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News Update!
Protest against Open Space District expansion fails
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A Coastside Protection Program GlossaryMidpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD)
A special district formed to create a regional greenbelt of
open space lands. MROSD was created through the efforts of Committee for Green Foothills members and other conservationists through a voter initiative on the ballot in 1972 that established the District's boundaries in
northwestern Santa Clara County. In 1976, voters approved annexation - or expansion of the district's boundaries - into southern San Mateo County. In 1992, the District expanded a third time when it annexed a small portion of
Santa Cruz County. The District now covers an area of 330 square miles and serves a population of approximately 650,000. Since its formation in 1972, the District has preserved over 45,000 acres, and manages 24 public open
space preserves. Special District
A local government agency generally organized to perform a single function, such as managing water, sewer, fire, recreation or parks services. MROSD is a special district.
Annexation
The expansion of a special district boundary. In order to expand the MROSD boundary, additional lands are annexed to the current
district. Annexation does not automatically bring lands under the ownership or control of MROSD; it simply gives the district the ability to purchase lands within those boundaries. Coastside Protection
Program
The entire package of services and programs MROSD proposes to extend the District's boundaries to the Coast in order to
preserve open space and local agriculture. Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo)
The agency in each county chartered by the Legislature to encourage the orderly growth and management of
cities and special districts in California. Each LAFCo is comprised of two representatives of cities, two representatives of counties, one member of the public and - in some counties - two representatives of Special Districts.
Because the proposed expansion of MROSD is within San Mateo County, that county's LAFCo had final approval over the
Coastside Protection Program. Coastal Open Space Alliance (COSA)
An association of
organizations and individuals committed to the preservation of open space in San Mateo County, especially in the area of the San Mateo County Coastside. COSA is leading the effort to support approval of the Coastside Protection
Program. Committee for Green Foothills is a founding member of COSA. Eminent Domain
The right of any government entity to take private property for public use in exchange for
payment of that property's fair market value. Although the MROSD board issued a resolution (their "willing sellers only" policy) to eliminate the District's right to use eminent domain in the Coastside
Protection Program area, residents feared that this decision might be overturned in the future. On April 1, 2004, Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB1995 into law, making permanent the elimination of
MROSD's right to use eminent domain in the 220 square miles of coastside encompassed by the Coastside Protection Program. Measure F
An advisory vote approved by coastside voters in 1998
to request the expansion of MROSD to the coast, asking:
In order to preserve open space resources on the San Mateo County coast, shall the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District extend its boundary west of Skyline
to the San Mateo County Coast, from the southern boundary of Pacifica to the Santa Cruz County line? While the vote passed handily due to strong support from the Midcoast and Half Moon Bay areas, Measure F was
"advisory" because it didn't create new law. After the passage of Measure F, MROSD began the six-year process of preparing an Environmental Impact Report and other studies that led to LAFCo's approval of the
MROSD Coastside Protection Program this spring.
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Final approval of Open Space District to Coast not quite final
Battle to preserve coastal open space rages on
by April Vargas
While the expansion of the
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) to the Coast won decisive approval from the agency charged with approving boundary changes in such special
districts, the victory to protect coastal open space and agriculture is not yet final. Thanks to broad public support and an unprecedented effort from a coalition of pro-open space supporters including Committee for Green Foothills,
Coastal Open Space Alliance, and many others, the San Mateo County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) approved the proposal on April 7 with a 6-1 vote.
LAFCo's approval sets the stage for the extension of District boundaries
to include some 140,000 acres west of Skyline. The addition of this region to the District will allow MROSD to purchase and manage lands in this area and create public open
space preserves on the Coast, under their proposed Coastside Protection Program.
This is a huge victory for long term protection of the agricultural and natural resources on the Coast. Approval follows years of planning, negotiations and compromise
The LAFCo decision followed years of planning, four public hearings and more than nine hours of testimony. In the weeks prior to the vote, MROSD signed agreements with the La
Honda-Pescadero School District and San Mateo County Fire services to offset any possible economic impact on these agencies; none of the special districts on the Coast have opposed the expansion.  Also just prior to the vote, landowner fears were alleviated when
Gov. Schwarzenegger signed a bill removing MROSD's power of eminent domain in the proposed expansion area - codifying MROSD's "willing sellers only" policy. Despite the decisive vote by the LAFCo board and strong support from the community, including the Half Moon Bay
Coastside Chamber of Commerce, the San Mateo County Farm Bureau, and many, many others, the battle to preserve open space and agricultural lands on the San Mateo County Coast rages on.
LAFCo allows citizens' protest
Under LAFCo law, if opponents can within 60 days obtain protest signatures of 25% of the registered voters in the proposed expansion area, the boundary expansion issue will go to a
Coastside-only vote. Signatures of 50% of the voters would cancel the decision outright. In yet another provision unique to LAFCo law, anyone signing a protest petition can withdraw that
signature at any time during the protest period. As opponents worked to collect signatures, Committee for Green Foothills and other supporters of the Coastside Protection Program, organized through the Coastal Open Space Alliance (COSA), have focused on educating the public about the
consequences of signing a protest petition and collecting withdrawals from citizens who realize that they signed in error. COSA works to inform the Coastside
CGF, along with other members of COSA, staffed information tables at key public locations, answering citizens' questions and making available withdrawal of protest forms.
COSA's strong neighborhood outreach efforts included letters to editors, newspaper editorials, advertising, mailings and precinct walking. We also displayed yard signs throughout the Coastside,
encouraging supporters to "Decline to Sign" the protest petitions, with several large signs prominently displayed along Highway 1, at the northern edge of Devil's Slide and along Highway 92.
Next steps and outcome uncertain
The San Mateo County Elections Department and LAFCo officials are now embarking on the process of validating and counting these signatures. To ensure a fair public process, open
space supporters are monitoring the process of validating and tallying signatures. LAFCo has until July 9 to certify the number of valid signatures
and determine whether the proposal stands as approved, or will go to election. As we go to press, we don't know the outcome, but it will likely be news by the time our readers receive this issue of
Green Footnotes. CGF will continue to fight for protecting our Coast
The successful expansion of the open space district boundary remains a high priority for Committee for Green Foothills. The
MROSD Coastside Protection Program is the single best way we have to protect our coastal resources, and CGF will continue to work with others toward the implementation of this visionary program.
To learn more about this complicated process, read our Coastside Protection Program Glossary to the left.
Published July 2004 in Green Footnotes.
Page last updated July 13, 2004 . |
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