Election fliers challenged in Ukiah mall debate

Oct 15, 2009 (The Ukiah Daily Journal - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- DDR | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Measure A proponents called hypocritical their opponents' claim that a recent "Yes on A" mailer implies that four big-box retailers whose names and logos appeared on it endorse the measure.

Measure A appears on the Nov. 3 ballot. It would rezone the former Masonite property from industrial to commercial if voters pass it. Developers Diversified Realty of Ohio wants the rezone in order to build Mendocino Crossings there, a proposed 800,000 square-foot shopping mall.

The names and logos of Costco, Target, T.J. Maxx and Petco appeared prominently on the mailer.

"All our piece says is they have strong interest in locating at Mendocino Crossings, not that they endorse the campaign. We would not have LOIs (letters of intent) if strong interest did not exist," DDR Senior Development Director Jeff Adams wrote in a Wednesday e-mail to The Daily Journal.

The flier states, in smaller print, that the project has the "strong interest" of those stores, and that the stores are "waiting for the approval of Measure A to move forward."

"DDR's use of these company logos is clearly intended to lead Mendocino County voters to believe that those companies endorse Measure A," said Cliff Paulin of Save Our Local Economy, the group opposing Measure A.

In fact, one of the stores, Petco, says it's fine with the use of its logo in the flier and does hope Measure A passes so it can come to Ukiah.

Petco spokeswoman Lisa Epstein said Wednesday the company is in long-term negotiations

with DDR.

"We would like to be part of the community and we are in support of the project," she said. "We saw the flier and we are OK with it. If this measure needs to pass in order for us to be part of the community, we are in support of that too."

SOLE says Costco doesn't endorse the measure, and that a company vice president demanded the Costco name not be used in future campaign literature.

Costco's attorney, Rich Olin, wouldn't confirm or deny whether the company plans to pursue legal recourse, and said the company prefers to stay out of local political issues.

"We did not authorize the use of the Costco logo or Costco's name, or likenesses of its buildings or facilities, for any campaign out there," Olin said.

SOLE itself used Costco's likeness in a flier published before the "Yes on A" flier appeared in county residents' mailboxes last week.

The No on Measure A flier in question shows a picture of the front of a Costco building near the bottom of the page, below the question, "Do we need Measure A to get a Costco?"

The answer given next to Costco's picture in the flier is, "No! In 2006, Costco was in advanced negotiations to put a store in a large retail center in South Ukiah."

The Ukiah City Council and Ukiah Redevelopment Agency jointly purchased more than 18 acres of land earlier this year in Airport Industrial Park in the hope of attracting big-box retail, plus an option to purchase another 14.75 acres.

"Should we infer from SOLE's mailer that Costco endorses the airport site?" Adams asked in his e-mail.

The anti-Measure A flier goes on to say a site plan was prepared and submitted to the city, and "Costco can use their original plan to build in the South Ukiah location that is already zoned and available for large retail."

Tiffany Revelle can be reached at udjtr@pacific.net, or at 468-3523.

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