League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Contra Costa County, CA November 4, 2008 Election
	Measure K Open Space/Land Use Town of Moraga Majority Approval Required Fail: 3964 / 44.04% Yes votes ...... 5037 / 55.96% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure K

Arguments Against Measure K

Vote YES on Measure K to preserve Moraga's scenic views. Vote YES on Measure K to protect Moraga's open space ridgelines and hillsides from overdevelopment. Vote YES on Measure K to prevent our streets from being jammed with over 3,000 additional car trips per day. Vote YES on Measure K to keep the small town feel and exceptional quality of life in Moraga. The Moraga Open Space Ordinance initiative of 1986 did a good job of slowing growth and protecting four major ridgelines from development. Now, however, large new subdivisions are proposed in important open space areas not protected by MOSO 1986. Over 1,000 new housing units have already been approved or are being planned in Moraga: Palos Colorados, Vista Encinos, Moraga Center Specific Plan, and many more. In the face of this development pressure, we need to protect our remaining open space. Measure K: Preserves Moraga's panoramic views by preventing building on ridgelines and steep hillsides in prominent open space areas; Protects Bollinger Canyon, Indian Valley, and Rheem Ridge from sprawling new subdivisions; Keeps our local roads free from thousands of additional car trips perday; Saves taxpayers the long-term expense of providing additional police, fire, emergency medical, and infrastructure maintenance services to accommodate large developments in these open space areas; Allows use of open space for agriculture, cattle ranching, low-density residences, and outdoor recreation. Measure K is endorsed by our local Audubon Society, Sierra Club, California Native Plant Society, Regional Parks Association, and many respected community leaders and business owners. It is the only ballot initiative supported by the original organizers of MOSO 1986. Our Town is growing significantly. Without further protection, excessive growth will destroy the beautiful open space and scenic views we cherish. Please Vote YES on Measure K to protect the qualities that make Moraga a great place to live. http://www.MOSO2008.org Bill Vaughn, Former Mayor    Town of Moraga Renata Sos    Former Moraga Planning Commissioner Karen Chin, Past President    Rheem School PTA Richard Immel, Principal Proponent    1986 Moraga Open Space Ordinance (MOSO 1986) Dave Parker, Moraga Vineyard and Winery Owner Rebuttal to Arguments For We believe Measure K is wrong for Moraga's future. Please consider the following: Measure K supporters want you to believe that our beautiful open space and ridgelines are being threatened. Our scenic views and major ridgelines are already protected by the 1986 Moraga Open Space Ordinance (MOSO). These regulations have been time-tested, withstood legal challenge and they work. Measure K is the vision of Green Party Mayor Lynda Deschambault and three Berkeley environmental organizations, who have their own agenda for the future of Moraga. They cloak their rhetoric in the environment, but that is only half of the story. What Mayor Deschambault and the Berkeley groups really want is to severely restrict single-family housing, forcing the building of 400 - 700 high density, lower-income condominiums and apartments in Moraga's downtown. THIS IDEA MIGHT WORK FOR BERKELEY, BUT WOULD BE A DISASTER FOR MORAGA. If Measure K passes, we fear the worst for Moraga's future: Multimillion Dollar Lawsuits + Measure K will cost millions of taxpayers' dollars to defend in court - not taking into account its potential to bankrupt Moraga. Lower-Income Condos, Not Single-Family Homes - Measure K would drastically change Moraga's unique family-oriented character forever. Less Money for Police, School & Fire Protection - The Town of Moraga anticipates a reduction in future annual revenues of $410,700 if Measure K passes - that does not include reductions in school and fire protection services. We love Moraga. Please help us protect Moraga's future by voting NO on Measure K. Joe Cushing, M.O.L. Football Commissioner    Coach, Moraga Baseball Association Julie Carlson, Former Board Member, Moraga Junior Women's Club    Active School Volunteer Dr. Ron Mayes, Earthquake Safety Specialist    Fulbright Scholar Merle Gilliland, Former Moraga Mayor, Town Council member    Former USA Rugby Coach Mark DeWeese, Moraga-Orinda Firefighter    Campolindo JV Football Coach

