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Measure I New General Plan Policies Limiting Development City of Modesto General Plan Amendment - Majority Approval Required
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Index of all Measures |
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League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Fail:
11,311 /
49.53% Yes votes ......
11,526 /
50.47% No votes
| Results as of Nov 12 5:32pm, 100.0% of Precincts Reporting (104/104) |
| Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments | | ||||
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Shall new policies be added to Modesto's General Plan to limit development outside the "Urban Limit" and "Residential Urban Limit" boundaries?
The policy would apply to "development" outside of an "Urban Limit (UL)" and "residential development" outside of a "Residential Urban Limit ("RUL"). The UL is depicted in a diagram and would be "bound on the west by Sisk Road north of freeway 99, freeway 99 and an extension of Morse Road; on the north by Pirrone Road from Sisk Road to Dale Road; on the east by Dale Road from Pirrone Road to Kiernan Road; and on the north, by Kiernan and Claribel roads east to Claus Road; on the south by Whitmore Avenue west of freeway 99, the Tuolumne River east of freeway 99; and, on the east as Church Street ending at Dry Creek." The RUL would be "the same as the UL except bound on the north by Pelandale Road to Dale Road, on the east by Dale Road north to Kiernan/Claribel Road, then east to Claus Road." The initiative defines "residential development" as residential development with a density of less than 100 dwelling units per 10 gross acres. As written, the initiative would not require voter approval for residential projects outside of the RUL with a density higher than 100 dwelling units per 10 gross acres. The policy as a whole would "not apply east of Claus Road north of Dry Creek." Voter approval would not be required for some subsequent "entitlement requests" for or modifications to voter-approved developments. Proposed development subject to the policy would require review under the California Environmental Quality Act. Developments not subject to the policy would include: projects necessary to comply with the City's fair-share housing requirements; uses ancillary to a primary agricultural or open space use; a project with vested development rights; and expansion of specified wastewater treatment facilities. Unless prohibited by state law, election costs would be borne by development applicants. Amendments of the General Plan enacted between the initiative's submittal and its effective date must be amended, if necessary, to make them consistent with the initiative. The initiative purports to void any amendment of General Plan Figure II-2, Figure III-1, or Exhibit Ill-1 approved between the submittal date and effective date. It also purports to void any action of the City "to attempt to confer vested rights on a project for development that is subject to this initiative after the submittal date and before the effective date." This initiative was placed on the ballot as a result of a petition signed by the requisite number of registered voters of the City.
A "Yes" vote is a vote to approve the addition of the new policies to the General Plan to limit development outside the UL and RUL boundaries.
/s/ Adam Lindgren
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Partisan Information
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| Arguments For Measure I | Arguments Against Measure I | ||
| A yes vote on I saves our best farmland near Modesto. The boundary protects our best water recharge areas north and the Wood Colony area to our west. Never in the history of humankind has an assembly of resources been amassed that compares in scope or potential with the food generating capabilities of the Great Central Valley of California.
Combine our natural resources with the potential of technology and one can see our awesome importance to the world. Only political will is needed to prevent us from sprawling and smothering our best food producing soils. So, why wouldn't we choose to budget our urban areas and direct them away from our superior farmland and water
recharge areas?
Nearly 10,000 local voters signed petitions to place this urban limit before voters. This urban limit has boundaries on three sides of the City and directs development toward the east onto lesser soils. It will also have the effect of a land budget and bring focus to improving existing neighborhoods and to build up. Yes on I lets voters/taxpayers have self-determination over where and when Modesto will expand. Voters in Modesto are used to directing their Council through advisory votes, however, Measure I is mandatory. It requires the Modesto City Council to get voter approval before planning or expanding beyond limits on a map. Limit lines for Measure I can be viewed online: http://www.stampoutsprawl.com Other cities in Stanislaus County have taken action to manage their urban areas. A super-majority of Newman voters agreed with their City Council and adopted an urban limit in 2014. Other cities have adopted farmland protection measures such as Hughson, which requires development to protect other farmland on a two to one basis. Yes on I! Our best farmland can be saved by you and I! /s/ Dennis J. Jackman, Stamp Out Sprawl Committee
Why? Because the overwhelming consensus of community leaders in Modesto is that Measure I is full of false promises, and will do far more harm than any supposed benefit. In fact, we're not sure any of the promises made by Measure I are true. But don't take our word for it. Read Measure I yourself. When you do, you will see that: Measure I doesn't save farmland - because Stanislaus County can still approve development on prime Ag Land all around Modesto. Measure I doesn't stop development - in fact, Measure I expressly exempts high-density and low-income housing from voter approval. Expensive new elections would be required for high-quality, low density neighborhoods, but massive apartments could be built all around Modesto. Measure I doesn't help bring jobs to Modesto - because while it allows unlimited apartment development, it subjects job center development to strict new limits. Measure I doesn't even place a development limit all around Modesto - unless you think a three-sided border works. You wouldn't build a three-sided corral to hold horses, would you? Measure I doesn't do anything to help water supplies - in fact, it hurts even more by favoring of high-density apartments, packing more residents per acre in development, using even more water. Get the facts at http://www.VoteNoMeasureI.com. Please vote No on Measure I!
/s/ Cecil Russell, President, Modesto Chamber
| Before you vote, take time to read Measure I yourself. We're confident you'll decide to vote No! Measure I is so flawed, you have to wonder what the authors were thinking. Learn about the Five Fatal Flaws of Measure I. 1. Claims to stop residential development outside an Urban Line, but Measure I exempts high-density apartments and low-income housing. This means low-density, single-family homes could not be built without costly, extra elections, but high-density apartments could be built all around Modesto. 2. While it exempts high-density apartments, Measure I places strict limits on any job center development. You read that right. Modesto would be free to build apartments on farm land, but could not build a factory or a high-tech campus. 3. Measure I does nothing to stop Stanislaus County from approving all kinds of urban development right up to Modesto's border. And if they do this, Modesto will get all the traffic that comes with this development, but none of the taxes or services that come with new building. 4. Leaves major portions of farm and ranch land east of Modesto open for development. With development pushed east, and no new job centers allowed, these residents would be forced to commute to the Bay Area for work, driving all the way through the City each day and making traffic even worse. 5. Measure I encourages developers to bypass the California Environmental Quality Act and the Modesto planning process altogether. Which means the process by which developers are required to pay for new schools, new roads, new parks, and even all these extra elections would not apply. Read Measure I. Understand the Five Fatal Flaws. Vote No on Measure I! For more information, visit http://www.VoteNoMeasureI.com
/s/ Maggie Mejia, Latino Community Roundtable
2. No development is allowed outside the urban limit lines without a vote. No low-density housing is allowed in the commercial/industrial only area. Opponents are completely wrong! Thousands of acres within the urban limit can be zoned commercial/industrial! That is up to the City Council. 3. By law, Measure I is a City of Modesto measure and cannot impose restrictions on Stanislaus County or any other city. 4. Measure I does not restrict development of any kind on the less productive farmland east of Modesto. 5. Measure I does only what it says: No development beyond limits without a say of the voters of Modesto. It is the strongest "self-determination" land-use tool available to citizens who want Modesto to grow better, not just bigger! See for yourself the urban limit lines then vote Yes on I. Map at http://www.stampoutsprawl.com
Stamp Out Sprawl Committee, Yes on I!
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Created: December 21, 2015 20:37 PST
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