A quarter cent sales tax measure, which has raised $200 million since 1990 and preserved 70,000 acres of open space, may be put before the voters of Santa Rosa, CA, in November for early re-authorization.
"Sonoma County's tax-supported land acquisition program is the most ambitious in California and is a groundbreaking effort on a national scale, raising money to buy land from a countywide quarter-cent sales tax adopted in 1990."
"If the measure is placed on the November ballot, the debate over the next four months is expected to be a rerun of the tumultuous 1990 election in which voters decided, 55 percent to 45 percent, to add a quarter-cent to the sales tax. Back then, there was much furor and conjecture as to how the tax would save Sonoma County from looking like the rest of the Bay Area."
"The agency, saddled with the long title of Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, now has 16 years' experience in buying easements or outright purchase of prime property. It has 18 full-time employees and has an annual budget of about $18 million, with less than 20 percent going for administration."
"The Open Space District's record over the years also has provided critics with grounds for complaint. The Sonoma County Taxpayers Association, which opposes most ballot tax measures, took no position in 1989. But this time, it is leading the opposition."
Thanks to MTC/ABAG
FULL STORY: Open space debate: Is it worth our money?

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont