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Press Release
July 27, 2004
Contact:
David Reid, East Bay Field Representative, 925-932-7776 or 510-289-9028
(cell)
Greenbelt Alliance
Won’t Block Transportation Tax
Subheading
Despite grave concerns over the urban limit line, Greenbelt Alliance
has decided not to oppose the transportation sales tax extension on this
fall’s ballot in Contra Costa County. Greenbelt Alliance and other
environmental groups had pushed for the measure to specify the location
of an urban limit line, to contain the county’s growth. Though this
fall’s measure includes the line, it does not specify its location
– instead, it spells out a complicated process for developing a line
that would go before voters in 2006.
In addition to the location of the line, Greenbelt Alliance is concerned
about policies protecting land outside the line, and how easy it would
be to move the line. David Reid, Greenbelt Alliance East Bay Field Representative,
expressed concern that the lengthy behind-the-scenes process of deciding
these issues could be manipulated by sprawl developers and elected officials
who may be beholden to development interests.
“We don’t want to see this transportation measure become a
vehicle for sprawl,” said Reid.
With Greenbelt Alliance declining to oppose the measure, it’s now
up to Contra Costa County’s mayors, supervisors, and transportation
officials to make sure the measure includes growth controls. Reid said
they’re not off the hook yet, though: “Greenbelt Alliance will
act as a watchdog during this process. We’ll push to keep the urban
limit line where it is, keep it strong, and push for good land protections
outside the line. If the measure doesn’t do enough to protect open
space, we’ll be ready to oppose it at the ballot box in 2006.”
Greenbelt Alliance Letter to Contra Costa Officials:
July 27, 2004
Contra Costa County Supervisors and Mayors:
Greenbelt Alliance has decided to take a neutral position on the proposed
extension of Contra Costa Count's Transportation Sales Tax (Measure C)
which will go before voters this fall.
While Greenbelt Alliance will not mount a campaign against the measure,
we
remain extremely concerned about the growth management component of the
measure. Despite months of negotiations over this component, the measure
that will go before voters in November does not define the future location
of the County's Urban Limit Line (ULL), provides no specifics on policies
regulating land use outside the ULL, and is silent on how the ULL might
be modified in the future. Instead, the measure leaves decisions on these
critical issues to an ad hoc process that, in our opinion, is subject
to
manipulation by sprawl developers and elected officials that are beholden
to
development interests.
Over the many years that Greenbelt Alliance has been involved in Contra
Costa County's land use debates, we have built relationships with committed
advocates of land conservation and smart growth. Many of these allies
have
told us that they believe that the ULL process laid out in the Measure
C
update will deliver meaningful growth management for Contra Costa County
for the next three decades. It is out of respect for these allies that
we have
decided to take a neutral position on the measure.
In the months to come, Greenbelt Alliance will be very actively involved
in
working to develop an Urban Limit Line, and associated policies, that
will
strengthen growth management in the county, protect open space and help
create more livable communities. As the ULL process moves forward we will
work to engage Contra Costa residents in the effort to obtain:
1) A "tight" ULL, the location of which is similar to the County's
existing ULL;
2) Policies that ensure that rural land outside the ULL remains rural,
including minimum parcel sizes of 160 acres; and
3) Extremely rigorous criteria for moving the ULL.
We have placed our trust in you, Contra Costa County's leaders. If you
violate that trust and deliver a weak growth management plan, Greenbelt
Alliance will make every effort to defeat it. We will aggressively campaign
to defeat any inadequate growth management ballot measure that is put
before
voters in 2006 or in subsequent years. We anticipate that several of our
allies would join us in this effort.
Much of Contra Costa County's open space has already been lost. Greenbelt
Alliance fears that the ULL process laid out in the Measure C update puts
the County's remaining open space in jeopardy, and, in doing so, threatens
the County's quality of life. We have reluctantly agreed to put aside
our
fears and participate in this process. Now we will hold you to your word
that this transportation measure will not become a vehicle for sprawl.
David Reid
East Bay Field Representative
Greenbelt Alliance
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For 50 years, Greenbelt Alliance has been the San Francisco Bay Area's advocate for open spaces and vibrant places, with offices in San Francisco, San Jose, Walnut Creek, Fairfield, and Santa Rosa. www.greenbelt.org
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