As of 8:05 p.m., Measure A was passing with more than 60 percent
of the votes. With four of 16 precincts reporting, 2,375
”
yes
”
votes were cast for the measure that would allow 500 additional
units in the downtown area but keep the city’s population cap of
48,000 people by 2020, and 1,580
”
no
”
votes were cast.
As of 8:05 p.m., Measure A was passing with more than 60 percent of the votes.
With four of 16 precincts reporting, 2,375 “yes” votes were cast for the measure that would allow 500 additional units in the downtown area but keep the city’s population cap of 48,000 people by 2020, and 1,580 “no” votes were cast.
Measure A’s precursor, Measure H, failed by 10 votes in the November election after being neglected during the campaign season. The November ballot was mottled with myriad decisions for voters, including choosing the next U.S. President. And without a campaign for it, the measure failed.
Its proponents said they learned their lesson, and after the council again volleyed the measure to the voters – this time, it landed on today’s state special election ballot – backers came together to cheerlead the measure. They formed a political action committee called Committee for Measure A and led a robust Internet campaign with a frequently-updated blog, yesona.blogspot.com. The group also passed out yard signs and sent out postcards urging residents to support the measure, which was seen by most of the town’s movers and shakers as a panacea for Morgan Hill’s beleaguered downtown by increasing housing density there by allowing for multi-use, urban building projects. Former mayor Dennis Kennedy and downtown property owner Gary Walton say these mixed-use projects would then solve almost every problem the city has with growth control and downtown business success: preserving the greenbelt and boosting Morgan Hill’s rural appeal, providing housing that is “affordable by design,” but not subsidized; boosting retail by providing foot traffic and perhaps even lower rents for retailers and making the city more environmentally friendly.
Measure A hit two snags along the way. In early May, the committee sent out more than 7,800 mailers urging residents to vote yes. Committee members neglected to include contact information from the sender, which is required by the Political Reform Act. The group was advised by the California Fair Political Practices Commission to file a formal complaint against itself, and the commission will then determine a punishment. Violations are punishable with an administrative fine of up to $5,000 but could be as lenient as requiring “warning letters” be sent to residents.
Then, this weekend, a loosely organized group of Morgan Hill residents placed yard signs around town over the weekend urging people to vote “No” and tied the measure with the city’s plans to demolish the old Granada Theater and redevelop the historic theater in a new location downtown. Signs and postcards read “Save the Granada. No on A” and the group’s Web site was www.savethegranada.com.
Proponents, such as Morgan Hill City Councilman Greg Sellers, called the move “disingenuous.”
