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The Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter, Golden Gate Audubon, and the Citizens for the Eastshore State Park urge a yes vote on Measure N to protect Berkeley's waterfront from massive development. 

In 1986, Berkeley voters passed Measure Q, which limited development on the waterfront lands then owned by Santa Fe Railroad to 565,000 square feet. Santa Fe eventually sold 80 percent of its waterfront lands to the state for the new Eastshore State Park. Santa Fe has since sold Magna Entertainment Corporation the remaining 20 percent of the land. 

Because only 20 percent of the original land is now in private hands, development should be accordingly limited to 20 percent of the original total or about 115,000 square feet. Magna, however, has proposed a huge waterfront development of up 300,000 to 400,000 square feet. It is unclear how the limits of Measure Q apply to the smaller parcel. 

Measure N is designed to clarify this situation by creating a mechanism for the city to amend Measure Q to reduce the amount of development allowed, consistent with protecting the landowner's constitutional rights. Measure N will also ensure that any planning for these lands is done through a community planning process which will guarantee that Berkeley residents have a direct say in any development plans. 

Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean, and the entire City Council support Measure N.  

Norman La Force 

Berkeley