League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	San Mateo County, CA November 3, 2015 Election
	Measure V Black Mountain Park Bond City of San Carlos 2/3 Approval Required Fail: 3,834 / 39.5% Yes votes ...... 5,874 / 60.5% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure V	Arguments Against Measure V
Vote YES on Measure V to save Black Mountain and give our community a new park to enjoy for generations, not 100 more homes and more traffic. Black Mountain is one of the last remaining undeveloped areas in San Carlos. Now this unprotected open space is threatened because it is up for sale and development. But we have a choice. Do nothing and see it lost forever or vote YES on Measure V to preserve the land and create a park for all to enjoy. Measure V allows our community to seize this unique opportunity to protect our last large area of open space, thereby making it accessible to the public and preserving it for all time. With so much development and traffic congestion on the Peninsula, it is vital to preserve this beautiful open space and maintain a balance we could lose. We must act now to protect one of San Carlos' few remaining natural areas before it is gone forever. Measure V - a park, not 100 homes. Permanently protect some of the last remaining undeveloped land and open space in San Carlos Provide tranquil walking paths, trails, and recreation for all ages to enjoy Protect a local water source Ensure local control of Black Mountain forever - an important legacy for future generations Measure V protects San Carlos taxpayers: All funds must be spent in San Carlos only to create a park on Black Mountain - no funds can be spent for any other purpose No money for City administrator salaries A volunteer citizens' committee will participate in an open, public process to design the new Black Mountain Park An independent citizens' oversight committee will ensure that funds are spent as promised Join your friends and neighbors and local community and business leaders to protect Black Mountain from development. Vote YES on V! http://www.SaveBlackMountain.org /s/ Richard Armanino, President, Parks & Recreation Foundation of San Carlos /s/ Tom Davids, Former Mayor, City of San Carlos /s/ Sonya Sigler, East San Carlos Resident /s/ Linda Teutschel, Former San Carlos Citizen of the Year and 43 Year Resident /s/ Greg St. Claire, Owner, Town Restaurant Rebuttal to Arguments For Measure V just doesn't add up: Zero Transparency Measure V asks taxpayers to commit to spending millions without telling us key details: the properties' appraised value, the total purchase price, and the percentage of the land that's even usable for recreation. The "!00 new homes" claim has no basis in fact. The developers who own the land now aren't building. Instead, they have been trying to sell for more than a decade - including through two housing booms. The properties are steep and difficult to access. Existing plans for part of the property reveal that challenging slopes dictate no more than one home per half acre. This is not the prime real estate that proponents would have you believe developers are clamoring for. This rhetoric may even drive the price up! Bait and Switch Supporters and the city are telling everyone what they want to hear. Open space and trails? You got it! More sports fields or a public pool? You got it! The only thing that's certain is that there certainly is no plan. Our current parks need more support. Millions of dollars for San Carlos parks projects have gone unfunded according to the city, including North Crestview. From field drainage to stair repair, improvements are needed throughout. Let's fix the parks we have before taking on debt for another. Before we sign a $45mm mortgage, we respectfully ask the city for more information, greater transparency, and better funding for the parks we already own. Vote NO on Measure V http://www.VoteNoBlackMountainBond.org /s/ Matt Grocott, San Carlos City Coucil member /s/ Steve Hunsader, Adjacent Property Owner /s/ Andrew Shenk, Homeowner and Taxpayer /s/ Betsy "Daffodil" Koefoed, Girl Scout and Homeowner	NO ON BLACK MOUNTAIN PARK MEASURE: Parks and open space are a vital part of what makes San Carlos enjoyable. Many of us support the city using our tax dollars to maintain and improve our current parks. We might even support spending a reasonable amount to acquire park land in the future. But we cannot and do not support the Black Mountain deal. Here's why: No purchase price, no sale! According to the city's own Tax Rate Statement, this bond will cost 86 MILLION DOLLARS over the next 30 years for the purchase of the property with no signed agreement. This bond measure writes a blank check to the developers selling the Black Mountain properties. There's no plan for the property, only empty promises. You may vote for open space and hiking trails but could very well end up with a recreation center and paved parking lots. Who knows? The city is asking us to fork over millions of dollars with no idea what it's for or when that'll be decided. Taxes going up and up and up. This bond measure adds hundreds of dollars more a year in residential property tax on top of the thousands we already pay and there is no exemption for seniors. Current San Carlos parks go unmaintained and underutilized. Our city already has 15 parks on 143 acres, easy access to dozens of county parks, adjacent city parks, and private open space. The city can't even maintain the hiking trails and open space parks we already have, why spend $86 million on another? The Black Mountain deal is half-baked and will raise our taxes for decades to come. It does not deserve our votes or our tax dollars. No plan, no price, NO DEAL. Send this measure back to City Hall with a firm NO. /s/ Bill Koefoed, 40 Year Resident /s/ Bob Farnas, 30 Year Resident /s/ Priya Joseph, San Carlos resident /s/ Betsy Koefoed, 40 Year Resident /s/ Mary Farrell, 24 Year Resident Rebuttal to Arguments Against Our parks and open space make San Carlos a special place to live. A YES vote on Measure V answers one critical question: Do we want a park on Black Mountain or 100 more homes and traffic? Measure V gives us the rare opportunity to permanently protect beautiful open space right in the path of development in the nation's hottest region for real estate - an investment in maintaining the neighborhood balance we value in San Carlos. Not a penny more than what voters authorize can be spend, and less if possible. Funds can only be used to create a park on Black Mountain. We must act now to protect San Carlos' few remaining natural areas before they are gone forever. Long-time San Carlos residents and senior citizens are among many community members working hard to pass Measure V because this is an important legacy for future generations. They know that if we do nothing Black Mountain is sure to be filled with private homes. If we preserve it permanently, this is a shared investment our community will make to enjoy the park in years to come. A project this important should be community-led which is why Measure V states that the new Black Mountain Park will be designed in an open, transparent process that includes San Carlos volunteers. The choice is ours. If you would choose tranquil walking paths, trails, and recreation in a new park on Black Mountain rather than 100 additional homes and worse traffic, vote YES on Measure V. /s/ Cecily Harris, Ward 7 Director, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Board /s/ Fred Koehler, Former San Carlos Citizen of the Year /s/ Kate Wormington, Parent Volunteer and Former President San Carlos Education Foundation /s/ Don Mancini, Former President, San Carlos Chamber of Commerce /s/ Bob Dehner, Former Parks & Recreation Commissioner