San Jose, California, Measure C, Development Limits on Employment Lands Charter Amendment (June 2018)
| Measure C: San Jose Development Limits on Employment Lands Charter Amendment |
|---|
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| The basics |
| Election date: |
| June 5, 2018 |
| Status: |
 Approved
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| Topic: |
| Local property |
| Related articles |
| Local property on the ballot June 5, 2018 ballot measures in California Santa Clara County, California ballot measures Local zoning, land use and development on the ballot |
| See also |
| San Jose, California |
A charter amendment to limit development of non-employment use on specified employment lands was on the ballot for San Jose voters in Santa Clara County, California, on June 5, 2018. It was approved.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of amending the city charter to restrict development not of employment use in lands zoned as employment lands within the city. |
| A no vote was a vote against amending the city charter to restrict development not of employment use in lands zoned as employment lands within the city. |
Measure C was placed on the ballot as a competing measure to counter a citizen initiative, Measure B, the Evergreen Senior Housing Initiative. Mayor Sam Liccardo proposed the charter amendment after real estate developers and San Jose Residents for Evergreen Senior Homes proposed that areas of the city zoned as employment lands be rezoned for senior housing developments. Liccardo countered with Measure C to prevent the development of areas designated for employment uses in the city's general plan. Measure C was approved, and Measure B was defeated.
Election results
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San Jose Measure C |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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|
99,235 | 60.83% | ||
| No | 63,905 | 39.17% | ||
-
- Results are officially certified.
- Source
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question was as follows:[1]
| “ |
Shall San José’s Charter be amended, notwithstanding any measure on the June 5, 2018 ballot or other San José law, to restrict development of non-employment uses on designated lands in outlying areas near San José’s Urban Growth Boundary, including Almaden Valley, Coyote Valley and Evergreen foothills, unless the City Council determines such development will not adversely affect the City financially, will satisfy increased affordable housing requirements, and will mitigate environmental impacts and pay appropriate fees for road improvements to address traffic impacts?[2] |
” |
Full text
Read the full text of the measure here.
Background
Real estate developers Carl Berg and Chop Keenan along with the group San Jose Residents for Evergreen Senior Homes led a citizen initiative effort to place the Evergreen Senior Housing Initiative on the ballot for June 5, 2018. The initiative was designed to convert employment lands citywide to senior housing and to rezone 200 acres of industrial land as a senior housing overlay in the Evergreen Campus Industrial Area on the east end of the urban growth boundary (see this map).[3]
The city council responded with a 9-1 vote to counter the initiative with Resolution 18-344, the Development Limits on Employment Lands Charter Amendment, proposed by Mayor Sam Liccardo on March 8, 2018.
Support
Proponents
The following individuals signed the official argument in favor of Measure C:[4]
- Sam Liccardo, mayor, city of San Jose
- Burton V. Smith, veteran, senior citizen advocate
- Leslee Ann Hamilton, executive director, environmental nonprofit, former San Jose parks and recreation commissioner
- Thang Do, small-business owner
- Tamara Alvarado, nonprofit executive director, mother
Arguments
The following official argument was filed in favor of Measure C:[4]
| “ |
Vote Yes on Measure C to fight suburban sprawl and prevent developers from making their own rules. Sprawling development destroys our environment, and burdens San Jose's taxpaying and commuting residents, because sprawl:
Measure C combats residential sprawl on the environmentally sensitive edges of our City, including Coyote Valley, the Evergreen foothills, and the Almaden Valley. More than 5,000 residents helped to craft San Jose's General Plan, which embraced an Urban Growth Boundary to limit sprawl and project our environment. Measure C fights developers and other special interests who undermine our community's General Plan for their profits. Specifically, Measure C strengthens the City Council's ability to deny housing conversions of large sites near our Urban Growth Boundary by requiring environmental and fiscal studies. If conversions are allowed in those areas, then Measure C also requires the developer to:
Measure C prevents developers from rewriting our General Plan for the unchecked sprawl that maximizes their profits and destroys our environment. 9 of 10 Councilmembers support Measure C - Jones, Jimenez, Peralez, Diep, Carrasco, Davis, Nguyen, Arenas and Khamis. Vote Yes on Measure C. For more information, please visit www.StopSanJoseSprawl.com[2] |
” |
| —Official Argument in Support of Measure C | ||
Opposition
Opponents
The following individuals signed the official argument in opposition to Measure C:[5]
- Jeffrey C. Schroeder, chair, San Jose Residents for Evergreen Senior Homes
- Ernest Kirk Jr., artist
Arguments
The following official argument was filed in opposition to Measure C:[5]
| “ |
Measure C is a dangerous and poorly written political ploy that is likely to result in multiple lawsuits against the City and could cost the people of San Jose funds that would be better spent addressing vital city needs. Instead of dealing with our city's important challenges, politicians quickly crafted Measure C in secret behind closed doors to confuse voters and make major changes to our City Charter. San Jose has a long history as a model of open government, but Measure C was written by political insiders then placed on the ballot with less than three days of review. It did not undergo the normal extensive public input process that is essential for carefully thought out policy. In fact, the lack of proper review could mean that Measure C could actually create more problems than it fixes. Measure C is not about the status quo or making San Jose better -it is about advancing a political agenda without concern for the long-term and unintended consequences. We agree that San Jose needs more affordable housing, but this is not a solution to that problem. Rather than spending time developing real solutions for our housing crisis, politicians gave us this flawed measure that is meant to make us think they are taking action. Measure C could actually cost the City of San Jose substantial funds if passed. These taxpayer dollars would be better spent on public safety, schools, parks, and other vital public services. Don't be fooled - Measure C is not meant to help San Jose residents. It is a flawed, dangerous smokescreen written in the backroom by politicians and without any public input. Join us in voting No on Measure C[2] |
” |
| —Official Argument in Opposition to Measure C | ||
Path to the ballot
On March 8, 2018, the San Jose City Council voted 9-1 to place the charter amendment measure on the ballot, with council member Donald Rocha casting the opposing vote.[6]
See also
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ SanjoseCA.gov, "Resolution 18-344," accessed March 12, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ SanjoseCA.gov, "Title and Summary," accessed January 23, 2018
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 City of San Jose, "Argument in Favor," accessed May 6, 2018
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 City of San Jose, "Argument in Opposition," accessed May 6, 2018
- ↑ The Mercury News, "Evergreen counter-measure makes the ballot as developers promise a legal challenge," March 8, 2018
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