The Cupertino Courier

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Measure A may be costly

By HUGH BIGGAR

A November ballot measure has the potential to shape the future landscape of Santa Clara County but could also have mixed consequences for Cupertino.

Measure A, if passed, would restrict residential development on 400,000 acres of county hillsides and ranchlands. While the measure would preserve a mix of rural and urban communities in the county, it could also come with a price for Santa Clara County cities.

Backers of the measure, also known as the Santa Clara County Land Conservation Initiative, say it will help limit urban sprawl in the region, preserve open space and the area's remaining agriculture and benefit wildlife habitats and watersheds.

At the same time though, cities are concerned the costs of preserving the land could be passed along to them.

"There would be real concerns if the county [restricts development] in certain areas and taxpayers and cities have to pay," Dave Knapp, city manager of Cupertino, said, pointing to another item on the Nov. 7 ballot, statewide initiative Proposition 90.

Proposition 90 would allow individuals to seek payment for government action that causes land value to drop.

Cupertino, for instance, could be asked to absorb more costs if the county incurs more liability as a result of Proposition 90. Knapp cautioned that city services such as police and garbage collection could be further squeezed.

Measure A would limit building on land zoned hillside to four homes per 160 acres and one home on land zoned ranchland. Current regulation allows up to eight homes on both types of land.

Knapp said, "If both [Measure A and Proposition 90] pass, it could lead to hard economic questions for us," he said.

Staff writer Eli Segall contributed to this article.