Town of San Anselmo Memorial Park Initiative, Measure D (November 2015)

See also: Town of San Anselmo Council-Referred Memorial Park Ordinance, Measure E (November 2015)

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A citizen initiative concerning the use of Memorial Park was on the ballot for San Anselmo voters in Marin County, California, on November 3, 2015. It was approved. The competing council referral, Measure E, was defeated.

Measure D, called the "Save Memorial Park Initiative" by supporters, was designed to prohibit the use of Memorial Park for anything besides recreational purposes, including a specific prohibition against using park land for a flood detention basin. Measure D also prohibited park land or facilities from being sold or transferred without voter approval.

The town council proposed the use of up to $3 million in state and county grant money to supplement city funding for a $17.4 million project to build a flood control basin in Memorial Park. The proposal would have included renovations and updates to the park. Measure D proponents put this initiative on the ballot largely in response to the town's proposal.

The town council put a competing measure on the ballot, Measure E, that was designed to allow the proposed flood control basin and other changes to Memorial Park provided voters approved the proposal in a future election. Since Measure D and Measure E were competing measures, if both had been approved, the one with the most "yes" votes would have been enacted, and the other would have been rejected. Of the two competing proposals, Measure D was the only measure to receive majority approval.

Supporters of Measure D argued that using Memorial Park as a flood control basin would diminish the beauty and value of the park, prevent the park from being used for as much as two years during construction, produce traffic congestion and cost taxpayers millions without significantly aiding in flood protection. Some supporters of Measure D argued that the competing measure, Measure E, was put on the ballot by the town council to confuse voters.

Opponents of Measure D argued that it would shut the door on an opportunity for the town to access state and county funds to prevent flooding and upgrade and renovate the park. Opponents of Measure D who supported the competing measure, Measure E, argued that Measure E would allow community and voter input and preserve the chance of accessing millions in state and county funding.

Election results

San Anselmo, Measure D
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		2,425	57.07%
No		1,824	42.93%

Election results from Marin County Elections Office

Text of measure

Ballot question

The following question appeared on the ballot:

“

Shall an ordinance be adopted to amend the San Anselmo General Plan to do the following: prohibit the use of Memorial Park as a flood detention basin; prevent any non-recreational uses that adversely affect or reduce Memorial Park’s current recreational amenities; and require voter approval before the park can be sold or transferred by the Town?

”

Picture of Memorial Park field

Impartial analysis

The following impartial analysis of Measure D was provided by the office of the town attorney:

“	Ballot Measure D is a proposed ordinance that would amend the San Anselmo General Plan regarding Memorial Park. Measure D was placed on the ballot by a petition signed by the requisite number of San Anselmo voters. Under current Town law, Memorial Park is governed by the policies within the Park and Open Space section of the Land Use Element of the San Anselmo General Plan. The General Plan policies applicable to Park and Open Space state that parks will only be improved with facilities for which the park was intended (e.g., tennis courts, baseball diamonds, and open playfields). California law requires that the Town provide a right of first refusal to county, regional, and state governmental entities for the purchase of a town park for use as public parkland before it may be sold to a private party. The Measure would add a Memorial Park-specific policy to the Town's General Plan Land Use Element. That policy would prohibit utilization of Memorial Park as a flood detention basin. The proposed policy also would prohibit any other use that would adversely affect the existing recreational amenities at Memorial Park. In addition, the Measure would add a policy to the General Plan Land Use Element to require voter approval at a general election for the sale or transfer of public land occupied by Memorial Park. Finally, the Measure would add an implementation measure to the Future Planning provisions of the General Plan Land Use Element that would require that the Town prepare a Park Lands Zoning Ordinance. The Park Lands Zoning Ordinance would be a mechanism for implementing the General Plan Land Use Element policies for Parks and Open Space, including the Memorial Park-specific policy included in the Measure. A "yes" vote on Measure D favors adoption of the ordinance. A "no" vote opposes adoption of the ordinance. A majority of "yes" votes is required for the Measure to pass. However, a competing Town Council measure, Measure E, has been placed on this ballot by the San Anselmo Town Council. If both measures pass, and this measure receives more "yes" votes, Measure E will fail. If both measures pass and Measure E receives more "yes" votes than this measure, this measure will fail. If adopted this ordinance could not be changed or repealed without voter approval. (quote)	”
—Town Attorney Robert F. Epstein

