Greenbelt Alliance encourages voters in Sausalito to say YES to Measure X.
This measure amends and modernizes Ordinance 1022, passed by voters in 1985, and retires the Marinship Specific Plan.
The Ordinance was initially created to reduce traffic from new development and preserve the maritime character of the commercial and industrial zones. Forty years later, those same rules now prevent waterfront businesses from growing, thriving, and adapting. Buildings are aging, infrastructure is crumbling, streets are flooding, and office buildings stand half vacant. Because 1022 was created by a citywide voter initiative, only a new citywide voter initiative can change it.
Why It Matters
As a Bay Area organization committed to ensuring the Bay Area’s lands and communities are resilient to a changing climate, we support Measure X.
Utilizing developed footprint more effectively
Decades ago, Marin County had the foresight to protect ridgelines, farmland, watersheds, and open space. Doing so protected our important natural resources, but it also limited space for our built environment. That means we must build more efficiently to make the most of our limited development footprint. But current Sausalito planning processes are slowing down the pace of progress.
By saying Yes on X, routine land-use decisions return to normal city government processes (with public hearings, environmental review, and community input). No ballot would be required for everyday decisions. This doesn’t bypass planning; it makes planning viable.
The reality of sea level rise
Like many wartime Bay Area developments, the Marinship—a roughly 210 acres of flat, serviced, already-developed waterfront in the middle of Sausalito—was developed on filled marshland, and it’s subsiding. The shoreline is aging, privately fragmented, and deteriorating. Its flood risks are present and will increase as our climate changes. Bay Area communities like Sausalito need to adapt to keep pace with climate change. Measure X can generate revenue for roads, sea level rise, and resident services—reducing pressure for higher taxes.
By building more efficiently on developed footprints and adapting to a changing shoreline, we can create a more resilient Sausalito. On your November ballot, vote YES on X.
