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Smart Voter
Riverside County, CA November 8, 2005 Election
Measure G
Super Majority Requirement for Certain Zoning Changes
City of Norco
Charter Amendment

3,991 / 74.89% Yes votes ...... 1,338 / 25.11% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures
Results as of Jan 28 2:43pm, 100.00%% of Precincts Reporting (9/9)
Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Full Text

Shall the City of Norco Charter be amended to provide that any zone change from or to the following zones requires a Super Majority (4/5ths) Vote of the Ci ty Council: A-E ZONE AGRICULTURAL ESTATE, A-1 ZONE AGRICULTURAL LOW DENSITY, A-2 ZONE AGRICULTURAL, R-1 ZONE RESIDENTIAL SINGLE-FAMILY, R-3 ZONE LOW-DENSITY MULTIPLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, HS ZONE HILLSIDE (AGRICULTURAL/LOW DENSITY) AREAS, PD OVERLAY ZONE PLANNED DEVELOPMENTS, SPECIFIC PLAN?

Impartial Analysis from City Attorney John R. Harper
Adoption of this measure will result in the City of Norco Charter being amended to require a super-majority vote (4 of 5 City Councilmembers voting affirmatively), in order to change the zoning designation on property either from or to the following zones:

Agricultural Estate Zone
Agricultural Low Density
Agricultural
Zone Residential Single-Family
Low Density Multiple-Family Residential
Zone Hillside (Agricultural/Low Density) Areas
Planned Developments Overlay Zone
Specific Plan Zone

The only zones in the City unaffected would generally be commercial and industrial, unless being proposed to be changed to one of the foregoing zones. If enacted, this Charter amendment could only be changed by a subsequent majority vote of the electorate.

  
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Arguments For Measure G
Two year ago the voters approved Measure J which made Norco a Charter City.

The City Charter that was overwhelmingly adopted by 58% of the voters is a simple document designed to protect Norco’s unique animal keeping lifestyle and large lot sizes.

Our City Charter does this by requiring a 4/5ths supermajority vote if a City Council ever attempts to eliminate horse trails, to restrict animal keeping rights, or to create new zones that allow high density multi-family apartment buildings.

Measure “G” will strengthen our City Charter and further protect our town and our lifestyle from the pressures of development that are already squeezing our city.

First, Measure “G” will require a 4/5ths vote to change any non-residential property to a residential zone. Second, Measure “G” will also require a 4/5ths vote to change any residential property to any other type of zone, including another residential classification that allows for more housing density.

This amendment to the charter will make it more difficult for a developer with a large piece of residential property to sub-divide and re-zone that property to build more homes on the existing lot. Additionally, Measure “G” will protect our remaining hillsides by requiring a 4/5ths vote of the Council to approve any zoning changes from hillside to residential.

Please join us, Mayor Herb Higgins, Councilmembers Frank Hall, Kathy Azevedo, and Harvey Sullivan in passing this initiative.

Vote Yes on Measure “G” - - - It’s Good for Norco.

By:

Jim Sassin
Berwin Hanna
Rebecca S. Buffington
Danny G. Azevedo
Patricia A. Overstreet

(No arguments against Measure G were submitted)

Full Text of Measure G
(1) To protect and preserve the animal keeping lifestyle in residential areas, any zone change from or to the following zones as defined in Title 18 of the Norco Municipal Code requires a Super Majority (4/5ths) Vote of the City Council:

  • A-E ZONE AGRICULTURAL ESTATE
  • A-1 ZONE AGRICULTURAL LOW DENSITY
  • A-2 ZONE AGRICULTURAL
  • R-1 ZONE RESIDENTIAL SINGLE-FAMILY
  • R-3 ZONE LOW-DENSITY MULTIPLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
  • HS ZONE HILLSIDE (AGRICULTURAL/LOW DENSITY) AREAS
  • PD OVERLAY ZONE PLANNED DEVELOPMENTS
  • SPECIFIC PLAN

(2) Severability Clause. This Resolution and the various parts, sections, and clauses hereof, are hereby declared to be severable. If any part, sentence, paragraph, section or clause is adjudged unconstitutional or invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, it is hereby provided that the remainder of this Ordinance shall not be affected thereby. The People of the City of Norco hereby declare that they would have passed this Ordinance and each part, section, paragraph, sentence, clause and phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more portions thereof be declared invalid.

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Created: January 28, 2006 14:43 PST
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