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Shall
the City of Watsonville amend the Watsonville 2005 General Plan thereby
imposing certain restrictions on growth, as specified, and restricting later
amendments all as provided in the Watsonville Urban Limit Line and Development Timing Initiative? |
A “yes” vote is a vote to adopt the Measure. A “no” vote is a vote not to adopt the Measure. In order to be adopted, the Measure must be approved by a majority of
the voters voting on it. s/
Alan Smith City
Attorney The statement above is an
impartial analysis of Measure U. If you desire a copy of the Measure, please call the City Clerk’s Office at (831) 728-6005 and a copy will be mailed at no cost to you. |
Impartial Analysis BY CITY
ATTORNEY
Measure U The Watsonville Urban Limit Line and Development Timing Initiative
(“Measure”) would amend the City’s General Plan to define a new Urban Limit
Line (“ULL”) and make related changes to General Plan policies and land use
designations. The new ULL would
consist of three segments: a Twenty Year ULL, a Twenty-Five Year ULL, and a
Westerly ULL. For specific areas both
inside and outside the ULL, the Measure also specifies the type and timing of
development. The
City’s Existing General Plan: The City of
Watsonville General Plan establishes permissible land uses within the City
limits as well as a broader planning area around the City. Development projects within the City
limits must be consistent with the General Plan. In May 1994, the City Council amended the City’s General Plan
to adopt the Watsonville ULL. The ULL establishes a boundary beyond which the
City will not permit urban development and will not extend City services. Effect
of the Measure: The Measure would define a new ULL,
readopt and reaffirm related policies in the General Plan, and redesignate
certain areas to coincide with the new ULL.
The Measure would adopt new General Plan policies specifying the type
and timing of development in seven specific areas inside the ULL. It would also amend the General Plan Land
Use Diagram to show the new ULL, redesignated areas, and areas subject to the
phased development policies. The
Measure would also establish policies to direct urban development within the
ULL and to protect agriculture on lands outside the ULL. With certain exceptions, any changes to
the ULL or to the policies proposed by the Measure would require a vote of
the people. Exceptions: The Measure
would authorize the City Council to amend the ULL
without voter approval in the following circumstances: 1) during regular
updates of the City General Plan, but only if the policies adopted by this Measure
are retained; 2) if the amended boundary is inside the limits of the ULL
established by the Measure; 3) if the Council finds that application of the
ULL constitutes an unconstitutional taking; or 4) if the Santa Cruz County
Local Agency Formation Commission does not amend the Watsonville Sphere of
Influence to a configuration substantially corresponding to the ULL or
approve annexations corresponding to the Measure’s policies concerning timing
of development. Amendments to the
Twenty Year ULL would not require voter approval after November 1, 2022, and
amendments to the Twenty-Five Year ULL or Westerly ULL would not require
voter approval after November 1, 2027.
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VOTER
INFORMATION PAMPHLET
MEASURES, ANALYSES AND
ARGUMENTS (whichever is applicable to
your ballot) Arguments in support of, or in opposition to, the proposed laws are the opinions of the authors. |
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ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF MEASURE U Dear Watsonville Voter: Please join us
in voting YES on Measure U, the Watsonville Urban Limit Line and
Development Timing Initiative. Measure U
provides orderly growth and agricultural protection for the City of
Watsonville. Your YES vote on Measure U will help: · protect farmland · ensure space for housing
and jobs ·
preserve
our beautiful local environment This initiative
was proposed after 3 years of discussion and compromise by hundreds of
Watsonville residents expressing their hopes for the future of our
community. What came out
of those discussions was something unique: a plan that balances growth and
preservation. The success of
this plan is shown by the local community organizations supporting Measure U: · Santa Cruz County Farm
Bureau · Monterey Bay Central Labor
Council, AFL-CIO · Watsonville Wetlands Watch · Pajaro Valley Chamber of
Commerce · Latino Chamber of Commerce
of Santa Cruz County · League of United Latin
American Citizens of Watsonville/Santa Cruz County · Watsonville Association of
Realtors · Community Alliance with
Family Farmers · Watsonville City Council · Santa Cruz County Board of
Supervisors ·
Action
Pajaro Valley Measure U
protects the good things about Watsonville, and makes room for phased growth
to meet our future needs. Why is this
plan on the ballot? Because something this important should be decided by the
people. Your YES vote on Measure
U will enhance our quality of life by: ·
Preserving
our viable agricultural land · Allowing some room in our
small town for new housing and jobs · Protecting the long-term
health of our unique natural resources We think
Watsonville is a special place. Don't you agree? Let's keep it that way... for
our children and future generations! Please Vote YES on U. s/ Betty Bobeda, Mayor,
City of Watsonville s/ Jim Rider, Board Member,
Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau s/ Rebecca J. Garcia, K-12
Administrator, Community College Trustee s/ Ana Ventura Phares, City
Councilmember, City of Watsonville s/ Chris Johnson-Lyons,
Founding Board Member, Watsonville Wetlands Watch |
ARGUMENT
AGAINST MEASURE U Measure U, the Growth Initiative, is unnecessary
and will NOT benefit the majority of Watsonville residents. Passage of the initiative promotes urban
sprawl into existing agricultural areas and will place a significant strain
on the resources of the Pajaro Valley.
While the Initiative allows for the creation of additional housing,
most of the homes will not be affordable to the typical Watsonville resident,
attracting instead people from outside the area. The service improvements that will be needed for development of
the annexed areas will create additional costs for city residents. Who really benefits from this Initiative? Urban Limit Lines (ULL) are
usually established to prevent sprawl and protect natural resources. In this case however, the proposed ULL
includes sprawl into prime agricultural land. Passage of this Initiative actually defeats its stated
intention -- protection and preservation of agricultural lands. Measure U will not address
the critical housing needs described in the Housing Element of the City of
Watsonville’s General Plan. Instead
it will likely entice people to relocate from outside the area, thereby
increasing the local population and exacerbating issues that plague the
Pajaro Valley and its residents, including: ·
Increased
traffic on already congested roadways, ·
Continued
over-drafting of water resources, ·
Placing
an additional burden on already overcrowded schools, and ·
Destruction
of open space, agricultural land and sensitive environmental areas. The unmet housing needs
should be mitigated within the current city boundaries, through infill and
neighborhood redevelopment. Services
and resources need to be addressed and prioritized for existing residents.
Extending the ULL is unnecessary; improving existing conditions is
imperative. A "no" vote on
Measure U will require the City of Watsonville to improve and maintain
housing within the city limits and focus on the creation of needed jobs and
homes for local residents. Friends of Buena Vista s/ Bert Post, Member,
Steering Committee s/ Karin Kerber-Smith,
Member, Steering Committee s/ Bill Bruce, Member,
Steering Committee s/ Kim Shirley, Member,
Steering Committee s/ Tom Smith, Member,
Steering Committee |
44-521