On June 7 (Election Night), the Sebastopol City Council unanimously adopted the citizens initiative to renew the city’s urban growth boundary (UGB) for 25 years, maintain existing boundaries, and add strengthened policies. Greenbelt Alliance jump-started the renewal process to prevent the UGB’s voter protections from expiring and partnered with the City Council, city staff, and advocates to write and pass the renewal measure.
A group of motivated activists in Sebastopol collected double the number of signatures needed for a ballot measure to renew the city’s voter-approved urban growth boundary before it expired at the end of 2016.
The group, called the Citizens to Renew the Sebastopol Urban Growth Boundary 2016, wanted to maintain the existing boundaries and extend the sunset date. Follow the group on Facebook to get updates.
Allowing the expiration of voter protections for any urban growth boundary opens the door to development beyond the growth boundaries with a simple majority vote of the City Council instead of a vote of the people.
Greenbelt Alliance, Sonoma County Conservation Action, the Sierra Club, Sebastopol Tomorrow, the Western Sonoma County Rural Alliance, and other open space enthusiasts supported the UGB renewal and assisted the citizens group.
