League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	El Dorado County, CA November 4, 2014 Election
	Measure M Land Use Designation and Zoning County of El Dorado General Plan Amendment - Majority Approval Required Fail: 25645 / 42.46% Yes votes ...... 34752 / 57.54% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure M	Arguments Against Measure M
Measure M will keep us rural. El Dorado County currently has 54,000 homes. According to CalTrans, Highway 50 commute traffic in the west county has reached gridlock, stop-and-go levels (LOS F) which is prohibited by General Plan traffic policies. Nevertheless, Supervisors are planning 33,000 more homes that will worsen traffic by 50%. Measure M (read below) stops the County's scheme to allow 33,000 more homes by manipulating Highway 50 traffic data and forecasting fictitious traffic improvements. To end this scheme, Measure M requires unbiased CalTrans traffic measurements be used to determine Highway 50 traffic levels. Policy 1 reads: "If CalTrans determines that traffic on any Highway 50 road segment west of the City of Placerville has reached, or is forecast to reach, Level of Service F (LOS F = stop-and-go, gridlock) during weekday, peakhour commute periods, then the County shall not approve single-family detached housing subdivisions of 5 or more parcels until cumulative Highway 50 traffic levels are improved and stay below LOS F." Measure M also protects open space, agricultural and forestlands; limits rezoning residential lands in rural areas, and stops Marble Valley near Cameron Park (4,000 homes), San Stino in Shingle Springs (1,000); Dixon Ranch (600) and the Executive Golf Course rezone (1,000) in El Dorado Hills. Policy 2 reads: "Lands designated in the General Plan as: (1) open space, agricultural lands or natural resource shall remain in these categories, and (2) low density housing, medium density housing, or rural residential housing shall not be rezoned to higher densities. Land use designation and zoning changes may be allowed in categories (1, 2) for non-residential (economic development) projects or agricultural purposes if compatible with surrounding land uses." In summary, Measure M restricts approving large housing subdivisions in rural areas if Highway 50 reaches gridlock traffic levels, and does not interfere with (non-residential) job projects. Yes on Measure M. Kathleen McCoy, President, League of Women Voters, EDC John LePouvoir, Chairman, Sierra Club, Maidu Group Bill Center, Measure Y Committee & Initiative Proponent Ellen Van Dyke, Rural Communities United & Initiative Proponent Howard Penn, President, American River Recreation Assoc & Initiative Proponent Rebuttal to Arguments For MEASURE M TAKES AWAY LOCAL CONTROL OF LAND USE DECISIONS. Instead of El Dorado County elected officials and voters making key decisions about local land use, Measure M gives state transportation bureaucrats the authority to dictate development in our county. The measure would cripple El Dorado County's ability to strike the right balance between necessary economic growth and protecting our rural open space. MEASURE M WILL RESULT IN MORE TRAFFIC AND LESS OPEN SPACE. It overturns the voter-approved General Plan, Measure Y and other measures that currently control growth, protect open space, and preserve our rural quality of life. By eliminating these safeguards, we'll see an increase in sprawl, traffic, air pollution, and the loss of open space and agricultural lands. MEASURE M WILL COST EL DORADO COUNTY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF TAX DOLLARS. It will jeopardize the existing county requirement that developers pay for infrastructure and road improvements. Since 1998, $500 million in developer fees have been collected. Under Measure M these fees will be reduced. MEASURE M IS OPPOSED BY COMMUNITY LEADERS. Local business, labor, agriculture, public safety, education and other community leaders have united against Measure M. They believe Measure M threatens our right to control development. Local transportation experts oppose Measure M, warning it will result in more homes being built farther from Sacramento and Highway 50 -- increasing traffic congestion on rural roads leading to Highway 50. MEASURE M STRIPS EL DORADO COUNTY OF LOCAL CONTROL AND IT ELIMINATES VOTER-APPROVED SAFEGUARDS CONTROLLING GROWTH, LIMITING TRAFFIC, AND PROTECTING OPEN SPACE. MEASURE M REDUCES PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS, HURTS OUR ECONOMY AND WILL COST EL DORADO COUNTY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN TAX DOLLARS. Vote No on Measure M -- we can't afford it. Susan Bergin, Laborers Local 185 Debbie Manning, El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce David Zelinsky, Community Activist Mike Kobus, Small Business Owner Duane Wallace, South Lake Tahoe Small Businessman	Measure M supporters claim it will "keep us rural" by stopping excessive home building. But, safeguards in Measure Y and El Dorado County General Plan already prevent this from happening. DON'T BE FOOLED BY HYSTERICAL CLAIMS. The aim of Measure M is to upset the carefully crafted balance created by the General Plan and Measure Y -- a balance that insures necessary economic growth, but still protects our rural quality