Measure AA “Yes for Open Space” Campaign a Winning Proposition for Silicon Valley Economy

Los Altos, Calif. – A bond measure to preserve open land and increase public access to thousands of acres of nature preserves in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties is being touted by local businesses as an inexpensive way to insure their professional and personal investments while maintaining a high quality of life on the Peninsula.

“The Peninsula is not only a center of innovation, it is also an incredibly beautiful place to live and work. Measure AA will help keep it that way,” said Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, Vice President of Advertising and Pages at Facebook and the grandson of Vince Garrod, a well-known advocate of open space protection in the South Bay. 

The $300 million bond championed by the “Yes for Open Space” campaign would improve and enhance 25 open space areas throughout the Midpen district, which covers 550 square miles stretching from Los Gatos and Redwood City to north of Half Moon Bay.  If voters approve the measure on June 3, it would result in the restoration of thousands of acres of regional open spaces, forests, watersheds and farmland. Bond money would also be used to add 200 miles of public trails, increasing recreational opportunities for families and residents of all ages. In fact, all funds would be reserved for capital expenses and would not fund administrative overhead or compensation.

“This is a one-of-a-kind place, people want to live here because of the natural setting that surrounds us,” said Bosworth. “The fact that people from around the world want to live here is why businesses love to invest here, and it also explains why the Peninsula was able to fend off the impacts of the Great Recession better than almost anywhere else in the country.”

The quality-of-life benefit of Measure AA is one of the primary reasons it has received overwhelming support from the Peninsula business community, including such organizations as the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Half Moon Bay Coastside Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, Los Altos Chamber of Commerce, Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, and Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce.

The natural beauty of the region has helped lead to an influx of new workers, many of whom already take advantage of Midpen’s conservation efforts. Midpen now sees more than 1.5 million visitors per year and parking lots overflow at recreation staging areas on the weekends.  Measure AA would work to change that, improving infrastructure and opening access to thousands of acres of preserved land.   

Measure AA would also support and enhance San Francisco Bay wetlands restoration with local, state and federal partners. Projects in the baylands would help ensure the slow release of storm water into local creeks, and reduce the risks from bay rise and potential flooding.   The measure would also protect regional wildlife and ecosystems threatened by sea-level rise and other global environmental concerns.

And the bond carries a modest cost – from $1 to a maximum of $3.18 per $100,000 of a property’s assessed value, or a maximum of $21 a year in property taxes for the owner of a $700,000 home.   

“Measure AA is a common-sense commitment to the environment and will help the region attract and maintain a high-quality workforce,” Bosworth said. “That kind of foresight and commitment is one of the reasons businesses invest here and are proud to call the Peninsula home.”

For a complete list of campaign endorsements, click here. For a complete list of the 25 top open space projects that will benefit from this measure, click here.