A former Redlands mayor says the City Council’s promise to renovate the downtown Mall is a “smokescreen.”
“There’s not one word about the Mall in Measure G,” Bill Cunningham wrote in an upcoming ballot argument. “It’s about building thousands of apartments downtown.”
Redlands’ voters will decide Measure G during the March 3 California primary. That measure repeals three ordinances restricting growth to 400 new units annually. It also allows for high-density apartments within a half-mile radius of three new train stations.
“Passing Measure G will allow the Mall property to be developed,” all five current council members wrote. “If this measure is not passed, the property where the Mall sits cannot be revitalized.”
Cunningham disagrees because the council could renovate the mall with a four-fifths vote without Measure G.
From 1973 to 1999, Cunningham spent 26 years on Redlands’ school board and city council. He was mayor from 1997 to 1999.
Voters approved R in 1978, N in 1987 and U in 1997. Cunningham helped write N and U.
“Because of the measures, Redlands preserved its character as a small university city with good schools and open spaces,” he said.
Opposition is forming against Measure G.
Redlands resident and native Larry Leonard said the apartments would block mountain views, and add 8,000 residents.
“Once the train is operational, developers will have access to low-cost governmental loans,” Leonard said. “This is debt, backed by the taxpayer, for high-rise apartments.”
Leonard expects the council will go all-out to win.
“They want to get it going as fast as they can,” he said.
Measure G removes a 35-foot height restriction on downtown buildings. It also lessens building-impact fees developers would pay.
The council timed the measure for March instead of November, when more voters turnout for presidential elections.
Whatever the timing, Cunningham said he feared pressures to build without restrictions would resurface. He said their removal would ruin Redlands forever.
“There was always pressure to develop without constraints,” he said. “Without these measures, Redlands would have been swallowed up like so many towns in Southern California.”