978 / 33.63% Yes votes ...... 1930 / 66.37% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Advisory Measure "B" on the ballot provides: "Shall the City of Sausalito be authorized to replace the existing fire station and former police building with a new combined Public Safety Building, a part of which will be located on Caledonia Street, consistent with the Design Review approved by the Planning Commission on August 8, 2001?"

This measure is on the ballot by authority of the California Elections Code to allow Sausalito voters the opportunity to voice their opinion on the proposed new Public Safety Building. The results of this vote are advisory and will not be controlling on the City.

A new Public Safety Building was proposed as result of public meetings conducted between 1998 and 2001 to address the deteriorating condition of the current police and fire facilities and to accommodate the City's future police, fire and emergency operations. A part of the building is proposed to be built on a portion of Caledonia Street and will alter the intersection at Johnson and Caledonia Streets as currently configured. On August 8, 2001, the Planning Commission approved the proposed new Public Safety Building.

A group of citizens named the Citizens for an Alternative Public Safety Structure (CAPSS) has appealed the Planning Commission's approval to the City Council. The City Council conducted seven public hearings to consider the appeal.

During the hearings before the Planning Commission and the City Council, the public raised various issues such as the size and height of the proposed building, alternate locations, traffic and parking needs relative to Caledonia Street and other streets in the City, the needs of the Caledonia Street merchants, the effect on views, environmental mitigation measures, the issue of a single public safety building rather than multiple facilities, and the costs of the project. The City believes these issues have been fully considered and addressed and changes have been made to the building's design height. CAPSS believes that not enough consideration has been given to such issues, in particular to alternative locations.

The City Council placed Measure B on the ballot as part of a settlement agreement regarding CAPSS' appeal of the Planning Commission's decision. The operation of this Measure B will allow for voter opinion to guide the City as it considers the above-mentioned issues, its final decision on CAPSS' appeal and the proposed new Public Safety Building.

A `yes' vote means you are in favor of the proposed new Public Safety Building.

A `no' vote means you are opposed to the proposed new Public Safety Building.

Dated: January 7, 2002

PAUL ANDERSON City Attorney City of Sausalito

San Francisco Chronicle

• Feng shui a Sausalito voter issue; Planned city building called energy blocker - chive/2002/02/27/MN91331.DTL 2/27/02

Public Safety Now - Vote Yes on B

SAUSALITO NEEDS A NEW PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING NOW! Measure B will approve the Safety Building, WITH NO TAX INCREASE

Sausalito's citizens cannot be safe until our Police, Firefighters and Paramedics are safe. Our Firefighters and Paramedics work in an old building that is not earthquake-safe. Plus, the roof leaks, endangering electrical and communications systems.

Our Police moved into 'temporary' trailers on unstable ground more than 6 years ago.

The men and women who put their lives on the line for us every day deserve better!

Sausalito lies between the Hayward and San Andreas faults. Experts say a major earthquake could occur at any time. To save lives and protect our homes, our Police, Firefighters and Paramedics must be headquartered in an operational building following an earthquake.

The City of Sausalito has held MORE THAN 30 PUBLIC MEETINGS since 1995 on this project. The MAJORITY of the hundreds of citizens who testified SUPPORT the new Public Safety Building AS PROPOSED.

The new Public Safety Building includes an Emergency Operations Center that will enable Sausalito to provide rapid-response disaster assistance during a major emergency. Without an EOC, Sausalito could lose thousands of dollars of federal disaster funds.

Over $3,000,000 has been raised for this building, mostly from citizen donations. The City will secure low cost financing to supplement these generous donations to build this essential public safety facility. A single Safety Building will save Sausalito significant costs compared to building and maintaining separate Police and Fire Stations. Coordinating safety services in one building also will improve efficiency.

Again, MEASURE B WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR TAXES!

Measure B opponents offer no alternative proposal. Their delaying tactics will only cost more money and jeopardize our safety.

Give our Police, Firefighters and Paramedics the tools they need to do their jobs. Vote YES on B!

s/ Robin Sweeny, Charter Member

Police/Fire Building Fundraising Task Force,
28-year Member of the Sausalito City Council

s/ Peg Copple

Caledonia Businesswoman

s/ Herb Weiner

Owner, Sausalito Shell

s/ Charlie Merrill

Longtime Sausalito Activist

We agree that our safety personnel need upgraded, safe facilities. However, supporters of Measure B are using emotion and fuzzy math to promote this boondoggle.

DON'T GIVE THE CITY A BLANK CHECK!

The City's promise that this project will not raise our taxes is, at best, misleading. This project is likely to have a profound fiscal impact on Sausalito residents. If Sausalito can't raise the funds through donations and grants (a daunting prospect in this economy), monies for regular city services will have to be used to pay off the so-called low cost financing.

