WE’RE STRIKING BACK WITH A ONE-TWO PUNCH TO
SAVE SIERRA MADRE FROM OVERDEVELOPMENT
PUNCH #1:
Sign the NEW petition for a 2024 ballot referendum to overturn the City Council’s reckless approval of “The Meadows” project.
Why? City Council rushed this project through their review process and voted in favor of “The Meadows” before giving citizens the right to vote in November on Measure HR. In essence, what they’ve done:
- Denies your right to be heard
- Allows a developer and their big bucks to override and disregard the city’s General Plan
- Allows large, high-density homes on small lots packed tightly together
- Increases fire risk to new and nearby homes in a very high-severity fire zone
- Destroys 100+ mature trees and wildlife habitat
- Encroaches on Bailey Canyon Wilderness Park, destroying more mature trees
- Does not increase housing for teachers, first responders and others who need it; developer is building $2.5 to $4 million houses.
- Allows flawed Specific Plan to be used again for future projects
To stop “The Meadows” project (which will destroy a real meadow), we the registered voters of Sierra Madre need to overturn the City Council’s approval. To do this, sign the petition that calls for a referendum—an up or down vote on this repulsive project. Contact: sierramadrepetition@gmail.com to have someone bring you a petition to sign or for any questions.
We need 10% of Sierra Madre’s registered voters to sign within 30 days. With your signature, “The Meadows” project is stopped until the residents of Sierra Madre can vote in a future election.
PUNCH #2:
Vote YES on Measure HR
Remember the petition that people signed in spring 2022 for an initiative to change zoning at Mater Dolorosa to Hillside Zoning (from Institutional)? Well, it’s on the ballot this November 8th as Measure HR.
Why vote YES? It’s simple. A YES vote will change the zoning at the Mater Dolorosa property to Hillside Zoning from Institutional Zoning. Passing this measure is imperative to prevent ANY institutional or large residential development now or in the future should the Archdiocese of Chicago or any other owner decide to sell the Retreat Center’s remaining land. That parcel, by the way, is the only large piece of land abutting the San Gabriel mountains that is not zoned Hillside. A YES vote:
- Stops overdevelopment of the entire Mater Dolorosa property
- Allows for residential development of just one house per 2 acres
- Prevents future institutional development
- Respects the owner’s property rights
- Allows Mater Dolorosa to continue their mission and expand under a non-conditional use permit which the city will undoubtedly grant.
- Reduces density of future development and allows for defensible homes in a high-severity fire zone
- Reduces impacts to trees, wildlife and Bailey Canyon Wilderness Park
- Reduces traffic resulting from development by severely restricting the number of houses that can be built
Why do we need both? Signing the new petition for the referendum will stop “The Meadows” developer from breaking ground until Sierra Madre residents can vote on whether to allow the housing project at a future election.
Passing Measure HR is critical because it applies to “The Meadows” project as well as the buildable 35 acres above it on the Mater Dolorosa property. In other words, a YES vote on Measure HR will prevent another disastrous housing project from destroying a beautiful piece of land and dividing our community.
The new referendum petition gives voters the chance to decide on “The Meadows Plan.” Measure HR will prevent overdevelopment of the Mater Dolorosa property now and in the future. Nobody is stopping the Archdiocese of Chicago from selling their land, and the Passionists can continue their mission and expand their facility.
So, that 1-2 punch? It’s a fair compromise and a win-win for everyone in Sierra Madre.
For more information, visit us at www.smreferendum.com