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KUSP LandWatch
News
Week of June 2, 2003 to June 6, 2003
"Listen Live"
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KUSP LandWatch
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ogo.gif" width="108" height="109" border="0"> "Listen Live" |
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 June 2, 2003 to June 6, 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,
June 2, 2003 – Water At The Board of Supervisors
The Board of Supervisors of Monterey County meets tomorrow, and
they’ll be discussing a key water policy issue. If you’d
like to listen in, or better yet, participate, mark your calendar
for 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 3rd. As usual, there’s more information
at www.kusp.org.
The specific issue on water policy facing the Board tomorrow is what the County of Monterey should require by way of proof of a long-term water supply for subdivisions. Currently, County policy is to require that anyone proposing to subdivide land should demonstrate that there is an assured long-term water supply. As a practical matter, that means that the County of Monterey won’t allow new subdivisions in areas of groundwater overdraft.
This policy does seem logical. If there is already a massive problem, why make it worse? Nonetheless, the Board is considering changing that policy, to allow new subdivisions to go ahead in areas of groundwater overdraft. North Monterey County is the area mainly affected. If the Board does decide to change its policy, lots of people with existing wells will need to keep their fingers crossed. If you want to weigh in on this issue, come to the Board meeting tomorrow, or contact Supervisor Lou Calcagno, who represents the North County area.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
June 3, 2003 Meeting Agenda for the Monterey County Board
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/suagenda/Agenda.pdfMonterey County General Plan Update Website
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/gpu/Contact Supervisor Calcagno at: (831) 755-5063
Email: district2@co.monterey.ca.us
Tuesday,
June 3, 2003 – The Santa Cruz County LAFCO Meeting Tomorrow
The Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO, is one of the most
important governmental agencies affecting land use policy. If you’d
like to do a little research on LAFCO, to find out more about this
very important agency, please click on the Land Use Report link
at www.kusp.org. You can use the
website to send me a comment or suggestion, too.
Tomorrow, the Santa Cruz County LAFCO will be meeting at 9:30 in the morning, at the Santa Cruz County Governmental Center, and will be discussing Assembly Bill 520, authored by Assembly Member Simon Salinas. This bill would amend the general state law establishing LAFCOs, to set up some special procedures for Santa Cruz County, and most particularly for the City of Watsonville.
Measure U, adopted by Watsonville voters on November 2nd last year, establishes a way for Watsonville to annex lands now in the unincorporated area, while simultaneously establishing an Urban Growth Limit for the City. However, the state law governing LAFCO doesn’t really provide for what Measure U is trying to do. That’s the reason for Assembly Bill 520.
The Buena Vista area (not now in the City of Watsonville) is the area mainly affected by Measure U, and by AB 520. A Friends of Buena Vista group is fighting the City, so tomorrow’s LAFCO meeting may be exciting.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
State Law
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate?WAIS
docID=39672125136+1+0+0&WAISaction=retrieveSanta Cruz County LAFCO
http://www.santacruzlafco.org/Agenda for June 4th Meeting
http://www.santacruzlafco.org/pages/agendas/
060403materials/JuneAgenda.pdfLAFCO Staff Report, AB 520
http://www.santacruzlafco.org/pages/agendas/
060403materials/AB520June.pdfText of AB 520
http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_0501-0550/
ab_520_bill_20030528_amended_sen.htmlAnalysis
http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_0501-0550/ab_520_cfa_20030515_120623_sen_comm.htmlCalifornia Association of LAFCOs
http://www.calafco.org/Friends of Buena Vista
http://www.santacruzlafco.org/pages/agendas/
060403materials/Buena%20Vista%20F....pdf
Wednesday,
June 4, 2003 – Salinas Affordable Housing Subcommittee
City Council members, and members of Boards of Supervisors, are
the final decision making authorities for almost all land use policy
decisions. This is not to say that there isn’t a level “above”
City Councils and Boards of Supervisors. All local governments operate
according to state law, and so the State Legislature (and the Governor)
can play an important role. However, the state generally lets local
governments make their own decisions.
There is also a level “below” the level of City Councils and Boards of Supervisors that is important in the realm of land use policy. Local government staff, and the Planning Commission of each City and County, play a very important role, because City Councils and Boards of Supervisors often accept the recommendations of the staff and Planning Commission. There’s even a level “below” the level of the Planning Commission that can be important. Subcommittees and special “task forces” sometimes have a lot to say.
Therefore, if you care about affordable housing in Salinas, you might consider a meeting tomorrow, June 5th, at 8:30 a.m. at the City Manager’s Conference Room in the City Hall in Salinas. The City’s Affordable Housing Subcommittee is going to be deciding whether to recommend a significant strengthening of the Salinas Inclusionary Housing policy. Get more information at www.kusp.org.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
City of Salinas
http://www.ci.salinas.ca.us/For Information on the Salinas Inclusionary Housing Study
Contact Lupe Garcia – 831-759-2824, Ext. 13
Thursday,
June 5, 2003 – Hot Transportation Issues in Santa Cruz County
You can’t have good land use planning if there isn’t good
transportation planning to go along with it. State law requires
that each local General Plan contain a “Circulation Element.”
By law, this Circulation Element has to be fully consistent with
the Land Use Element, and with the other required elements of the
local General Plan.
City Councils and Boards of Supervisors have the responsibility to make sure that the local General Plan does have an internally consistent strategy that links land use and transportation policy. However, City Councils and Boards of Supervisors aren’t the only groups involved in transportation planning. In fact, transportation issues tend to be regional, and so the state government has created a whole planning structure that mandates a regional approach.
To implement regional transportation planning, each region has to have a Regional Transportation Planning Agency. In Santa Cruz County, that agency is popularly called the “Transportation Commission.” The Commission is meeting today, at 9:00 a.m., at the Santa Cruz County Governmental Center. On the agenda are big issues relating to Highway One, and to the “Fishhook” intersection, where Highway One meets Highway 17.
If you are “pro” Highway One widening, or if you are “anti” Highway One widening, this might be the meeting for you. There’s more information at www.kusp.org.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
Santa Cruz County Transportation Commission
http://www.sccrtc.org/
Friday,
June 6, 2003 – More on Transportation Planning
Local governments are supposed to make sure that transportation
infrastructure can handle new growth. And they’re not supposed
to build transportation infrastructure that’s not needed. The
rule is simple: you have to be consistent.
However, it may not be simple to do what the rule says. A local government can require a permit before someone can undertake any kind of a development that might result in new traffic. There is a practical way to make sure that development decisions are consistent with transportation capacity.
You don’t, however, need a permit to make your two-car family into a three-car family, or to decide to drive more and walk less. And that’s what’s happening in California, and throughout the nation, and that’s largely why Highway One in Santa Cruz County is full of traffic at peak times. Santa Cruz County planned for a relatively small amount of growth, partly because there wasn’t very much capacity on Highway One. Unfortunately, the incredible increase in the per-person use of the individual automobile was not anticipated.
Now the question is, do Santa Cruz County voters want to build a massive highway expansion, which will itself stimulate growth, or do they want to find some other way to reduce those traffic jams? If you’d like to see the ideas of a group that calls itself the “Campaign for Sensible Transportation," visit the KUSP website at www.kusp.org.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
Campaign For Sensible Transportation
http://www.sensibletransportation.org/
Archives of past transcripts are available here
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