EARTHQUAKES AND LEAKEY ROOFS ARE RED HERRINGS

Of course our emergency personnel can have safe and adequate facilities without this oversized building. It's time to stop the hyperbole and address the genuine needs of these departments! The City has not done a full cost/benefit analysis of combining all of our public safety services in a single building. And an Emergency Operations Center can be located anywhere in town, so there's no threat of losing federal disaster funds.

THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES!

Adequate public safety facilities can be implemented faster and cheaper. Alternatives range from renovating the old police and fire buildings, to moving the police to another part of town, to putting a combined-use building somewhere else. It's only common sense to carefully examine what could become a major financial and aesthetic disaster for Sausalito and Caledonia Street for years to come.

NO ON MEASURE B IS A YES! FOR OUR COMMUNITY!

s/ Dorothy E. Gibson
Former Chair,

Former Member General

s/ Kate Sears
Former Chair, Sausalito

Former Chair, Sausalito

s/ Glendon W. Miskel
Former Vice Mayor,

Former Member

s/ Rene Buddy De Bruyn
Former Mayor, City of

s/ Kimberly J. Huff
Business Owner and

We firmly support building safe and ADEQUATE police and fire facilities as soon as possible. We strongly oppose the massive Public Safety Building being promoted by the City Council. Here's why you should VOTE NO ON MEASURE B.

NO to Massive Size and Scale

The proposed Public Safety Building will be 50% larger than the existing Fire Station and former Police Station combined. At 242 feet long, it will be one of the most imposing structures in Sausalito, completely out of scale with the character and small town ambiance of our resident-serving neighborhood.

NO to Blocking Caledonia Street

The combined Public Safety Building is too large for the site and will permanently block the end of Caledonia Street at Johnson. Public parking spaces convenient to Caledonia will be lost. A winding path through a parking lot is no substitute. The true impact of this monumental building remains unknown because NO FULL SCALE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT WAS EVER DONE.

NO to Excessive Cost

More than 60% of the estimated $7.8 million cost of this expensive building still needs to be raised. This estimate does not include cost overruns, housing the fire equipment and staff during construction, or other potential items. Where will all this money come from? We want good facilities that are not overdone and wasteful.

NO on Measure B Is a Vote FOR Other Viable Alternatives

Combining facilities is questionable at best. One viable alternative is to enlarge and renovate the existing Fire Station and original Police Station. Other alternatives certainly exist that can meet the realistic needs of the Police and Fire Departments, including using other property already owned by the City.

Judge the proposed building for yourself. The story poles at Caledonia and Johnson tell the true story.

Vote NO on Measure B.

s/ John Ferrell, President
Citizens for an Alternative Public Safety Building
Board Force

s/ Kate Sears
Former Chair, Sausalito Planning Commission
Former Chair, Sausalito Parking Policy Task

s/ Glendon Miskel
Former Vice-Mayor, Sausalito City Council
Former Member, Sausalito Historic Landmarks

s/ Rene 'Buddy' De Bruyn
Former Mayor, City of Sausalito

s/ Walter Van Voorhees
Caledonia Street Merchant

Opponents propose no viable alternative to the Public Safety Building BECAUSE THERE IS NONE. All they have proposed is building on parkland, sensitive shorefront, or using a dilapidated building that the City doesn't own. Two separate buildings on the exiting site would have to be much bigger and would cost millions more. THIS SHOULD NOT BE ABOUT POLITICS. IT'S ABOUT MEETING OUR COMMUNITY'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS.

This Public Safety Building has been designed in partnership with the community since 1995. Sausalito residents and business owners have resolved the issues raised by the opposition and proposed this project. After all required environmental review, this project was unanimously approved by the Planning Commission. THE BUILDING'S DESIGN COMPLEMENTS CITY HALL, IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE CALEDONIA STREET NEIGHBORHOOD AND ADDS MORE PARKING TO THE AREA.

Locate public safety in the heart of the community. Sausalito's Fire and Police stations have been at the proposed site for 60 years. Only this central location meets modern paramedic and fire response standards. ANY OTHER LOCATION WOULD INCREASE RESPONSE TIMES TO GREATER THAN 4 MINUTES, ENDANGERING LIVES AND PROPERTY.

Don't let the complaints of a few endanger our community's safety. When we call 911, we need the best possible response from our police, firefighters and paramedics. After years of study and planning, now is the time to build not the time to start again from scratch, needlessly increasing costs. A 'NO' VOTE WILL CAUSE YEARS OF DELAY AND COST MILLIONS MORE.

Vote YES on B for safety NOW!

s/ Samuel D. Hock
Resident

s/ Charlotte P. Mastrangelo
Resident

s/ Charles I. Donald
Former Planning Commissioner
Underground Committee Member

s/ Jane B. Woodman
Resident