Vote NO on Woodside Measure A

Do we want Woodside to continue to be a pleasant rural community without crowds of tourists and outsiders overwhelming our peace and quiet? Or do we allow more commercial activity, outsiders and visitors so the Bakery owners can make money off them?
Measure A will be on the ballot on November 2 for Woodside voters. This is an attempt to allow significant commercial expansion in the Woodside Town Center by overriding the limits set by Measure J back in 1989. The plan is to bulldoze the open space lot behind Roberts Hardware to create parking for an expansion of the Bakery. A second unrelated plan it to build an amphitheater by Town Hall to provide a venue for commercial events like a rock concert. Both will create unacceptable impact on our Town
For many years, the citizens of Woodside have fought to save rural Woodside. Measure J – Limit Commercial Development was passed by a landslide of 72% of the voters to stop commercial expansion in the Town Center. The General Plan requires that businesses primarily serve the day-to-day needs of the local community, not outside tourists.
The future of Woodside is in your votes. Do you want to allow commercial interests to eat away at our rural environment? Or will you stand with the many voters who supported Measure J to Limit Commercial Development to keep Woodside Rural?

Get more information at:
Web Link

Mr. Pugh regularly asserts that Measure J "was passed by a landslide of 72% of the voters." On occasion, he has also claimed the number to be 79%.
 
In the document titled "Resolution No. 1988 – 4548:  A Resolution Declaring Results of Special Municipal Election Consolidated With the Presidential General Election, Nov. 8, 1988", the Clerk of the Town of Woodside tallied the results of the election for Measure J. The grand totals were 1,517 "Yes" votes versus 1,355 "No" votes.
 
While math may not be my strong suit, the legal documents come up with only 52.8% of the vote in support of Measure J in 1988.
 
To see the the original tally of votes and the merits of Measure A, please visit: https://www.woodside-initiative.com

Adding to Alex's comments. Mr. Pugh is entitled to his own opinion but his own facts. There was strong support many years ago for and against Measure J (not a landslide at all) and what matters more is that support for outdoor dining and a place to experience art and culture is strong in our community today.

Taking a step back; the main reason Alex and I teamed together to pursue this was the significant interest from fellow neighbors (and ourselves) to have outdoor dining become a permanent feature of Woodside, and the general interest in the community to explore adding an outdoor amphitheater for both gatherings and to enjoy the arts.

With Measure A, we are excited to take this small step to enable the Town and its constituents to explore these changes. And please remember, this vote does not make any of this inevitable! It simply provides a carve-out in the zoning for the relevant properties to make these features possible (vs. illegal); the Town and business owners would still need to run through the regular planning and building process, including time and space for community comment on any plans put forth.

Why are we doing this now? Remember that the emergency measures that enabled outdoor dining to happen in the first place will go away as we exit the pandemic (which we all hope is very soon). Measure A is the first step to embracing outdoor dining as a permanent feature of Woodside while also allowing the town to explore an amphitheater.

Please join us in voting Yes on Measure A in November.

Yes to more outdoor dining and potential community gathering spaces!!