In 2000, Sonoma voters approved a ballot measure that established in the City’s General Plan a boundary line beyond which urban development was not permitted for twenty years, except under certain circumstances. If approved by a simple majority of voters, Measure W would continue with the existing Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) for another twenty years, with some minor modifications regarding exceptions.
If approved, the measure only allows the UGB to be modified by the voters (or in limited circumstances by the City Council with a 4/5th vote). If not approved, the existing UGB would remain in its current configuration but the City Council could approve amendments to the UGB with a simple majority after December 31, 2020.
Measure W was placed on the November 3, 2020 ballot by the Sonoma City Council. Background information can be found on the Urban Growth Boundary page.