NEWS UPDATE
Judge clears way for Open Space District expansion

We have great news for the long-term future of coastal open space: on Friday, September 3, 2004, San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Carl Holm rejected opponents' request to stop the expansion of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) boundaries to include the San Mateo County Coast and lifted the temporary restraining order on the expansion.

Next step: Coastal open space protection
The morning of September 7, officials from San Mateo County LAFCo filed a Certificate of Completion on the annexation. MROSD boundaries now officially include some 140,000 acres west of Skyline, and the District can begin to purchase lands from willing sellers and create public open space preserves on the Coast. This victory caps more than seven years of work by CGF and many other activists to protect coastal open space and agricultural lands.

The Open Space District will next solicit public input to determine how to realign the boundaries of the district's seven wards and represent the Coastsideon its elected Board of Directors.

Protest attempt failed
Judge Holm's decision followed months of contention after the Open Space District expansion was approved.

Open space opponents attempted to bring the matter to a vote by collecting voter signatures on protest forms. When County Elections found that the number of valid signatures fell short of the number needed to force a vote, opponents requested a restraining order on the process.

In fact, the submitted signatures included numerous duplicates as well as signatures from non-registered voters and from those residing outside the area. Open space opponents will continue to pursue a lawsuit opposing the now-completed expansion, but we are confident that their efforts will continue to fail.

Thanks to each of you who supported the boundary expansion and helped Committee for Green Foothills and other members of the Coastal Open Space Alliance educate the public about the importance of MROSD's Coastside Protection Program.

We'll continue to support the program, and look forward to a time when MROSD preserves are open to the public on the Coast just as they are in other areas of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.