Redwood City's Measure V too close to call

REDWOOD CITY, CA

Measure W failed with 62.9 percent of voters opposing the measure and 37.1 percent favoring it, complete unofficial election results released by the San Mateo County Election's Office showed.

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Measure V appeared to be too close to call early this morning, with 50.6 percent of voters opposing the measure and 49.4 percent in favor.

Measures V and W, if passed, each would have required a vote from residents before any action taken by the City Council to change zoning or general plans for a specific property could move forward.

Measure W, placed on the ballot by Save the Bay and Friends of Redwood City after the groups collected 6,500 voter signatures, would require two-thirds voter approval for such actions in areas designated as open space lands, including a number of city parks and some private parcels.

A competing initiative, Measure V, placed on the ballot by a unanimous vote of the City Council, would require majority voter approval of any action by the council permitting development of the Cargill lands, 1,450 acres of land east of U.S. Highway 101 and south of Seaport Boulevard.

Redwood City spokesman Malcolm Smith pointed out that the passage of either measure would require approval by voters for the Cargill Lands to be developed.

However, he said, Measure V would only require majority voter approval, while Measure W would require two-thirds approval.

Another difference is that Measure V would apply only to the Cargill Saltworks site, whereas Measure W would apply to all designated open space areas in the city, Smith said.

Each measure requires a majority vote to pass. If neither measure receives a majority vote, no part of either measure will be adopted.

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