Community Reports This community report was written by a student from California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), as part of a volunteer program at LandWatch. The purpose of this collaboration is to engage students in their local communities, and to stimulate their interest in and knowledge about local land use issues. Participants in this program research issues and attend meetings in various communities in Monterey County, reporting on important agenda items and other items of interest. Community reports are written from the student's point of view, and do not necessarily represent the official position of LandWatch Monterey County. LandWatch is committed to offer information to the public, and we are happy to make our website available for these student perspectives. Please enjoy the following community reports from the various communities of Monterey County. City of Seaside Interview with Captain Luther Hert Friday May 11, 2001 Submitted by Jaclyn M. Gonzales When I sat down with Mr. Hert, I introduced myself and explained my purpose as a student working with LandWatch. Our conversation quickly led to talk of the city of Seaside. I learned that Seaside is one of the younger cities on the Monterey Peninsula. Before Fort Ord Closed, Seaside had a population of 30,000 people. After Ford Ord was closed, the population of the city was reduced; obviously the military community was leaving the area. Besides just the reduction of the population, local businesses in Seaside suffered because they had depended on the military community as costumers. Mr. Hert is a volunteer for LandWatch and sits on their Advisory Board. He also sits on the Seaside Concerns Committee. His main position is in law enforcement as a Captain and significant contributions are made to County Planning Crime Prevention. Mr. Hert explained their goal is to, "…build safe places," in our communities. For example, when cities build a park, if they plant a lot of bushes and low lights, people will not want to go to the parks in the evenings for safety reasons. If parks are built with proper lighting and pathways, instead of bushes, then it will, "…provide a safe habitat for people." Mr. Hert is also involved with an organization called Tellus, which studies trends that affect Monterey County, such as the economy, education, social environment, and health issues. He is also involved with restorative justice, which includes child development. A current project he is focusing on is to develop a boy's camp where learning, playing, sports, golf course, counseling program, and family counseling would be offered. He is very involved with his community. He truly cares about the well-being of the city and its residents and has had a positive impact. I asked him about his views on affordable housing and he replied, "…there is no definition…[therefore] does not exist…[there is] no strategy…and it is deliberately left that way." Housing in Monterey County runs on an average from $350,000 to 1/2 million dollars. Since 1973, there has been an increase in cost up to ten fold. Not only does the cost of housing impacts each individual, but it impacts our communities as well. For example, people that work and live here in Monterey County may have jobs but could be forced to move because they can't afford their house. Students that attend local colleges are affected as well because once they graduate and try apply their work skills in the area, there may be no place for us to live, that we can afford. It is also difficult to find a job that will pay new graduates enough to manage to live in Monterey County. At this point was when Mr. Hert introduces to idea that he would like to see a large corporations like Microsoft or Cisco Systems develop in the area in order to benefit both students and locals. Currently in Fort Ord there are two projects for housing developments, and they seem not to be too realistic. They will be just as expensive as other peninsula communities, with ocean views, and there are even talks of a golf course. There is one development that will be along the freeway side of Fort Ord that will be more affordable. One issue that we face as a community is that we are running out of space to build more homes and there isn't enough water to support all these developments. Does it make sense to continue to develop all the open space we have left in the county into more homes that community members may not be able to afford? Some other major issues the county faces are public transportation, water rationing, and inclusionary/affordable yet adequate housing. I also asked Mr. Hert about the General Plan and it's purpose. Right now, the county government is hosting a series of round table meetings, where they discuss land use issues such as commercial acreage, agricultural acreage and industrial uses. There is also a strategic planning process, which Mr. Hert has contributed his time to. Because development on Fort Ord was built according to military specifications, issues such as revenues, employment, taxation, water supply, remodeling or reconstruction including streets that need to be widened. The list of items that the General Plan includes is very large which helped me understand that the updating process is vital to the future of our county. Mr. Hert concluded the interview by reiterating the major issues of importance that impact the community of Seaside and the entire Monterey County. According to Mr. Hert these issues are the lack of water, affordable housing, and public safety. Because he feels so passionate about these topics, he has contributed his time and ideas to improve the quality of life for citizens in our community. [Return to Community Reports]
Home | About LandWatch | Issues & Actions | LandWatch News Citzen Resources | Membership | Publications | Calendar Archives | Search | Links | Contact Us Site Design and Management by Jeffrey Reynolds all materials ©1999 Landwatch