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KUSP LandWatch
News
Week of March 22, 2004 to March 26, 2004
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KUSP LandWatch
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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 22, 2004 to March 26, 2004
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 22, 2004 – GPU Hearing Tonight
This evening, at 6:00 o’clock, you can “make a date with
destiny,” and participate in the last General Plan Update public
hearing scheduled before the Monterey County Planning Commission.
If you’re a Monterey County resident, I hope you’ll be
there. The meeting will be held at the Monterey County Courthouse
in Salinas. There’s more information at www.kusp.org.
Frequent listeners know that General Plans are important. In fact, they’re the most important policy documents affecting the future growth and development of the local community. After more than four years, and more than four million dollars in expense, Monterey County is moving towards a decision. The Planning Commission is expected to make its recommendations to the Board of Supervisors by April 21st. The Commission will receive written comments until Friday March 26th, and tonight is the last chance to testify in person.
The current draft (like all the former drafts) is controversial. Among other things, it permits about three times as much growth as population projections say is necessary. It invites skip out suburban developments by providing for “Special Treatment Areas” that could be added at a developer’s request, and opens up the scenic roads of the Salinas Valley to commercial development without even the protection of permit review.
The last chance for public testimony before the Commission is tonight at 6:00 o’clock.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
County General Plan Update Website
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/gpu/Planning Commission Hearing Schedule
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/gpu/
meetings/pc_hearingnotice0204.pdfEconomic Impact Analysis on GPU
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/gpu/news/
ADE%20Econ%20Report%20022704.pdf“Land Use and the General Plan”
http://www.landwatch.org/pages/publications03/
gpsummit/landusegeneralplan.pdfJoint Organizational Letter on GPU
http://www.landwatch.org/pages/issuesactions/
countyplan/030304joint.htmlLandWatch Letter on Economic Impact Analysis
http://www.landwatch.org/pages/issuesactions/
countyplan/031604jobs.html
Tuesday,
March 23, 2004 – Rancho San Juan Field Trip
If you’d like to get a first hand look at what Monterey County’s
planning future might be like (and if you have some time this afternoon),
let me tell you about a field trip that will start at 1:30 p.m.
today, and visit the Rancho San Juan Specific Plan area. Members
of the Board of Supervisors are scheduled to attend.
Rancho San Juan is a development proposal that would convert 2,581 acres north of Salinas into a massive urban development. This would not be “in” Salinas, and the Salinas City Council has officially opposed this development proposal. This would be an unincorporated area development that would pave over commercially productive agricultural land, and that would lead to an increased overdraft of an already overdrafted North Monterey County aquifer. It would add 70,000 trips per day to the already congested Highway 101 corridor. The first stage would be a new golf course and luxury homes.
Does this development proposal sound like what has sometimes been called, “Smart Growth?” Not exactly! Local residents are beginning to call the proposal “Rancho San Wrong.”
You can visit the site, and ask questions, by joining the field trip. Show up today at 1:30 p.m. at Russell Road, just east of its intersection with Main Street, in Salinas. More information is available at www.kusp.org.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
County Website on Rancho San Juan
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/pbi/major/rsj/rsj_main.htmVicinity Map
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/pbi/major/
rsj/draft_graphic/2-1%20regional%20map.pdf
Wednesday,
March 24, 2004 – ACA 14 and SCA 11 - Santa Cruz City Council
Yesterday, Council Members Rotkin, Primack, and Kennedy recommended
that the Santa Cruz City Council officially support State Senate
Constitutional Amendment 11, and Assembly Constitutional Amendment
14, relating to funding for local infrastructure. You can get a
copy of the staff report presented to the Council, and a copy of
the proposed Constitutional Amendments, by clicking on the Land
Use Report link at www.kusp.org.
The state's population is predicted almost to double in the next 20 years, and local governments everywhere are finding it almost impossible to finance necessary infrastructure. ACA 14 would allow California voters to establish a special tax for community infrastructure by a 55% vote instead of the currently required 2/3 vote. Under SCA 11, the voters could decide to approve a general obligation bond for infrastructure by a 55% vote.