Measure K backers want you to believe that the battle in Moraga is about "growth vs. no growth", "developers vs. environmentalists" and that their initiative is about preserving "threatened" open space in our Town. In truth ... Moraga's open space and major ridgelines are not being threatened, as we have one of the strongest open space and ridgeline protection ordinances in Contra Costa County (MOSO). So what is this really about? It's about who controls Moraga and its vision for the future. We are longtime Moraga residents/leaders. We oppose Measure K because we believe it will dramatically change the single-family character of Moraga. We ask you to think about the following before you vote: Who is behind Measure K? Green Party Mayor Lynda Deschambault and a number of extreme environmentalists who do not live in Moraga. They have their own agenda for the future of Moraga. What do Measure K backers really want? Mayor Lynda Deschambault and Measure K supporters say they want to restrict development in Moraga. What they really mean is they want to restrict up to 300 single-family executive homes paving the way to build 400 + 700 lower-income condominiums and apartments in the downtown area. Exchanging executive housing for lower-income condominiums will deny millions of dollars in annual revenues for police, school and fire protection services. We do not share their vision for our Town's future. If Measure K passes, there is great concern for Moraga's future fiscal stability. Measure K will in essence "condemn" hundreds of acres of private property for open space, likely resulting in multimillion dollar lawsuits, costing taxpayers millions + potentially bankrupting our Town. Not only don't we share the same vision for Moraga's future as the Mayor, Measure K is just too risky. Please join us in voting NO on K. Thank you. Ronald H. Julian, Risk Management Consultant,    Member, Moraga Taxpayers Association Mary K. Drennan, Former Campolindo Health Education Chair,    St. Monica Church Women's Guild President Tim McCaffery, Saint Mary's College Regent,    Attorney Merle Gilliland, Former Moraga Mayor,    Town Councilmember Mark Stephens, M.O.L. Board Member & Coach,    Former Associate Athletic Director at CAL Rebuttal to Arguments Against The arguments against Measure K are developer scare tactics. Look who's behind these false and misleading claims... According to official records (6/30/08), the sole funder of this campaign against Measure K is Russell J. Bruzzone, Inc., the developer who wants to build hundreds of houses in Moraga's open space and who owns the site for the controversial downtown development. In contrast, Yes on Measure K is funded by over a hundred Moraga neighbors, signed by 2,000 Moraga residents, and endorsed by Republicans and Democrats, community leaders, business owners, elected officials, and the local Audubon Society and Sierra Club. Here's what Measure K actually does: Spares us traffic congestion from 3,000 more daily car trips, according to the Town's official analysis; Protects scenic hillsides and ridgelines not protected by MOSO 1986; Reduces housing density in Moraga; Safeguards Moraga's small-town character and quality of life. Contrary to Bruzzone, Inc.'s claims, Measure K: Does not exchange single-family housing for apartments/condos; Does not condemn a single square foot of Moraga property; Does not authorize high-density housing, downtown or anywhere else. The Town Attorney concluded that Measure K "is a proper exercise of the initiative power." (Report 9212) Measure K is sponsored by Friends of Moraga Open Space, a volunteer citizens' group whose mission is to preserve Moraga's scenic hills and small-town character. So who do you trust to protect open space? Hundreds of concerned neighbors, or one developer who stands to gain from maximizing development downtown and in Moraga's open space? Please vote Yes on Measure K. Bob Merritt, Moraga Citizen of the Year, 1982    Former Governing Board Member, Moraga School District Dr. Leland Nelson, Former Chair, Moraga PlanningCommission    51-year Resident Moraga Bob Bratton, Retired Moraga-Orinda Fire DistrictFirefighter-Paramedic    29-year Moraga Resident Serina Johnson Culleton, Rheem Elementary SchoolTeacher    Moraga Resident Richard Immel, Principal Proponent,    1986 Moraga Open Space Ordinance (MOSO 1986)