REDWOOD NEEDLES Presented by the Sierra Club Redwood Chapter Newsletter, The REDWOOD NEEDLES Return to Article Menu Sierra Club Recommends a NO Vote on Rohnert Park's Faulty UGB Proposal, Ballot Measure A By Margaret Pennington The Sierra Club opposes Measure A because the proposal does not establish a true Urban Growth Boundary. It does not prevent future annexations. Instead it contains a major loophole which allows for unbridled urban sprawl. The loophole is this: When houses have been built on all the land within the Urban Growth Boundary, it will only require three votes from the City Council to expand the boundary again, as much as they want, without voter approval. Christa Shaw of Greenbelt Alliance notes that this "..leaves the City Council with no incentive to maintain a reasonable rate of growth. The faster it builds out the boundary, the sooner it can expand it again." By comparison, other Sonoma County communities have adopted UGB's that only allow city councils to make minor changes to the boundaries, generally in order to provide additional low income housing as provided by state law. Any major changes or expansions require voter approval. The Sierra Club believes that a meaningful UGB must require voter approval of any sizable modifications. Measure A fails this test. Jim Reilly and Jake Mackenzie, RP City Council members who opposed the placement of Measure A on the June ballot, further describe the resolution as an attempt to circumvent Measure N which was approved by RP voters in 1996. Measure N was passed to stop massive development which crowds schools, increases traffic on already crowded streets, increases costs for public safety and other city services, and exceeds the capacity of the City of Rohnert Park to provide sewer services. Measure A's "expandable" UGB allows the type of uncontrolled growth, and its accompanying problems and costs to the community, that Measure N was intended to halt. The Sierra Club urges voters in Rohnert Park to reject this pseudo UGB and vote No on Measure A on June 2, 1998. You can get involved in fighting Measure A by contacting Jake Mckenzie, 584-1195. -Margaret Pennington, Sonoma Group and Redwood Chapter Political Co-Chair Return to Article Menu Last updated on 3/29/98 Comments or suggestions? Drop us a line at heyneedles@aol.com