Referendum needed on the Dalidio-San Luis Marketplace project

Dear Honorable Mayor and City Council,

I am writing to you today to request that you place the San Luis Marketplace project on the November ballot as a referendum.

Rather than speculate about how many people support or oppose it, with a referendum we would know the will of the voters with absolute clarity.

The County would not dare to approve it in their jurisdiction if the voters rejected it. Only a referendum could remove this huge cloud over the City's decision-making ability. I am of the view that this project developing in County jurisdiction, if that were possible, would be the worst of all possible worlds: the City would get all the costs, while the County would get the benefit. If the City voters say no, the County Supervisors would have to obey the will of the voters or commit political suicide. If the City voters approve it, then there would be no argument, and the project would be allowed to develop in the City.

The referendum should be worded to allow a different decision in the future on the same or a similar project. (One of the objections to the San Luis Marketplace is it is "too much too soon." The City's business environment will change with time. Or the project proponents may want to come back with a scaled-down or phased project.)

A referendum on the November ballot would be timely. A decision in four months is a short time compared to the many years this project has been discussed.

A campaign would be an opportunity for all the facts and arguments to be laid out. However, I must admit the project proponents would have an advantage in having much more money to spend for their side than the opponents. Hopefully a vigorous public discussion will overcome the financial imbalance.

Please do not reject the concept of a referendum. You may think that you have to decide everything yourself, but this is one of those issues that would best be decided by all citizens. The biggest advantage of a referendum is the public "buy-in" or acceptance of the decision. A referendum would settle the question with a clarity that a City Council vote never could.

Finally, if you reject the referendum and vote on the project yourselves, citizens may mount a signature drive to put it on the ballot anyway. The community would likely maintain unity better if they got a referendum without having to override a Council vote.

Please, in the interest of democracy and fairness, use your power to initiate a referendum on the San Luis Marketplace proposal.

Sincerely,
Orval Osborne