The local bond or special tax would need to balance investments in four key areas, including: (1) affordable housing, (2) community and neighborhood improvement, (3) open space and farmland preservation, and (4) general infrastructure needs. If enacted, these Constitutional Amendments would eliminate the “minority veto” that now prevents the majority of voters in a local community from making the investments that will allow them to plan for the future they want.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
City Council Agenda for March 23, 2004
http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/Staff Report
http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/cc/
archives/04/3-23meeting/3-23rpt/cm099.htmSCA 11
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/sen/sb_0001-
0050/sca_11_bill_20030703_amended_sen.htmlACA 14
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_0001-
0050/aca_14_bill_20030623_amended_asm.html
Thursday,
March 25, 2004 – Castroville Citizens Advisory Committee
The little town of Castroville is located at the intersection of
three state highways: Highway One, linking Santa Cruz County to
the Monterey Peninsula; Highway 156, linking the Silicon Valley
(and Highway 101) to the Monterey Peninsula, and Highway 183, which
provides a direct link to Salinas. There is also a rail line, running
right along the edge of town.
Castroville is the kind of “existing urban area” that has been identified for future growth in the draft Monterey County General Plan Update. The idea is to put new growth into areas like Castroville, upgrading infrastructure and amenities as that happens, instead of putting growth out in the middle of open space and agricultural lands. It’s fair to say that the Guiding Objectives of the Draft General Plan Update see future development in Castroville as positive, and find development proposals like the Rancho San Juan proposal as less desirable. The recently completed GPU Economic Impact Analysis strongly confirms that this approach is the best fiscal approach for Monterey County.
All this is to say that the future of Castroville is highly important to the future of Monterey County. Tonight, at 6:00 p.m., the Castroville Citizens Advisory Committee will be confronting some of the key issues. You’re invited. The meeting will be in the Castroville Elementary School Cafeteria.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
Economic Impact Analysis on GPU
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/gpu/news/
ADE%20Econ%20Report%20022704.pdfCastroville Redevelopment
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/housing/
Redevelopment/CastrovilleRedevelope.asp
Friday,
March 26 2004 – Heads Up for Future Meetings
Fridays are not very good days for meetings. It’s the end of
the week. Who wants to go to a meeting on Friday night? Stay home
and relax, or take in a movie, or get an early start on a killer
weekend trip!
I’m sure that’s your feeling, and I’m not going to try to convince you different. In fact, as you may or may not have noticed, I advertise a lot of meetings on this KUSP Land Use Report, but hardly ever do I advertise a Friday meeting. On Fridays, I give you a heads up about future meetings. I’m sorry, but what else can I do? At least this way, you get a little advance notice.
On Monday, this coming Monday, March 29th, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., the California Coastal Commission will hold a Town Hall meeting at the Crossroads Conference Center in Carmel, to discuss the Coastal staff’s review of the current Monterey County Local Coastal Program, and how it could better protect the coast. A very similar meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 30th, at the Big Sur Multi-Agency Facility. I recommend that you stop by one of these meetings, if you’re in the area. You’ve had your killer weekend, so let’s focus back on land use policy. Like I always say, this is important stuff! If you’d like more information, click on the Land Use Report link at www.kusp.org. Please feel free to send me your comments and suggestions, too.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
Coastal Commission Website
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/Coastal Commission LCP Review
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/recap/mco-lcp-review.htmlMore information:
Coastal Commission - Central Coast District Office
Charles Lester, Deputy Director
Diane Landry, District Manager
725 Front Street, Suite 300
Santa Cruz, CA 95060-4508
(831) 427-4863
FAX (831) 427-4877
Archives of past transcripts are available here
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CONTACT 306 Capitol Street #101 PO Box 1876 Phone (831) 759-2824 Fax (831) 759-2825 |
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