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Contra Costa County, CA November 8, 2005 Election
Measure L
Urban Limit Line
City of Brentwood

Majority Approval Required

Fail: 5,151 / 49.22% Yes votes ...... 5,314 / 50.78% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Results as of Nov 23 10:05am, 100.0% of Precincts Reporting (21/21)
Information shown below: Yes/No Meaning | Official Information | Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Full Text

Shall the voters approve the City of Brentwood Voter Approved Urban Limit Line measure, which would amend the City of Brentwood's General Plan by creating an Urban Limit Line to guide future growth and development in a manner consistent with the General Plan and should qualify the City of Brentwood to receive Measure J's "return to source" funds from the Contra Costa Transportation Authoirity for improvements to local streets and roads?

Meaning of Voting Yes/No
A YES vote on this measure means:
A YES vote is a vote in favor of amending the General Plan to create a new ULL.

A NO vote on this measure means:
A NO vote is a vote opposed to amending the General Plan to create a new ULL.

Official Sources of Information
Impartial Analysis from Brentwood City Attorney
This proposed initiative would amend the City of Brentwood's General Plan by creating an Urban Limit Line ("ULL") to guide future growth and development in a manner consistent with the General Plan. The ULL is a boundary, sometimes parcel-specific, located to mark the outer limit beyond which urban development will be prohibited. If approved by the voters, the initiative would expand the City of Brentwood's existing ULL to include more territory and establish a new ULL as shown in an exhibit attached to the text of the initiative.


Under Contra Costa County's Transportation Sales Tax Expenditure Plan, each jurisdiction within the County must continuously comply with either a new "Countywide mutually agreed upon voter approved ULL" or the "local jurisdiction's voter approved ULL" before that jurisdiction would be eligible to receive the 18 percent return to source funds from Measure J or the 5 percent Transportation for Livable Communities ("TLC") funds. Measure J was approved by the voters in 2004, and had a stated goal of expending monies on transportation improvements throughout Contra Costa County. The TLC program, according to the County's Transportation Sales Tax Expenditure Plan, "is intended to support local efforts to achieve more compact, mixed-use development, and development that is pedestrian-friendly or integrated into transit networks."


If no "Countywide mutually agreed upon ULL" is established by March 31, 2009, only local jurisdictions with a voter approved ULL will be eligible to receive the 18 percent return to source funds or the 5 percent TLC funds.


Approval of the initiative should qualify the City of Brentwood to receive millions of dollars from the Contra Costa Transportation Authority for improvements to local streets and roads.


The Voter Approved Urban Limit Line may be changed only by a subsequent vote of the voters of the City of Brentwood during a city election.


A YES vote is a vote in favor of amending the General Plan to create a new ULL.


A NO vote is a vote opposed to amending the General Plan to create a new ULL.


A complete copy of the full text of the Measure and attachments are available for review on the City's website at http://www.ci.brentwood.ca.us and through the City Clerk's office at 708 Third Street, Brentwood, CA 94513 (925) 516-5440.

  Official Information

City of Brentwood's Web Site
News and Analysis

East Bay Express

Suggest a link related to Measure L
Links to sources outside of Smart Voter are provided for information only and do not imply endorsement.

Arguments For Measure L Arguments Against Measure L
Most of us agree on two things, Brentwood is growing too fast and traffic congestion is only getting worse.


That's why we support Measure L to draw a permanent urban limit line to prevent unchecked development and sprawl while also maintaining local control over our own destiny and delivering millions of dollars for transportation improvements on local highways and throughout Brentwood.


Most importantly, this new urban limit line is permanent because it cannot ever be changed by the City Council, only by a majority vote of Brentwood residents.


Passage of Measure L means over 400 acres would become permanent open space and could not be developed in the future. This will protect nature and wildlife for generations to come.


To reduce traffic, passage of Measure L will ensure that Brentwood receives a projected 11 million dollars in current transportation funds for pothole repair and other needed street and road improvements, including Sand Creek Road, Sellers Avenue, Balfour Road, Deer Valley Road, and construction of a Hillcrest Avenue extension linking Balfour Road with Lone Tree Way.


We need more high-quality jobs in Brentwood and Measure L could bring Brentwood those jobs so that our citizens don't have to spend several hours every day stuck in traffic. The City of Brentwood has already planned to provide utilities, roads, and services for all new urban areas within the urban limit line.


More than 4,200 Brentwood residents signed petitions in one month to place this measure on the ballot. Now we're working with environmental organizations and neighbors from across Brentwood to pass this important measure and ensure that voters will always have the last say when it comes to Brentwood's Urban Limit Line.


Please join us in voting Yes on Measure L to preserve open space, reduce traffic, and bring good jobs to Brentwood.
s/Brian Swisher,
Mayor of Brentwood
/sLindsey Anne Nunn Houd,
Nunn Farms
s/Ike Montanez,
Retired teacher, Brentwood Unified School district
s/Ellen Samuels,
Brentwood businesswoman
s/Barbara Guise,
former Mayor of Brentwood

Rebuttal to Arguments For
Vote NO on Measure L.


