West SF Bay Measure AA Victorious as Voters say “Yes for Open Space”
Final count: Historic open space measure wins with more than 67
percent of the vote
June 9, 2014....Palo Alto, Calif.
– Measure AA, the Peninsula’s historic open space preservation measure,
officially
claimed victory today, winning more than 67 percent of the vote
throughout the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, better known
as “Midpen.” The measure needed 66.7 percent to pass.
Voter
approval of Measure AA now authorizes Midpen to issue bonds of up to
$300 million to add 200 miles of new trails, increase recreational
access for residents of
all ages and preserve and restore thousands of acres of open spaces,
forests, watersheds and farmlands throughout the Midpen district, which
stretches 550 square miles from Los Gatos and East Palo Alto to north of
Half Moon Bay.
“Peninsula
residents have just made an incredible investment in the future,
preserving the beautiful open spaces that make this region so special,”
said Walter Moore, president of the Peninsula Open Space Trust, which,
along with the Sempervirens
Fund, served as Measure AA’s chief sponsor. “It is terrific to live in a
place that puts such a high value on protecting our scarce natural
areas for future generations, and we’re incredibly grateful to this
community’s strong support.”
The
funding approved by Measure AA will support 25 key projects identified
through an extensive public planning process as providing the broadest
public benefits. An independent oversight committee will ensure that
funds are spent as promised.
Support
for Measure AA was widespread and included nearly all the elected
officials, community groups, chambers of commerce and housing advocates
on the peninsula, as well as more than a dozen local newspapers and
media outlets. Representatives
said overwhelming community support and help from committed volunteers
brought this measure over the challenging two-thirds majority needed to
pass.
"We
want to thank the thousands who shaped the Vision Plan and supported
Measure AA--those who visit the preserves and use the trails,
conservationists, parents, educators, employers and many, many others,
who voted for the health of our environment and the health of our
community,” said Steve Abbors, Midpen General Manager, “Now it’s our
turn, we're hitting the ground running, and we look forward to the day
in the near future when we come together again to
celebrate the completion of the first Measure AA-funded project."
For a complete list of the 25 top open space projects that will benefit from this measure, click
here. For details about Midpen, visit
www.openspace.org.
