The Passage of Measure E in Marina--A Significant Land Use Victory

November 14, 2000

A Report To LandWatch Members on the Passage of Measure E in the City of Marina

Election Day brought some exceptionally good news from the City of Marina. On November 7th, Marina voters adopted Measure E, the Marina Urban Growth Boundary Initiative, by a 52.4% majority. This is an incredible victory not only for Marina, but also for the entirety of Monterey County.

LandWatch was involved in the campaign for an urban growth boundary in Marina from the very beginning. We helped Marina citizens form Marina 2020 Vision, the group that urged the City to adopt an urban growth boundary, and that ultimately sponsored and qualified the initiative measure that became Measure E. The first drafts of the initiative were written by LandWatch Executive Director Gary Patton, and he worked closely with the San Francisco law firm of Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger, which did the final drafting, to make sure that the initiative would accomplish the objectives desired by Marina residents. Gary Patton and Maggie Hirsch, who coordinated LandWatch efforts to educate and inform Marina residents on the benefits of an urban growth boundary, played a key supportive role during the political campaign season, during which Measure E was the "biggest issue on the ballot" in Marina.

Measure E enacts the first Urban Growth Boundary ever in Monterey County. It will ensure that the future growth of Marina is focused into the existing city, and specifically onto the lands of the former Fort Ord. The proposed development of a massive subdivision on the Armstrong Ranch is deferred for twenty years. Proposed resort developments on sensitive coastal dunes are also precluded.

Measure E is not a "no growth" measure, since it allows for the construction of 4,000 housing units over the next twenty years. It will prevent, however, the type of costly suburban sprawl that is an ever greater danger in Monterey County, as growth pressures from the Silicon Valley make it profitable for developers to build bedrooms for workers whose jobs are elsewhere. In fact, the massive development of the Armstrong Ranch, prevented by the passage of Measure E, is being proposed by the Gibson Speno Company, the Silicon Valley developer who just obtained approval to build the Cisco Systems project in San Jose (20,000 jobs and not one house). Gibson Speno wanted to put at least some of the houses to serve Cisco workers in Marina, and thanks to Measure E, that won't be possible. As a consequence, residents of Marina, and of the rest of Monterey County, won't have to fight the traffic congestion that would have inevitably accompanied the development of the Armstrong Ranch. Marina residents also won't have their current water supplies exceeded, as proposed in the General Plan approved by the City Council, designed to allow the rapid development of the Armstrong Ranch's 2000 acres.

Besides the direct benefits that Measure E will bring to Marina, the Marina Urban Growth Boundary now sets a precedent that can be followed in other Monterey County jurisdictions. As the San Jose Mercury News has said, "an urban growth boundary is the best weapon against sprawl." Thanks to all of those who helped pass Measure E, and who have thus made certain that Marina will now have the ability to wield that weapon to protect the quality of life of Marina and Monterey County residents.

It's Not Over!
The passage of Measure E was just the beginning. More planning challenges will almost certainly face Marina in the upcoming months. Here are just a few things to be watching for:

• There may be a lawsuit to invalidate Measure E. Maybe Gibson Speno will take the hint, and look elsewhere to realize its development plans. But don't count on it! LandWatch is confident that Measure E will be found completely legal, if a challenge is mounted, but the legality of Measure E doesn't mean that we won't have to defend it in court.
  
  
• The recently adopted Marina General Plan, which the Marina City Council rushed through to approval to beat the November 7th election (the Council voted on the plan at a special meeting held on Halloween) must now be amended to incorporate the provisions of Measure E, and to implement the urban growth boundary specified in the initiative. The Council has consistently opposed the idea of an urban growth boundary for Marina. Intense involvement will be required to make sure that the Council really implements the will of the people.
  
  
• The Marina General Plan just adopted contains plans for at least one new road through the middle of a natural habitat area given specific protection in the Fort Ord Reuse Authority Plan. The need for the road was entirely to serve the new traffic that would have been generated by the Armstrong Ranch development. It's important to make sure that this road is now removed from the General Plan, to be consistent with Measure E.

LandWatch has had a special "Marina Project" fund, from the very start of our involvement in Marina. If you would like to support the continued work of LandWatch in Marina, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to LandWatch, and note that it's for the "Marina Project."

Again, thanks to all who made possible the passage of Measure E, a landmark victory for good planning in Monterey County! Don't hesitate to call LandWatch with any questions or comments.