Coast decision delayed again Coast decision delayed again (August 25, 2004)

The thrice-delayed decision on annexation of the San Mateo County coast to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District with or without a vote has been delayed once again.

Maybe this week Judge Carl Holm will rule whether opponents have presented enough signatures protesting the annexation to trigger a vote throughout 220 square miles of the Coastside.

On August 20, Judge Holm accepted three boxes containing more than 1,700 protest petitions that had been ruled invalid by the county election department. At his order the department had carefully reorganized them into categories so that he could review them personally before issuing his ruling this week or next.

Under the laws governing the annexation, it would take 4,071 petitions -- 25 percent of the registered voters -- to force an election. After the petitions were re-checked by the elections department, opponents had 3,443 valid petitions -- still more than 600 shy of the threshold for an election.

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