In yet another salvo in Moraga’s escalating land-use war, a new group says it will fight both of the competing initiatives on the town’s Nov. 4 ballot.
Moraga landowner Russell Bruzzone sponsored Measure J, which would largely preserve the town’s existing general plan and mandate $7 million in payments to the town in return for development approvals. Open-space advocates wrote Measure K, which would restrict development to the downtown area and designate most of Bruzzone’s land, as well as other property, as open space.
According to a statement from Citizens for Sensible Land Use (Don’t you just love these names?) former town Planning Commission Steve Woehleke will serve as the group’s chairman, while ex-towncouncilman Dale Wlwark is vice chairman. Bob Reynolds, past president of the Moraga Park and Recreation Foundation and Moraga Citizen of the Year in 2001, will serve as treasurer.
The men call both measures ill-advised and likely to mire the town in court for years.
“A no vote on both J and K is essential to keep control of land use planning in Moraga and out of the hands of lawyers and the courts,” Woehleke said in his release.
“Both of these initiatives are special-interest legislation masquerading as public interest measures” said Walwark.
Reynolds, an economist, said “The cost of almost certain litigation if either of these measures passes could bankrupt the Town. A no vote on both initiatives is essential.”
The men say none of their members is affiliated with either tje J or K campaigns and vowed to put up a web site with “factual information” about the measures.
This is gonna be a fun election season in Moraga.
