Residents mobilize to keep heights low

Now Measure H is set to expire in 2005 and veteran activists are coming out of the woodwork to keep it in place.

Karen Herrell, one of the original authors of Measure H, is one of the forces driving the current movement. Herrell has been steadily beating the drum to keep the measure the way it is at City Council and Planning Commission meetings over the past few months. She's also been speaking with neighborhood association groups across the city to explain Measure H and its history.

"San Matean for a Responsive Government has been very quiet for quite awhile," Herrell said. "Now it's coming back to life with Measure H expiring."

A core group of about six original members have been meeting over the last few months to lay the groundwork for another movement if necessary. This time around, however, Herrell said city officials seem to be waking up to residents' concerns about heights.

"Momentum seems to be building on the council for keeping it the way it is," Herrell said.

At a City Council meeting this week, Mayor Carole Groom said keeping the community together was more important than making minor changes to Measure H that would allow for two buildings that reach up 75 feet at the Hillsdale train station. Councilman John Lee also indicated support for keeping Measure H intact.

With more and more residents starting to express their support for keeping current height limitations, Herrell expects there may be even more movement on the council toward keeping Measure H at its next meeting April 19.

"They seem to be listening to the community's side of the microphone," she said.

That's in stark contrast to the councilmembers who were swept out of office more than a decade ago, Herrell said. The push to cap building heights gained such support that three activists behind the movement - Supervisor Jerry Hill and former mayors Claire Mack and Gary Yates - were subsequently elected to the City Council.

"They ended up on the council on the strength of Measure H," Herrell said.

If necessary, San Mateans for a Responsive Government has said it plans to put a competing measure on the November ballot to keep Measure H the way it is. The group will start gathering signatures in earnest if city officials move toward changing the measure at its April 19 meeting, Herrell said.

"If the government is responsive, then we don't have to go out to the streets with a petition," Herrell said. "We're giving them a chance to say yes or no."

Yunmi Choi can be reached by e-mail at yunmi@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 109. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.