Latest news with #MeasureK
CBS News
13-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
San Francisco officials celebrate opening of Sunset Dunes as controversy remains
On Saturday, San Francisco officials celebrated the opening of the newest city park on what used to be the Great Highway next to Ocean Beach. However, the controversy surrounding it remains as the city hurries to establish the park as quickly as possible. In November, voters approved Measure K, closing the Great Highway to traffic, but at the time there was no money or even a real plan for the park they wanted to replace it. Now, just five months later, they proclaimed it to be "opening day." "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to Sunset Dunes," announced Rec and Park General Manager, Phil Ginsburg. That's the new name of the park-- Sunset Dunes --chosen from suggestions sent in by the public. But that's not the only input the public had in turning what was, for about a century, a major vehicle corridor, into a place to walk and ride bicycles. "That's what I voted for," said Measure K supporter Lidia Eng. "I voted for a place that can be open. Because we just need more space for the kids to just roam around, play around, stuff like that." "No matter how you voted at the ballot five months ago, come on out and enjoy the park," said Ginsburg. "You know, the election happened. Now it's a park. And we want this park to work for this community." But it doesn't work for many living in the area. As a compromise, the highway had been closed on weekends for recreation since the pandemic. But neighbors complained that shutting down the road completely would make getting to their homes more difficult and divert weekday commute traffic onto their streets. Stephen Gorski, whose home overlooks the Great Highway, has been a vocal critic of the plan to close the road permanently. "The Park people basically put out a statement saying, 'I know everybody's had their differences about this, but now you have to come together and celebrate this with us.' I'm not in the mood to celebrate this," he said. There is still a lot of anger over the city-wide vote and, during Saturday's ceremony, a small car caravan circled the block promoting a recall attempt against the area's supervisor, Joel Engardio, who came out in support of Measure K. But Sasha Pixlee, who lives just a few blocks away, disagreed with the protestors in the caravan. "They complain that traffic's a problem and what are they doing?" he said. "I mean, I think it's just very selfish. Adding a little time to your commute versus this (park)? It seems a very easy tradeoff." But despite Saturday's large, festive turnout, the neighbors aren't giving up. They've filed a lawsuit over the way Measure K was put on the ballot and a court hearing is scheduled for June 3. Which may be why "opening day" was rushed into place by the city even though Sunset Dunes still has no funding and, except for one new piece of art, plans for the park are simply concepts. "And that's what's so silly," said Gorski. "They'll have a decision in less than two months. If the judge says Prop K was illegal, then it has to be reverted to the compromise. I think they're trying to think we're stupid, that they're going to say, 'Well, we spent all this money and put art and did everything' No!" But despite the objections, the voters have spoken. And as the city scrambles to create a park as quickly as possible, a judge will have to decide whether putting a halt to it is worth overturning an election.
CBS News
03-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Placemate's program helps Truckee workers find affordable housing
TRUCKEE — Finding affordable housing in the Tahoe region has become nearly impossible for those who work there. With the rising costs of homes in places like Truckee, local workers are being priced out. But new programs are helping to change that. Richard Baker has lived in Truckee for the last eight years, but for the past year, it's the Hopkins Village community that he has called home. "Everyone in this neighborhood works here — all age groups, a lot of children, many, many dogs," Baker said with a laugh. He and his wife rented before moving there. Now, they're homeowners, which is something that wouldn't have been possible without a program that reserves these homes for people who live and work in Truckee. "The housing stock has reduced for local residents because it is unaffordable," said Heidi Hill Drum, the executive director of the Tahoe Prosperity Center. Drum said that more and more homes are being bought up by people who only visit a few times a year. That means fewer homes for locals and higher prices. "When a community doesn't have local residents living in it full time, the fabric of the community is missing," Drum said. It's her goal to stitch it back together, advocating for projects like Hopkins Village. "The Tahoe Prosperity Center's role is to present data and information to get them to make the right policy choices that encourage more local housing for residents," Drum said. Isaac Landman shares the same mission. He's the operation manager for Placemate, a housing marketplace contracted by the town of Truckee that connects vacation homeowners with local workers seeking long-term rentals. As a Truckee resident himself, Landman understands the importance of affordable housing. "I think housing is key to keeping a community whole," he said. Placemate's Lease to Locals program helps bridge the gap by giving property owners financial incentives to rent to local workers long-term, up to 12 months. The funding comes from the Town of Truckee's general fund and Measure K. "Getting to work on our housing in this area is kind of like work to maintain the community that I am also a part of and that's really special to me," Landman said. For people like Baker, it's projects like these that make owning a home in the Sierra a reality. "It's very quiet. It's a beautiful neighborhood," Baker said.
