Supporters say Measure D gives Los Altos residents the right to vote on permanent changes to public downtown parking plazas. YES establishes an ordinance that requires voter approval before the City of Los Altos sells, trades, leases, conveys, declares "surplus land,"or otherwise permanently changes the current use of the city-owned downtown parking plazas.
The ordinance is housing friendly. Voter approval is not required for state-mandated affordable housing on City-designated Parking Plazas 7 and 8. The City will continue to maintain, improve, landscape, and use the parking plazas for parking, festivals, parades, farmers markets, and other community events. The City can propose any project for voter consideration, including a park, parking garage, and performing arts center.
www.YesLosAltos.org (Campaign Website)
A YES vote on this measure means: you want to prohibit the City from selling, leasing, conveying, declaring surplus, or permanently repurposing the Parking Plazas for any use other than surface parking without a majority vote of the City's voters.
Opponents say Measure D is a costly mistake. Its supporters promise a simple solution, but the reality will be years of expensive unintended consequences. It will cost taxpayers millions in legal battles, discourage investment in our downtown, put local businesses at a disadvantage, and risk our community's control over where and how housing is built. They argue that Measure D won't improve parking or support local businesses. Instead, it requires a costly city-wide election before any future changes can move forward, delaying improvements and making it harder to attract investment and new customers.
They say that even if you oppose a downtown park you should still oppose this measure. The park is only a proposal, and the City Council is required to hold public meetings and hear community input. Measure D permanently locks broad restrictions into law, limiting future options for parking, housing, and solutions we haven't even imagined. It ties our hands for decades.
A NO vote on this measure means: you want to preserve the City's discretion to use the Parking Plazas for any use permitted by local, state, and/or federal law.