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KUSP provided a brief Land Use Report on KUSP Radio from January 2003 to May 2016. Archives of past transcripts are available here.
Week of March 17, 2003 to March 21, 2003
The following Land Use Reports have been presented on KUSP Radio by Gary Patton, Executive Director of LandWatch Monterey County. The opinions expressed by Mr. Patton are not necessarily those of KUSP Radio, nor of any of its sponsors.
Monday,
March 17, 2003 – Interregional Partnership
Several years ago, CISCO Systems announced its plan to build a new
office park in San Jose, for about 20,000 new employees (but not
one new house). The City of San Jose thought that was just fine,
and approved the proposal. Lawsuits ensued. Local governments in
the Monterey Bay Area, including Santa Cruz County and the City
of Salinas, sued the City of San Jose. Their point? When one city
plans to build the facilities for new jobs, but doesn’t plan
for the housing that the new workers will need, that city, in effect,
is demanding that other communities subsidize its development. And
that’s not fair. It’s not good planning, and it leads
to social, environmental and economic problems.
The CISCO office park, though approved, has not yet been built, but the issue has not gone away. Today, the Advisory Committee to the Monterey Bay Area – Silicon Valley Inter-Regional Partnership Group will meet in Morgan Hill, to review strategies that will contribute to an inter-regional jobs and housing balance.
Unfortunately, the proposals being advanced are mostly along the lines of “let’s encourage local governments to do the right thing.” That’s certainly a good idea, but what’s probably needed, in fact, is a higher authority, the State of California, to tell local governments that they have to do the right thing, not just encourage them to think about it.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
Inter-Regional Partnership Report
http://www.ambag.org/irpph2report081502revmt.pdfAssociation of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG)
http://www.ambag.org/
Tuesday,
March 18, 2003 – Monterey County Growth Agreements
I think it’s fair to say that the most pressing planning problems
in the Central Coast Region may be found in the counties of San
Benito and Monterey. Not that every part of this area doesn’t
have significant planning challenges. There are plenty of such challenges
to go around. In San Benito and Monterey counties, however, looking
at the dynamics of development over the long run, flat and fertile
farm fields are increasingly attractive to those who would like
to solve the housing problems of the Silicon Valley. Growth pressures
are enormous.
While the Silicon Valley economy will undoubtedly have its ups and downs, over time, and growth pressures on adjacent areas will therefore wax and wane accordingly, there’s a kind of geopolitical realpolitik at work in this area. The big money is in the Silicon Valley. The cheap land (relatively cheap, I hasten to add) is in the counties of San Benito and Monterey. Unless the state intervenes (which it shows no signs of doing so far), local planning policies will need to confront the incredible growth pressures from the Silicon Valley, and if effective policies aren’t developed at the local level, urban developments will ultimately take over the farmlands.
Today, at the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, this issue is being discussed in the context of city-county growth agreements. For more information, check www.kusp.org.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
Monterey County Board of Supervisors Agenda
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/suagenda/
Wednesday,
March 19, 2003 – Santa Cruz County Transportation Planning
In Santa Cruz County, transportation-related planning problems are
a hot topic for discussion. At the risk of being too simplistic,
let me suggest that there are two basic schools of thought about
how to handle transportation challenges. One philosophy is to build
more and bigger roads. This is quite expensive, and certainly has
a poor track record for effectiveness, wherever it’s been employed.
(You can pick an urban area in the United States, and you’ve
got an example: more roads; more costs; more congestion). However,
the official philosophy of the elected officials guiding Santa Cruz
County transportation planning is to build a bigger road to address
the County’s major congested artery, Highway One.
The second philosophy is to use our existing highway infrastructure more efficiently. This is theoretically a great idea, and while there are some success stories (Los Angeles during the Olympics comes to mind), theory has not really led to practice very often.
Tomorrow, at 9:00 o’clock in the morning, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is going to discuss both approaches: widening Highway One, and a “Don’t Drive 1 in 5” alternative transportation campaign. This is a meeting that might be interesting. Check the KUSP website for more information. Click on the Land Use Report link at www.kusp.org.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission
http://www.sccrtc.org/body.htmlMarch 20th Policy Workshop Agenda
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/suagenda/
Thursday,
March 20, 2003 – Fort Ord Housing
The Fort Ord Reuse Authority (called FORA) could play a leadership
role in helping to solve the affordable housing problems of Monterey
County. Last Friday, FORA received a very powerful report from a
consulting group based in Washington, DC. The Clark Group presented
a fifty-eight page menu of opportunities to do more about affordable
housing. I think it’s fair to say that the Clark Group report,
which was being presented in public for the first time, got a pretty
positive reception. Congress Member Sam Farr, who sits on the FORA
Board in an ex-officio capacity, has been pushing for a more aggressive
affordable housing effort for some time. Up until now, there’s
been quite a bit of resistance. Things may be changing.
Perhaps on March 28th, or during its April 11th meeting, FORA will revisit the Clark Group report, but it seems that no real action is going to take place until, perhaps, the May 9th meeting. That’s not completely certain, but FORA will be meeting at 4:00 p.m., on Friday May 9th, so if you’re interested in housing issues, and like to plan ahead, you might pencil that date in, as a “tentative.”
The importance of what FORA ultimately does can hardly be overstated. The lands of the former Fort Ord could be the place where a real “solution” to some of Monterey County’s most pressing housing problems is achieved.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
Fort Ord Reuse Authority
http://www.fora.org/Sam Farr Statement on affordable housing
http://www.house.gov/farr/fortord.htm
Friday,
March 21, 2003 – AEP Conference / Palo Colorado Moonrise Hike
As frequent, or even compulsive, KUSP listeners know, these Land
Use Reports are aired each weekday morning on KUSP. Their brief
audio transmission may or may not register with you, perhaps depending
on whether you’ve had some morning coffee. If you miss something,
there’s a solution. Transcripts of present and past programs
are all available at www.kusp.org, usually with some additional
information. You can send me an email, too, to let me know your
thoughts. I really do try to respond promptly.
This morning, let me tell you about a couple of upcoming events. First, the California Association of Environmental Professionals has scheduled an excellent conference called, “Land, Laws and Spirit: Practical Tools for Environmental Planning.” The conference will be held at the Monterey Conference Center on March 30th and April 1st. Full information can be found on the KUSP website. I’ll be appearing on the conference program on at least three occasions, and hope you’ll check out this opportunity to get educated on key planning and land use topics.
Second, I want to announce a sunset to moonrise hike on the spectacular Palo Corona Ranch in Big Sur. This event is being sponsored by the Big Sur Land Trust. It will take place on Wednesday, April 16th, starting at 4:30 in the afternoon. Again, you can get more information at www.kusp.org.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
AEP Conference
http://www.califaep.org/Monterey/default.htmBig Sur Land Trust
http://www.bigsurlandtrust.org/Information on the Palo Corona Ranch
http://www.bigsurlandtrust.org/index1.htmlFull Moon Hike
http://www.bigsurlandtrust.org/index1.html
Archives of past transcripts are available here
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