| Although the presidential race was a near toss-up, some decisions by the voters were resoundingly clear. In Arizona and Colorado, no-growth initiatives were defeated by an overwhelming 70 percent margin, which means that seven out of ten voters sent environmental extremists packing with the message “Leave my state alone.”
The ballot initiatives, drafted and backed by the Sierra Club, planning associations, and other environmental cohorts, aimed to institute strict growth controls in their respective states. Amendment 24 in Colorado and Proposition 202 in Arizona limited development to restricted urban growth areas, required voter approval of boundary extensions, and allowed extensive citizen appeals of local growth decisions.
Reaction to the growth initiatives included shock and indignation — rightfully so. Newspapers carried the message that strapped local governments were fearful of the $60 million they expected to spend on land inventories and growth maps (seems like a bargain compared to what we’ve spent in Washington).
An Arizona newspaper made the following observation: “Indeed, many municipalities across the country that have adopted growth-control measures of various sorts witnessed the near complete evaporation of affordable housing.” Sounds familiar. In Washington State this “evaporation” has created an affordable housing drought of alarming magnitude, squeezing thousands of families out of the housing market with no relief in sight
And voters in Colorado and Arizona figured this out.
Anti-initiative web sites included the phrases: “unintended consequences,” “one size fits all,” “lawyer security act,” “increased urban congestion,” “pits neighbor against neighbor,” “creates bureaucratic nightmare,” and “wipes out affordable housing.” Sound familiar? So should the 70/30 percent vote margin.
In 1990, three out of four Washington voters said “no” to I-547, an anti-growth initiative pushed by the Sierra Club, among others. That same year the Legislature buckled to environmentalist pressure and passed the Growth Management Act, which has been amended several times since, resulting in growth control measures that mirror the Arizona and Colorado initiatives.
So congratulations, Arizona and Colorado, but your fight is not over. Washington just celebrated the 10- year anniversary of a growth act originally rejected by 75 percent of state voters. Go figure.
(Editor’s Note. Jodi Slavik is the legal counsel to the Building Industry Association of Washington. This article was reprinted with permission from Building Insight.). | 
