https://n2v.almanacnews.com/square/print/2014/10/20/does-measure-m-freeze-all-the-parcels-in-the-specific-plan-area


Town Square

Does Measure M freeze ALL the parcels in the Specific Plan area?

Original post made by Peter Carpenter, Atherton: Lindenwood, on Oct 20, 2014

A new question has arisen regarding the unknown/unintended consequences of Measure M.

Section 3.1 of Measure M states "ECR SPECIFIC PLAN AREA DEFINED. When referring to the “ECR Specific Plan Area,” this initiative measure is referring to the bounded area within the Vision Plan Area Map located at Page 2, Figure I, of the El Camino Real/Downtown Vision Plan, accepted by the Menlo Park city Council on July 15, 2008, which is attached as Exhibit 1 to this measure and hereby adopted by the voters as an integral part of this initiative measure. "

The map which is "hereby adopted by the voters" includes maps of every single parcel in the Specific Plan Area.

Would voter approval, as required by Section 4, be required to merge any of these parcels or to do a lot line adjustment since both actions would change the voter adopted map?

Would merging parcels or doing a lot line adjustment to parcels in the Specific Plan area "frustrate" Measure M and therefore be prohibited?

Is there sufficient doubt about these questions that the City staff would feel compelled to refer these matters to the courts?

Comments

Posted by Peter Carpenter
a resident of Atherton: Lindenwood
on Oct 24, 2014 at 4:30 pm

Peter Carpenter is a registered user.

Well, the cat is out of the bag - Elizabeth Houck from Allied Arts posted
that "The combining of the parcels into one parcel." is a loophole in the Specific Plan.

So clearly the Measure M supporters believe that Sec 3.1 would prohibit any parcel line adjustments in the Specific Plan Area without voter approval. What an expensive nightmare that would be, particularly for small property owners.