of life. EL DORADO COUNTY HAS A BALANCED PLAN THAT CREATES JOBS, RESPECTS PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS AND PROTECTS OUR QUALITY OF LIFE -- MEASURE M TIPS THAT BALANCE. That's why agriculture, public safety, education, local business, labor, and other community leaders have united against Measure M. MEASURE M TAKES AWAY LOCAL CONTROL OF LAND USE DECISIONS. We believe El Dorado County should make these decisions, not state bureaucrats. MEASURE M WILL RESULT IN MORE TRAFFIC AND LESS OPEN SPACE. Measure M supporters say it will stop too many homes from being built in the rural areas -- but that is exactly where all the growth will occur because Measure M will prevent development near Highway 50. As a result, we'll see an increase in sprawl, traffic, air pollution, and the loss of open space and agricultural lands. MEASURE M WILL RESTRICT PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS AND COST MILLIONS IN TAX REVENUE NEEDED FOR VITAL SERVICES. AND IT WILL COST EL DORADO COUNTY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF TAX DOLLARS. Vote No on Measure M -- we need a proper balance. Susan Bergin, Laborers Local 185 Laurel Brent-Bumb, CEO, El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce David Zelinsky, Community Activist Christa Campbell, Owner Rainbow Orchards John Upton, Former County Supervisor Rebuttal to Arguments Against YES on Measure M. Keep Us Rural. Developers are making false arguments. Measure M will NOT cause more traffic and less open space, nor will Measure M take away local control, or cost millions of dollars. Measure M is needed to protect our rural lifestyle. Supervisors are planning to amend the General Plan to approve 33,000 more homes that will worsen traffic by 50%. There is no water or road capacity for this much housing development. Measure M places limits on approving new housing subdivisions in rural areas if Highway 50 traffic levels will reach LOS F (gridlock). Read Measure M's two policies below: Measure M, Policy 1 reads: "If CalTrans determines that traffic on any Highway 50 road segment west of the City of Placerville has reached, or is forecast to reach, Level of Service F (LOS F = stop-and-go, gridlock) during weekday, peak-hour commute periods, then the County shall not approve single-family detached housing subdivisions of 5 or more parcels until cumulative Highway 50 traffic levels are improved and stay below LOS F." Measure M, Policy 2 reads: "Lands designated in the General Plan as: (1) open space, agricultural lands or natural resource shall remain in these categories, and (2) low density housing, medium density housing, or rural residential housing shall not be rezoned to higher densities. Land use designation and zoning changes may be allowed in categories (1, 2) for non-residential (economic development) projects or agricultural purposes if compatible with surrounding land uses." YES on Measure M. Kathleen McCoy, President, League of Women Voters, EDC John Le Pouvoir, Chairman, Sierra Club, Maidu Group Bill Center, Measure Y Committee & Measure M Proponent Howard Penn, Measure M Proponent & President, American River Recreation Association Ellen Van Dyke, Rural Communities United & Measure M Proponent

Full Text of Measure M

The people of El Dorado County do ordain that the following two policies be added to the General Plan: FIX HIGHWAY 50 TRAFFIC FIRST. Policy TC-Xc. If CalTrans determines that traffic on any Highway 50 road segment west of the City of Placerville has reached, or is forecast to reach, Level of Service F (LOS = F stop-and-go, gridlock) during weekday, peak-hour commute periods, then the County shall not approve single-family detached housing subdivisions of 5 or more parcels until cumulative Highway 50 traffic levels are improved and stay below LOS F. KEEP US RURAL. Policy 2.2.1.3.1. Lands designated in the General Plan on the effective date of this measure as: (1) open space, agricultural lands or natural resource shall remain in these land use categories, and (2) low density residential, medium density residential or rural residential housing shall not be rezoned to higher densities. Land use designation and zoning changes may be allowed in these categories (1, 2) for non-residential (economic development) projects or agricultural purposes if compatible with surrounding land uses. IMPLEMETATION: a. This measure shall not be applicable within the independent government and planning jurisdictions of the City of South Lake Tahoe, the City of Placerville and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. b. Effective date and expiration date: All provisions of this measure shall take effect upon certification of election results, and expire 20 years after that date .. c. If any provision of this measure is for any reason held to be invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect. d. On and after the effective date of this measure, no Development Agreement entered into pursuant to Government Code Section 65865 shall be approved, or extended, unless fully compliant with all provisions of this measure. e. Level of Service F (LOS F) means a volume-to-capacity ratio of 1.0 or greater (100%+ capacity) as determined by CalTrans (the California Department of Transportation).