Measure L is sponsored by developers who will say and spend whatever it takes to get our support for their developments.


We're not fooled. Brentwood voters, not big developers, should control Brentwood's future.


Here's the truth about Measure L:

  • If Measure L passes, Brentwood will get more out of control growth and more traffic on our roads.
  • Measure L allows developers to build thousands of new houses on hundreds and hundreds of acres of farmland and natural areas that are currently off limits to development.
  • Combined with thousands of new houses that have already been approved, the new development allowed by Measure L will make our already bad traffic worse. Even millions of dollars of road improvements won't be able to fix our traffic problems.
  • Air pollution from more traffic will make asthma worse for our children; that's why nurses oppose measure L.
  • Measure L will also strain our water resources, increase police and fire response times, overcrowd schools, lower property values and decrease our quality of life.


The only ones who will benefit from Measure L are the developers. Measure L will be bad for Brentwood residents. That is why Assemblymember Joe Canciamilla, environmental groups like the Sierra Club and local farmers all oppose Measure L.


Vote NO on Measure L to prevent out of control growth and increased traffic congestion.

s/Mary Costa,
representative of California Nurses Assoc.
s/Joe Canciamilla,
State Assemblyman
s/Al Courchesne,
Owner, Frog Hollow Farm
s/Suzan Lawrence,
Brentwood resident
s/Diane Lee,
Brentwood citizen, teacher/library staff

VOTE NO on The Big Lie


Developers are sponsoring deceptive initiatives in Brentwood, Antioch, and Pittsburg. Do you trust them?


We need real protection. These wealthy developers are spending huge amounts of money to get you to believe them. They say their measures will reduce growth.


Measure L allows thousands more houses in Brentwood --and huge increases in traffic.


MEASURE L MEANS:

  • Gridlock - more traffic and congestion on Highway 4 and Vasco Road, adding more air pollution - that's why nurses are opposed.
  • Competition for our limited water supplies - do you want to ration?
  • Thousands more houses, on top of those already approved but not yet built, with increased crime draining already stretched police and firefighters
  • Lowered property values - as a result of more congestion and more high density "affordable" housing projects
  • Danger to our local economy - more houses won't solve traffic problems
  • Huge developments destroy natural lands, working farms and ranches around our cities - some projects are proposed on scenic hills next to our parks
  • Schools are overcrowded the day they open.
  • Longer Ambulance response times and overcrowded Hospital ERs will increase-nurses are concerned about this.


Don't be fooled by big lies, this election is about more building, more traffic, more crowded classrooms, more congestion, pollution and a lower quality of life for all of us.


Lets work together to make Brentwood a real community, a real home for families. Last November we approved a traffic sales tax; Highway 4 widening is useless if thousands more houses are allowed.


We need to let Highway 4, Vasco and all our roads and schools catch up.
Do you really think these developers are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for your benefit?


Don't be fooled by the big lie, Vote No on Measure L
s/Mary Costa, RN

Rebuttal to Arguments Against
The numbers speak for themselves.


Only one Brentwood voter signed the argument against Measure L.


Over 4,200 Brentwood voters signed petitions placing Measure L on the ballot.


The state and county politicians leading the opposition to Measure L seem to think that they know what's best for our community's future. Given the partisan gridlock in Sacramento, is this what we need in Brentwood?


Don't fall for the political scare tactics, the facts speak for themselves:

  • Without Measure L, Brentwood won't receive its fair share of more than $11 million in projected and badly-needed current transportation improvement funds from the county.
  • Measure L is about local control of future growth. Once the voter-approved permanent Urban Limit Line has been drawn, it can only be changed by a majority vote of Brentwood voters - and not by the politicians or special interest groups.
  • While the politicians try to blame developers, it's important to remember that this measure is on the ballot because over 4,200 Brentwood voters signed petitions in less than a month.
  • Measure L means over 400 acres of land will remain permanent open space - which means it can never be developed in the future.

The choice is ours - we can wait for state and county politicians to solve our growth and traffic problems or we can take a stand now and place control where it belongs- here with the voters of Brentwood.


On November 8, join Brentwood community leaders, neighbors and educators. Vote Yes on L to draw the Line to Limit Growth and Traffic.

s/Brian Swisher,
Mayor of Brentwood
s/Lindsey Anne Nunn Houd,
Nunn Farms
s/Ike Montanez,
Retired Brentwood Unified School district teacher
s/Ellen Samuels,
Brentwood businesswoman
s/Barbara Guise,
former Brentwood Mayor and City Councilmember

Full Text of Measure L
To see the full text of Measure L with maps go to the Nov. 2005 Election Page of the City of Brentwood's Web site

http://www.ci.brentwood.ca.us/election/election_nov_2005.cfm


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Created: January 28, 2006 14:39 PST
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