Open 80 Initiative a Step Closer to the Ballot

The City Council has officially qualified the petition signatures needed to place an initiative on the November ballot that would allow for further development of the city’s hillsides.

By random sampling, the city clerk’s office projected that 11,499 of the 15,662 petition signatures submitted by supporters of the Open 80 campaign are valid. Proponents of the measure needed to collect the signatures of 8,906 local registered voters.

Backers of the initiative want to build as many as 1,390 homes on the city’s hillsides, while dedicating about 3,000 acres as open space.

Opponents argue that developers are skirting the usual environmental review process by placing the measure on the ballot.

At its July 1 meeting, the City Council will hear the city attorney’s summary and analysis of the Open 80 plan. At that time, officials are expected to adopt a resolution to place the initiative on the fall ballot.