Los Altos Property Owners Downtown (LAPOD) opposes Los Altos Measure D

Measure D is deceptive and dangerous.

Measure D is bad for downtown businesses and property values. 

Measure D has an appealing message: “Just let voters decide.” The proponents’ website responses to questions are reassuring. This simplistic message is far from accurate, however. Half of those responses are refuted by the 9212 Report, the independent analysis of the measure, and city staff. According to pro-housing non-profit YIMBY Law the claims are “deliberate misrepresentations of the law.”

Measure D has already delayed the RFP process for affordable housing on parking plazas 7 and 8, which is expected to bring many new residents and customers to downtown Los Altos. If Measure D were to pass, and housing is eventually developed on plazas 7 and 8, we would lose between 266–427 parking places that won’t be replaced until there’s another ballot measure that approves a parking structure to replace the lost parking.

If Measure D were to pass, the city’s housing element certification is at risk and Builder’s Remedy developments are a possible outcome (the probability of Builder’s Remedy is uncertain–some say it’s likely). On August 28, the city received a letter from the California Department of Housing and Community Development stating that if voters adopt Measure D, “the city will be required to amend its housing element” and that “Various consequences may apply when a city does not have a housing element in compliance with Housing Element Laws, including...the application of the Builder’s Remedy.”

Builder’s Remedy would allow a few out-of-town property owners and developers to build extremely large projects in downtown Los Altos from which they would make millions of dollars. These projects would diminish parking supply and the values of nearby properties and destroy the village character that attracts so many costumers.

Measure D will cause the city to waste millions of dollars on unnecessary lawsuits over which the city will have no control.

Measure D gives its two proponents authority to defend Measure D as agents of the city at taxpayers’ expense if the city doesn't defend against such legal actions, regardless of how meritless the defenses are. YIMBY Law has notified the city: “We are prepared to sue Los Altos the instant this measure is adopted.” These wasted taxpayers’ dollars would be better spent on street repair and police, fire and emergency services.

Measure D restricts almost all decisions affecting all 10 Downtown parking plazas. Future ADA restriping, EV charging stations, bicycle parking, and repaving and restriping parking plazas will require costly voter approved ballot measures because Measure D states the city can’t do anything on a parking plaza that “permanently diminishes the availability access or convenience of public parking”, which any of these improvements would do.

The city’s 9212 report anticipates a negative impact on local businesses.

Measure D will have implications beyond downtown. State law "no net loss" requirements and housing obligations will require Los Altos to identify additional housing capacity elsewhere in the city for from 124 to 1,000 housing units. That will mean zoning changes or “upzoning” in residential and/or commercial areas, potentially affecting neighborhoods, shopping centers and properties along major corridors such as El Camino Real and San Antonio Road.

For these reasons we urge Los Altos Property Owners Downtown to oppose Measure D by voting against it if you live here, putting a No on D sign on your properties, and donating to support the opposition to Measure D, at this link: https://www.NoMeasureD.org/donate

Thank you. 

Los Altos Property Owners Downtown

Board of Directors

http://propertyownersdowntownlosaltos.org/