Vol. VI, No. 1,286
—An effort to again amend Alameda County’s landmark Measure D open-space protections appears to be gaining momentum after months of behind-the-scenes planning.
Supervisor David Haubert, whose district includes much of the county’s rural open space, is seeking to use $150,000 in discretionary funds to pay for a public survey that could lay the groundwork for a future ballot measure to again amend Measure D.
The contract was scheduled for Board of Supervisors approval Tuesday but was continued after it was discovered the proposed agreement was missing from the public agenda packet. The item is expected to return at a special board meeting this afternoon.
Haubert’s decision to use discretionary district funds for the survey comes as such spending faces increased scrutiny. State Sen. Aisha Wahab’s Senate Bill 1193, which recently passed the Senate unanimously, would require greater transparency and reporting on how county supervisors distribute discretionary funds.
—The effort to revisit Measure D is being spearheaded by Gerry Beemiller, owner of Terra Nella Winery in Sunol, who has longstanding ties to Haubert and his chief of staff.
In December, Beemiller urged supervisors to consider zoning changes that would allow larger event facilities on Resource Management lands. Terra Nella Winery hosts weddings and other events under a large tent structure on its property.
County staff cautioned at the time that Measure D strictly limits development in the area and that any significant changes would require voter approval.
“Let’s not talk about what we can’t do, but what we can do,” Haubert said during the December discussion.
Beemiller is also promoting a broader effort to amend Measure D by potentially allowing the subdivision of properties within protected open-space areas.
He first floated the idea during an Alameda County Agricultural Advisory Committee meeting last fall, where he said Haubert supported exploring changes. While some committee members expressed skepticism, others encouraged additional public outreach before moving forward.
At a committee meeting last month, Beemiller revealed that Haubert’s office was planning a public survey to gauge support for possible changes to Measure D.
“We need to take a look at what is working and what is not working,” Beemiller told supervisors Tuesday. He also suggested county officials visit Switzerland to see examples of how agricultural businesses and open-space preservation can coexist.
In 2022, voters approved an amendment to Measure D that expanded the allowed Floor Area Ratio for agricultural buildings — equestrian arenas, wine-production buildings, and processing facilities, among other uses.
One of the measure’s main benefactors was Chuck Moore, the owner of Graceland Equestrian Center in Castro Valley. A longtime supporter of Supervisor Nate Miley, Moore chairs the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council, and whose members are appointed by Miley.
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