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Over at SierraMadreNews.net, Bill Coburn has posted an editorial by Planning Commissioner John Hutt. Hutt gives a lengthy, thoughtful review of Measure V and explains in detail his reasons for saying “no” to Measure V.

I agree with Hutt’s statement about ignoring the mudslinging on both sides of the campaign. From his editorial on SierraMadreNews.net:

While the goals of Measure V are laudable, it falls short of its mission. In the end it would make things worse, not better. Measure V is full of loopholes, problematic provisions and ambiguities that would lead to regrettable downtown development and increased litigation costs for the City.

Ignore the wild claims and mudslinging of some on both sides of Measure V and focus on the measure itself. Measure V does two things: first, it amends the General Plan and zoning code to regulate height and residential density in the downtown area, and second, it requires a citywide vote to change such regulations. That’s all it does, and it does so poorly. It doesn’t require any setbacks, preserve view corridors, limit building mass, encourage good design, preserve historic buildings, limit commercial development, or allow for project-specific voting.

Please don’t forget that I’ve posted a number of other Measure V resources in a previous post. Be sure to read the pro and con ballot arguments (downloadable from the home page of the city’s website), the editorials (links to those are above and in the previous post), the legal analysis (on the city’s website) and the measure itself (on the city’s website) to help you make your decision.