A former council member says a Utah polling firm is calling around town to test how Petalumans feel about expanding their voter-approved growth boundary.
Former councilman David Keller said the phone survey, which he received Thursday, Sept. 13, sought opinions on whether the city should accept a hypothetical $40 million cash gift in exchange for annexing 342 acres outside the Urban Growth Boundary.
Though the survey didn?t identify where the acreage was located, Keller said he believes it referred to rural pastureland on Lakeville Highway south of the Southgate neighborhood.
?When Southgate was being planned, there were questions about going one parcel down? on Lakeville Highway, he said.
The survey asked if respondents would support the construction of various types of housing and businesses on the potential annexation if ?local businesses? gave the city $40 million, Keller said.
It went on to ask if opinions would change if the money was specifically set aside for the Rainier interchange project or street repairs, he said.
There were also more general questions seeking opinions on current and former council members as well as thoughts about Delco Builders, said Keller and another respondent, Bill Phillips.
Delco, which built the Southgate project, was the only company mentioned, Keller said. The caller wouldn?t say who ordered the survey.
Delco spokesman Gary Marsh said the company had no comment.
Keller called the anonymous survey ?an attempt at financial and political bribery? to get rid of the growth boundary, which was approved by voters in 1998.
The UGB expires in 2018, but next year the City Council may ask voters to extend it through 2025 to match up with the life of the next General Plan.
(Contact Corey Young at corey.young@arguscourier.com)
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: