control, voters in Santa Clara and Rocklin backed specific housing projects. Meanwhile, voters in San Clemente overturned the city’s approval of a condominium project. Also on Super Tuesday, voters in the western Riverside County community of Wildomar supported incorporation, but voters in the Sierra foothills community of Oakhurst rejected formation of a new city.
Election 2007: Palm Springs Voters Block Project; SF Supports 'Transit First'; Oregon Reverses Course
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 7 November 2007 - 12:36pmVoters in Palm Springs threw out a 10-year extension of a development agreement for a project on the side of Mt. San Jacinto during the November 6 election. Slightly more than 60% of voters said yes to the Measure C referendum, which called for setting aside the development agreement extension.
Santa Paula Voters Approve First UGB Expansion
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 9 May 2007 - 8:20amFor the first time, residents in a Ventura County city have voted to substantially expand their urban growth boundaries in order to accommodate a residential development.
Some 61% of Santa Paula residents voted on Tuesday, May 8, to expand the urban growth boundary by 4,800 acres to bring the Adams Canyon area inside the city’s growth boundary. Measure A7 also directed the city to amend its general plan to permit about 500 houses, a resort hotel and golf course, and require at least 200 acres of passive open space.
Local Ballot Measure Results From November
Submitted by importer on 1 December 2006 - 1:00amA final rundown of city- and county-level ballot measures from all over the state.
Election Results Hold Surprises
Submitted by importer on 1 December 2006 - 1:00amVoters who decided local land use ballot measures in November showed slow-growth tendencies. They also displayed more than a little unpredictability, suggesting that nothing in local land use politics is certain, or at least certain forever.
