Ballot Box Planning

  Some are complaining that the two developer backed ballot measures, Measure U and V, are 'ballot box planning'. Is this necessarily, that bad?
  In 2000 the Chamber strongly opposed Measure A. The board of directors, at that time, was wise to understand the economic and social implementations of restricting home construction. The author of Measure A,.a local attorney who to this day does not live in Tracy, drafted a measure that limited housing construction to 600 a year. At that time, thousands of housing units had been processed through the system and were ready to be built. These units later became know as the Plan C Group.
  To make a long story short, Measure A passed with 57% of the vote (a number representing about 1/3 of the total registered voters, at the time), the builders with their approved housing units sought remedy in the courts, the courts ruled in their favor, the authored of Measure A threatened to sue the City, and the parties agreed to settle. The result was an annual averaging - this producing a period from 2005 to 2012 where only 100 infill units and 150 affordable units would be

constructed - the dark years.
  Measure A was Tracy's first experience at 'ballot box planning.' The Measure A backers were frustrated because they could not get their way via the City Council or Planning Commission, so they went to the voters. That brings us to today.
  In a few days, we, the voters, will once again have the opportunity to participate in ballot box planning. The Chamber Board of Directors is all ready on record supporting the spirit of Measure A, namely that 600 homes each year should continue to be constructed between the dark years of 2005 and 2012. If passed, Measure U, Tracy Hills, would construct 600 units or Measure V, the Downtown Revitalization and Ellis Transit Village would construct 250 units per year. Arguably, each are ballot box planning, and, like Measure A, is the result of the process we use as a community to do planning, simply – not working.
  New home construction is a key economic engine in this community, let alone our state and- nation. For every dollar spent to build a home many local businesses benefit and the dollar multiplier is between three and

seven dollars. If the dark years occur, jobs are on the line, local businesses will suffer, city income could decline by the tune of $4.5 million each year and the affordability for working people in this community to purchase the American dream will be dead.	Mike Schmidt Chamber CEO
We, the voters, are the key to addressing the problem the first ballot
box planning measure caused. At the beginning I posed the question, is this necessarily, that bad? I don't believe so. On one hand we can have lawyers do our planning, as occurred in Measure A. Or, on the other hand we can have builders bring us projects so we, the voters, may decide if they're right for Tracy. Frankly, I have a lot more faith in builders and the voters - than in a small special interest group.