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Greenbelt Alliance In the News

December 18, 2002

Urban growth now in hands of voters

City Council writes itself out of decision-making process for North Livermore
development

In the future, residents, and not elected officials, will decide if any major residential development can take place in North Livermore. The City Council on Monday took themselves out of the decision-making process when they adopted an initiative that sets up an urban growth boundary in North Livermore. Any major development outside of the line would require a vote by residents.

The council's action could put an end to some 30 years of on-again, off-again talks about developing the region into a major residential community.

Because the group Friends of Livermore gathered nearly 10,500 signatures on the petition -- nearly three times as many as necessary -- council members had only two options: they could place the measure on the ballot in November 2003, or adopt it outright. The council majority earlier decided
against asking staff members to conduct an in-depth study about the possible impacts of the measure.

The council voted 3-2 to adopt the initiative without going to a public vote. The measure took effect immediately.

Mayor Marshall Kamena and council members Mark Beeman and Tom Reitter -- who ran together in November 2001 on a platform opposing development in North Livermore -- voted to adopt the initiative.

Council members Tom Vargas and Lorraine Dietrich, both of whom supported previous development plans for North Livermore, voted against adopting the measure and argued that residents should be given a chance to vote on the measure.

Dietrich and Vargas said those who signed the petition did so to place it on the ballot, not to adopt it as law, while supporters said Livermore residents have consistently voted against development in North Livermore.

Supporters said there was no need for another costly election.

The debate drew a standing-room only crowd to the usually spacious council chambers. The next day, outside groups jumped into the fray.

San Francisco-based Greenbelt Alliance, which says it has helped establish urban growth boundaries in 20 Bay Area cities, issued a statement applauding the council.

"This is a major victory for Livermore residents who want to protect the open space on the edge of town and revitalize the downtown area," said Evvy Stivers, East Bay field representative for Greenbelt Alliance. "There is room enough within city limits for infill development to meet the city's need for housing, office space and retail stores."

Phil Serna, vice president for government affairs for the Home Builders Association of Northern California, questioned the city's ability to provide enough housing to meet future needs.

City Council members who supported the initiative said there is enough room to meet affordable housing and growth needs without expanding the city north of Interstate 580. Specifically, Mayor Kamena supports building more high-density housing downtown.

But Serna suggested that when residents discover the problems associated with high-density housing, such as traffic, they may look more favorably to the construction of single-family homes in North Livermore. "It is going to be interesting to watch the tolerance level of citizens of Livermore. Are they going to be able to live with the comparatively higher densities?"

The open space north of Interstate 580 has long been eyed for development. In November 2000, county voters passed Measure D, which took the county out of a joint city-county plan to develop 12,500 homes on agricultural land north ofI-580 and east of Las Positas Community College. The development had a projected population of 37,000.

Under Measure D, if developers propose projects with more than one house per 100 acres, they must seek approval from voters.

Supporters said the initiative approved this week is necessary because Measure D only applied to residential development in the county. If the lands were annexed by the city, large-scale development could still occur in the region.

The council's action extends the urban limit line established by city voters in 1999 around South Livermore.

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