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Dana Point, California, Town Center Plan and Parking Citizen Initiative, Measure H (June 2016)
| Measure H: Dana Point Town Center Plan and Parking Citizen Initiative |
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| The basics |
| Election date: |
| June 7, 2016 |
| Status: |
 Approved
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| Topic: |
| Local zoning, land use and development |
| Related articles |
| Local zoning, land use and development on the ballot June 7, 2016 ballot measures in California Orange County, California ballot measures |
| See also |
| Dana Point, California |
A citizen initiative concerning the Dana Point Town Center Plan was on the ballot for Dana Point voters in Orange County, California, on June 7, 2016. It was approved.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of enacting a citizen initiative to regulate development of the town center area, including a strict building height limit of 40 feet and other building restrictions, restrictions designed to ensure certain levels of available parking, and the requirement that voters approve any changes to the Town Center Plan. |
| A no vote was a vote against enacting a citizen initiative to regulate development of the town center area, including a strict building height limit of 40 feet and other building restrictions, restrictions designed to ensure certain levels of available parking, and the requirement that voters approve any changes to the Town Center Plan. |
A competing measure, Measure I, was also put on the June 2016 ballot by a vote of the city council. Measure I was designed to allow the city council flexibility with regard to zoning, height restrictions, and development project plans in the Town Center Plan.
Measure H and Measure I were competing measures, which means that if both had received majority approval, the one with the most "yes" votes would have been enacted and the other would have been rejected. Measure H was approved, and Measure I was defeated.
Election results
| Dana Point, Measure H | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 6,477 | 58.7% | ||
| No | 4,557 | 41.3% | ||
- Election results from Orange County Elections Office
Text of measure
Ballot question
The following question appeared on the ballot:[1]
| “ |
Shall the 2015 Town Center Initiative, which changes the Town Center Plan previously approved by the City Council and the California Coastal Commission, as well as the amendments thereto approved by the City Council in 2015, be adopted?[2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Dana Point City Attorney:
| “ |
Measure H, is known as the 2015 Town Center Initiative. If approved, this measure will result in several amendments to the Town Center Plan and associated provisions of the City’s Municipal Code. Thus it will modify the Town Center Plan as approved by the City Council in December 2006 (and certified by the California Coastal Commission in 2008), as well as the amendments thereto approved by the City Council in September 2015. The City Council commissioned a fiscal analysis of this measure, which was presented at the City Council’s December 1, 2015 meeting. The analysis concluded this measure, if approved, would effectively make mixed use development in the Town Center Plan area financially infeasible. The analysis also concluded that the City could potentially lose approximately $673,000 in General Fund revenues per year if this measure is approved, and incur a one-time loss of $4.2 to $4.7 million. When making this conclusion, the analysis made the caveat that these figures are only estimates. If approved, this measure will restrict the City Council’s discretion with regard to height and parking requirements. In addition, if this measure is approved, the City Council will have limited flexibility to address future amendments to the Town Center Plan and related parking provisions as changes to any such matters amended by this measure will require a vote of the people at a City-wide election, and subsequent certification by the California Coastal Commission. If approved, this measure would eliminate the City Council’s ability to approve height modifications via use permits, or allow any encroachments by certain fixtures into height limits. Additionally, if approved, this measure would revoke all of the parking regulations that were approved by the City Council in September 2015. Finally, if approved, this measure would (i) require more ground-floor retail, (ii) would impose a ground-to-floor dimension of at least 18 feet on all retail uses, and (iii) would call out professional business/office as the preferred use on upper floors, in contrast to the existing Town Center Plan which encourages a diversity of land uses, including upper floor residential. The September 2015 amendments to the Town Center Plan changed its name to the Lantern District Plan, but the term Town Center Plan is used in this analysis to avoid confusion. The Town Center Initiative has been placed on the ballot as a result of a petition signed by the number of voters required by the Elections Code. This measure provides that if it and any competing measure each receive a majority of votes cast, but this measure receives more votes than the competing measure, the voters intend that this measure will prevail in its entirety[2] |
” |
| —Dana Point City Attorney[1] | ||
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Support
Supporters
The following individuals signed the official argument in favor of the measure:[1]
- Lester Hill, Chairman & CEO (Retired) of Pacific Scientific
