League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
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Measure F Hillside Preservation City of Belmont Ordinance - Majority Approval Required
See Also:
Index of all Measures |
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Pass:
6,192 /
73.4% Yes votes ......
2,240 /
26.6% No votes
| Results as of Nov 30 9:53am, 100.0% of Precincts Reporting (19/19) |
| Information shown below: Arguments | | |||
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"Shall an ordinance be adopted to protect and preserve hillside areas of Belmont by requiring voter approval of any future amendments to the zoning ordinances governing the HRO districts, or the General Plan land use designation HROP (which collectively constitute the City's Hillside Development Standards), if such amendments would allow increased development densities in hillside areas?" Yes ________ No _________
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| Arguments For Measure F | Arguments Against Measure F | ||
| Voting "YES" will assure that you, a Belmont voter, can participate in crucial decisions
affecting the future of the undeveloped and irreplaceable land in the Western Hills and
San Juan Canyon areas.
Specifically, the passage of Measure F will require that any new subdivision request for more units than is legally allowed by the current zoning ordinance must be approved by the voters. Belmont's open space areas are unique and valuable resources. Native plants and wildlife thrive in these dramatic landscapes, and they are a vital part of our city's character. Measure F will affect two largely undeveloped areas: Western Hills (83 acres above Carlmont High School) and 173 acres of the San Juan Canyon. Belmont's real estate values have reached historic highs. With a scarcity of land available for development, pressure to build in the city's remaining open spaces will increase dramatically. Portions of these areas are geologically unstable and subject to landslides. Hillside development must continue to be governed by the carefully drawn limits of our existing ordinances. Excessive development in these sensitive areas would further strain fire, police, and other city infrastructure services, as well as increase traffic congestion. With this initiative in place, any developer who requests more units from a subdivision than is currently allowed would also be required to pay for putting that request on the ballot. Measure F is similar to measures already adopted in Saratoga and Milpitas. Other cites are considering similar measures. The passage of this initiative will have no cost to the city or the tax payers. Measure F will not apply to existing homes or subdivisions outside the Western Hills or San Juan Canyon. Please be a part of preserving Belmont's beautiful open space. Vote "YES" on Measure F. Thank You! /s/ Coralin Feierbach, Belmont City County Member /s/ Joan Dentler, Past President Belmont Heights Civic Improvement Association /s/ Kenneth Parsons, chair, Belmont Planning commission /s/ Bob Silva, Hastings Drive resident /s/ Carol Gesell Rossi, President, San Juan Canyon Preservation Trust
/s/ Warren C. Gibson former president, San Juan Canyon Preservation Trust /s/ David Bauer Belmont City Councilman /s/ Edward J. Rodriguez Past Belmont City Councilman /s/ George A. Burges | Vote No on Measure F because it is unfair and divisive: it takes away our voice in city
hall. When we set out as a community to solve our problems, we have always done so in
a fair, open, and public manner.
But Measure F only favors individuals who can afford to pay for big, expensive initiative campaigns. By requiring that residents hold an expensive election for changes to the zoning ordinance, only the wealthiest canyon property owners who can afford the most expensive campaigns will be able to have their say. Measure F gives them a way around the public process that we've always used to make decisions about zoning, land use and open space on the hillside. Measure F is confrontational, unfair and extreme. Instead of working to find a solution that everybody can agree on, Measure F takes away the rights of the local property owners and property owners who can't afford to pay for an expensive election campaign and provides them with no alternative if they can't meet current zoning regulations. Measure F is inflexible and shortsighted: doesn't account for the fact that our needs will change over time, and it does nothing to address the real problems that we have in our community like traffic, and the high cost of housing. Here in Belmont we have always prided ourselves on our ability to come together and find common winwin solutions to our problems. There is a better way to protect open space without taking away the property rights of canyon property owners and reducing complex land use decisions to cheap campaign sound bites. Join Belmont homeowners, concerned citizens and residents of San Juan Canyon and vote No on Measure F. The undersigned proponents of the primary argument against ballet measure F at the municipal election for the city of Belmont to be held on November 8, 2005, hereby state that such argument is true and correct to the best of their knowledge and belief. Adele Della Santina Warren C Gibson Edward J Rodiguez Dale Meyer Authored by Warren Gibson
/s/ Dave Warden Mayor, City of Belmont /s/ George Metropulos Belmont Councilmember, Teacher, Former Belmont Mayor /s/ Bill Dickenson Vice-Chair, Belmont Planning Commission /s/ Judy King Belmont Parks and Recreation Commission Member |
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Created: January 28, 2006 14:46 PST
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