HIGHLIGHTS OF SLOW-GROWTH BALLOT PLAN

The Citizen’s Sensible Growth and Traffic Control Initiative unveiled Saturday would:

Require a commute-hour service level of “C” or better for road links between a new development and the nearest freeway, state highway, toll road or major artery, before issuance of a building permit. A “C” rating generally means that driving is being adversely affected by surrounding traffic, but not seriously.

Mandate a rush hour service level of “D” or better for intersections, which generally means that motorists could proceed after one light change. An intersection is rated at “D” or better if it stays below 90% of its designed traffic-handling capacity.

Require developers to eliminate, possibly through payments to local governments for additional equipment and personnel, any deficiency in emergency crew response times. Minimum emergency response criteria would be 5 minutes for police, fire and paramedics, 85% of the time, and 15 minutes for non-emergencies.

Set minimum standards for flood control based on a level of flooding that occurs, on the average, once every 100 years.

Force the county to amend its general (land use) plan to align it with the initiative’s provisions.

Require the county to defend the initiative against all legal challenges.

Exemptions:

Commercial and industrial development with a gross floor area of less than 10,000 square feet and that generate 130 daily trips or fewer.

Fourplexes or smaller complexes on a single, existing lot.

Any single-family residential units on a single, existing lot.

Any rehabilitation, remodeling or addition of less than 50% of an existing dwelling, or conversion of apartments to condominiums.

Any rebuilding of an existing development damaged or destroyed by fire or natural disaster if uses remain substantially the same.

Development of new single-family dwellings on half-acre or larger lots.

Most public facilities such as schools and libraries.