- Debra Lewis, Former Mayor of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
- Sandie Iverson, Dana Point Residents for Responsible Development
- Betty Hill, President of Dana Point Residents for Responsible Development
- Roxanna Watrous, Attorney for Dana Point Residents for Responsible Development
Arguments in favor
Official argument
The following official argument was submitted in favor of the measure:[1]
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Argument in Favor of Measure H The Citizens’ 2015 TOWN CENTER INITIATIVE SUPPORTS RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT. This Initiative closes loopholes to strengthen the original 2008 Town Center Plan’s requirements. Residents want to enjoy new shops and restaurants in a village atmosphere with convenient parking. The community, working with professional city planning experts, developed the Town Center Plan. The City Council endorsed it and City government SPENT $20,000,000 OF TAXPAYERS’ MONEY on Town Center. Your YES vote on the Citizens’ Initiative: • PROMOTES the desired vibrant BUSINESS DISTRICT, allowing residences on upper floors • REQUIRES ADEQUATE PARKING • MAKES DEVELOPERS PAY their FAIR SHARE for parking • PROTECTS TAXPAYERS from burdensome future PARKING COSTS • SHIELDS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS from OVERFLOW parking • REINFORCES the 40 foot HEIGHT and 3 STORY LIMITS • MANDATES VOTER APPROVAL for plan changes • ADDS sales tax REVENUE and JOBS • STRENGTHENS the original (2008) TOWN CENTER PLAN CITY GOVERNMENT consistently UNDERMINES the TOWN CENTER PLAN by: • ABANDONING the PLAN in favor of DEVELOPERS who want HIGH PROFITS from HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL developments • REDUCING PARKING REQUIREMENTS • REDUCING RESTAURANT PARKING FROM 10 to 2 spaces per 1,000 square feet, not even enough for employees • REDUCING OTHER COMMERCIAL PARKING BY 50% • REDUCING PARKING to 1 SPACE for ONE BEDROOM units • CAUSING PARKING TO OVERFLOW INTO NEIGHBORHOODS • APPROVING a project with: 4 STORIES, 56 to 59 foot TOWERS, MILLIONS of dollars in PARKING REDUCTIONS and buildings that go over and under public alleyways • SUBSTITUTING BICYCLE SPACES FOR AUTO SPACES • TRANSFERRING COSTS from DEVELOPERS to TAXPAYERS • INCREASING TRAFFIC CONGESTION • REDUCING DEVELOPMENT FEES by 85% • ALLOWING future Councils to CHANGE THE PLAN at WILL, WITH NO VOTER APPROVAL VOTE YES TO NEGATE THE COUNCIL’S IRRESPONSIBLE PARKING REDUCTIONS VOTE YES TO REQUIRE VOTER APPROVAL OF PLAN CHANGES VOTE YES TO REIN IN FUTURE CITY COUNCILS[2] |
” |
Opposition
Opponents
The following individuals signed the official argument against the measure:[1]
- John A. Tomlinson, Mayor of the City of Dana Point
- Richard A. Viczorek, Mayor Pro Tem of City of Dana Point
- Joseph L. Muller, Dana Point City Councilman
- Carlos N. Olvera, Dana Point City Councilman
Arguments against
Official argument
The following official argument was submitted in opposition to the measure:[1]
| “ |
Argument Against Measure H In November 2014, the voters of Dana Point sent a strong message that they were tired of vacant lots and empty storefronts in the Lantern District. Rather, they wanted to move forward with the implementation of the Town Center Plan which envisioned transforming the Lantern District into a pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use district where residents and visitors could park once, stroll the area and enjoy newly added restaurants and shops which would replace those vacant lots and empty storefronts. However, if passed, the 2015 Town Center Initiative would amend the Town Center Plan in a manner which would thwart its implementation and halt all the progress that has been made to date. But don’t just take our word for it. An independent review of the effects of the 2015 Town Center Initiative was conducted by Keyser Marston Associates and made the following determinations. • Imposition of the Initiative’s parking standards will have a stifling impact on development opportunities and effectively make mixeduse development in the Lantern District financially infeasible • If Initiative requirements are enacted, the City could potentially forego approximately $673,000 in annual revenues and lose onetime revenues estimated at $4.2 - 4.7 million • The Initiative imposes a mix of conflicting requirements that will make it impossible to successfully implement the Town Center Plan We encourage you to view the complete report detailing the negative effects of this Initiative on the Town Center Plan at www.danapoint.org under “City News.” Essentially, a vote for the 2015 Town Center Initiative is a vote against the Town Center Plan. In other words, if you like vacant lots and empty storefronts in the Lantern District, then you should vote for this initiative. We do not, and that is why the Dana Point City Council urges you to vote NO on the 2015 Town Center Initiative.[2] |
” |
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a successful initiative petition campaign, which means proponents of the initiative collected valid signatures from at least 2,040 registered city voters—10 percent of the Dana Point residents registered to vote.[3]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Dana Point Town Center Plan Initiative Measure H. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Orange County Registrar of Voters, "Sample Ballot Ballot Measures-H," accessed May 27, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Report of Registration as of February 10, 2015," accessed June 14, 2016
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