Town council race

According to local columnist Dick Spotswood, the fate of Memorial Park "is dominating council campaigns." Two council seats were open, with four contenders on the November 2015 ballot. The candidates were:

• Incumbent Ford Greene, a constitutional lawyer a
• Incumbent Doug Kelly, owner of a point-of-sales technology company
• Challenger Lise Stampfi Torme, a teacher who also works in graphic design
• Challenger Matt Brown, a commercial real estate broker a

Kelly and Torme opposed Measure D. Kelly stated that he considered the proposed Memorial Park basin project to be “an essential part of any serious flood control.” Kelly said, “I want to put shovels on the ground.”

Greene and Brown supported Measure D and opposed Measure E. Council Member Greene said, “In my opinion, this council is scared of the people’s initiative. In order to water down the chances for success of the people’s initiative, this council seeks to co-opt it.” Referring to a flood mitigation task list containing 182 items, one of which was the flood detention basin at Memorial Park, Greene said, “There are 181 other things that should be done first, including increasing capacity at Phoenix Lake.”

Both Greene and Brown were elected to the town council positions, defeating Kelly and Torme.

Support

Supporters

Save Memorial Park campaign image

Supporters of Measure D opposed the competing measure, Measure E.

A Save Memorial Park campaign was started to support Measure D.

The following individuals signed the official argument in favor of Measure D:

• Kathleen Lipinski, artist
• Matt Brown, candidate for town council
• E. Ross Asselstine, former member of the San Anselmo Flood Committee
• Jeff Kroot, former mayor of San Anselmo

Council Member Ford Greene was the only council member to vote against putting Measure E on the ballot. He supported Measure D.

Arguments in favor

Measure D proponents argued that using Memorial Park as a flood control basin would diminish the beauty and value of the park, prevent the park from being used for as much as two years during construction, produce traffic congestion and cost tax payers millions without significantly aiding in flood protection. Some supporters of Measure D argued that the competing measure, Measure E, was put on the ballot by the town council to confuse voters.

The following arguments were presented on the Save Memorial Park website:

“	With D: Memorial Park will be defined specifically for recreational use: not dug up, sunk down and walled for a flood detention basin that only saves a just a very few inches of the big floods in town. We save Millennium Playground, spacious ball fields, practice areas, so many mature trees, picnic and play areas, and parking. Memorial Park will remain open for use by our children and everyone in the Ross Valley. Millions of dollars can be redirected to more meaningful flood control projects that address the Morningside neighborhood and downtown. We will end this divisive issue by voting in November. YES on Measure D. With E: Memorial Park will go through an expensive, lengthy process to determine just how DEEP the detention basin will be. Damming tiny Sorich Creek will never provide meaningful flood control. Goodbye to a lot of recreation facilities, parking, the volunteer built, all or part of community created Millennium Playground & Elders’ Garden. Memorial Park will be closed during a long demolition and construction period, AND every time it is used for a detention basin. Funds to rebuild the recreation facilities and for cleanup after floods are not identified. This may come at your expense. Another $1,480,000 will be spent on consultants and this divisive issue will drag on and on. NO on Measure E.	”
—Save Memorial Park

Official arguments

The following statement was submitted as the official argument in favor of Measure D:

“	Vote YES on Measure D to Save Memorial Park, San Anselmo's primary recreation facility, treasured and loved by generations of Ross Valley residents. Memorial Park's ball fields, tennis courts, Elders Garden, unique community-built Millennium Playground, picnic areas, mature trees and spectacular views of Mt. Tampalpais and Baldy are well-used daily by young and old. A YES vote on Measure D guarantees that Memorial Park will be preserved for our families and future generations. Your YES vote means that Memorial Park won't be bulldozed, excavated, diminished in size and lowered to the bottom of a deep hole at a cost of over $17,000,000. Yes on D means our park won't be closed for up to two years while thousands of truckloads of excavated dirt are trucked down our streets, resulting in pavement damage and traffic congestion. A YES vote on Measure D is a vote for cost effective flood control. There are better ways to reduce flooding in the Ross Valley at far less expense without compromising our valuable community park. A detention basin at Memorial Park would only reduce flooding by a few inches in San Anselmo. Our flood fee and tax dollars should be spent elsewhere. The proposed detention basin in Memorial Park is not worth the price and consequences. There are no identified funds for clean up costs for fields, tennis courts and playgrounds. There are significant safety concerns when introducing flood waters where children play daily. Financial shortfalls at San Anselmo taxpayer expense are likely. A Yes vote on Measure D guarantees continued and future use of Memorial Park for recreation purposes only. Please join your San Anselmo friends, neighbors and former San Anselmo mayors who understand the importance of our park and vote YES on Measure D to Save Memorial Park. (quote)	”
—Kathleen Lipinski, Matt Brown, E. Ross Asselstine and Jeff Kroot

