A drone view of construction and a parking lot adjacent to Stockmen’s Park where 130 units of affordable housing are proposed to be built in downtown Livermore, Calif., on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. to send the project before voters this November, city officials have determined a referendum isn’t necessary and that construction can move forward on the 130-unit complex downtown.
The neighborhood group, Move Eden Housing, which gathered the thousands of signatures needed for a referendum, argues the project can’t proceed without a public vote. City officials, however, contend the court ruling makes clear that a referendum is needed only to build a proposed public park bordering the project, not the housing itself.
Opponents, meanwhile, echoed a familiar refrain: We support affordable housing, just not this specific project. In a letter to the council, lawyers for Move Eden Housing accused the city of mischaracterizing the court ruling and argued the council must either put the entire project on the ballot or suspend it altogether.