Los Angeles Times
21-02-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Costa Mesa's Measure K promised a public process for rezoning. Will it deliver?
Costa Mesa officials this week approved a nearly $2-million contract with a planning and engineering firm to chart a course toward rezoning numerous commercial, industrial and opportunity sites throughout the city to allow for more housing. Rezoning is a key element in delivering on a promise made in the city's Measure K, a 2022 initiative that overrides an earlier referendum requiring certain large-scale developments or zone changes be put to a vote of the people. It's also necessary for Costa Mesa to certify its compliance with a state mandate requiring the city plan for the creation of 11,760 new residential units by 2029. Like Measure K, the roadmap outlining how that will be done — the housing element portion of the city's general plan — came due in 2022. Revising the city's zoning codes and regulations is a daunting process estimated to take up to two years to complete. Yet, staffing shortages at City Hall, particularly in the city's planning department, have created major delays. Now, two years past the deadline and with the threat of punishment from the state looming, including allowing builders with state-compliant projects the right to bypass local laws, city leaders are in a race against time. 'There's a reason why we have to move swiftly on this,' Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez said in a City Council meeting Tuesday. 'If we want to have a say in Costa Mesa about the kind of housing we build in the city, we have to take ownership of the fact that the longer we delay implementing this, the longer the risk comes into play.' Council members Tuesday unanimously approved a three-year, $1,850,611 professional services agreement with San Diego County-based firm Dudek to oversee the rezoning process. The contract includes an additional 10% contingency and may be extended up to two, one-year terms. Dudek planner Catherine Tang Saez assured the council her firm would help the city work swiftly and efficiently to meet its goals. The firm aims to prepare the housing element for final certification by November 2026. 'The sites have been selected, the densities have been set. There's been an obligation made to the state, and our job as consultants is to help the city, to take you to the finish line,' she said. But residents speaking in public comments urged the city not to run roughshod over the interests of community stakeholders in their haste to rezone the city, particularly when Measure K itself promised a public visioning process would take place. Some expressed their desire for a citizens advisory committee that would inform consultants and city staff of residents' wishes for certain streets and neighborhoods. 'Task force, task force, task force — this is so necessary to build community consensus on this major rezoning of the city,' said resident Richard Huffman. 'We've delayed so long on getting around to doing any visioning and working on this rezoning that now there's no time for it. This is just shameful.' Mayor John Stephens expressed a concern there was no formal mention of how Dudek and city staff would engage community members in the rezoning process. 'It seems like somebody could criticize us and say we've skipped that visioning process that was part of Measure K,' he said. Carrie Tai, the city's economic and development services director, explained the visioning process was baked into Dudek's proposal and promised the public would have multiple opportunities to weigh in throughout the two-year process. 'This absolutely encompasses the visioning process in a method that accommodates a schedule the city needs to deliver on,' Tai told the council. Councilwoman Andrea Marr said she didn't feel an advisory group was necessary, but urged city staff to do their best to engage a vast range of stakeholders in meaningful ways. 'There are more ways than just a task force to do visioning,' she said. '[But] I do want to make sure we're doing effective community engagement, that we are asking people what their vision is. This is a huge opportunity to make sure we're doing what the public wants.'
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kern County Fire Department unveils new medic squad 42 stationed in East Bakersfield
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The Kern County Fire Department rolled out its brand new Medic Squad 42 apparatus earlier this week. The vehicle is stationed at Station 42 in East Bakersfield and is staffed by Firefighter Paramedic and a Fire Captain. Woman charged in Rosamond fires found not competent KCFD says the newest addition of an Advanced Life Support crew operating 24 hours a day will allow the department to provide high-quality, pre-hospital care while also ensuring that the surrounding stations remain available for additional emergencies. This is the third Medic Squad within the KCFD. Measure K provided the funds for the new squad. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