Opposition

Opponents

Some opponents of Measure D supported the competing measure, Measure E.

The following individuals signed the official argument in opposition to Measure D:

• Robert T. Lewis, chair of San Anselmo Together
• John D. Wright, mayor of San Anselmo
• Annelise Bauer, board member for Ross Valley School
• Kathleen Holtzer, real estate broker
• Lori J. Lopin, former member of the San Anselmo Town Council

The Marin Democratic Party endorsed a "no" vote on Measure D.

Arguments against

Measure D critics argued that it would shut the door on an opportunity for the town to access state and county funds to prevent flooding and upgrade and renovate the park. Opponents of Measure D who support the competing measure, Measure E, argued that Measure E would allow community and voter input and preserve the chance of accessing millions in state and county funding.

Official arguments

The following statement was submitted as the official argument in opposition to Measure D:

“	Please vote NO on Measure D. A NO vote on Measure D is a vote to ensure that we address important issues facing San Anselmo, including: Making long-overdue renovations to recreational facilities at Memorial Park, at minimum cost to the Town. Controlling costly floods that have devastated our town, homes and local businesses and threaten us every year. Improving environmental quality. When you vote NO on Measure D, you'll be voting to support community efforts to greatly improve Memorial Park. These improvements include: Providing better playing fields with modern irrigation and drainage. Implementing effective measures to prevent hazardous floods. Preserving other amenities like the children's playground and tennis courts. These efforts will enhance our Town's recreational programs and improve the environmental quality of Memorial Park, at little cost to our residents. Recreation planners, sports program participants, Park patrons and Town officials all support these needed improvements to Memorial Park. Simply put, we will not see another opportunity like this to utilize state funding to improve our Park and meaningfully address flooding in San Anselmo. Voting NO on Measure D allows the plan for Memorial Park to continue to a public review process. This will ensure that the community has significant input into the final design and configuration of the Park, making certain that we get the best Park possible, and providing meaningful flood control. But if you vote for Measure D, we get nothing. Millions of dollars in State and county funding for all these improvements will be lost, and the burden will be placed on Town taxpayers to fund Park enhancements and flood mitigation. Vote NO on Measure D to ensure a better Memorial Park and a safer San Anselmo. (quote)	”
—Robert T. Lewis, John D. Wright, Annelise Bauer, Kathleen Holtzer and Lori J. Lopin

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in California

This measure was put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. Proponents collected 1,484 valid signatures to qualify this initiative for a voter decision. The town council could have approved the initiative directly. Council members voted to put it before voters instead. Petitioners needed 817 valid signatures—10 percent of the town's registered voters—to qualify the initiative for a regularly scheduled municipal election. They needed 1,225—15 percent of the town's registered voters—to force a special election. Although enough signatures were submitted to force a special election, petitioners did not request a special election. Matthew Brown, an organizer of the petition drive, said, “But it is not our intention to cause a special election. We definitely want this to not cost the town.” A special election specifically for Measure D would have cost the town significantly more than putting the measure on the regularly scheduled election ballot on November 3, 2015.

Related measures

d Measure E: Town of San Anselmo Council-Referred Memorial Park Ordinance

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Save Memorial Park Initiative Measure D. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Town of San Anselmo Memorial Park Initiative, Measure D (November 2015) - Google News

See also

• Local zoning, land use and development on the ballot
• Marin County, California ballot measures
• November 3, 2015 ballot measures in California

External links

Suggest a link

• Marin County Elections Office website
• Town of San Anselmo Government, "Memorial Park Detention Basin Project"
• Town of San Anselmo Government, "Memorial Park Information"

Support

• Save Memorial Park website, Facebook page and Tumblr