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KUSP LandWatch
News
Week of June 21, 2004 to June 25, 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 June 21, 2004 to June 25, 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,
June 21, 2004 – LUAC Procedures in Monterey County
Because Monterey County is such a large county, geographically,
and encompasses within its spacious geography such a wide variety
of different places, the land use permit and approval process in
Monterey County has evolved a special kind of procedural organism
to take account of such diversity. That “special organism”
is the LUAC.
LUACs have been formed in Carmel Valley, in Cachagua, in North County coastal areas, in North County inland areas, and in the Greater Salinas area, just to list a few of the geographic areas that have a specially-appointed Land Use Advisory Committee. LUAC members are appointed by the Planning Commission, and are charged with doing a “first review” of significant development projects, so that the countywide Planning Commission, when it considers a project, gets a good idea of what the locals think.
One problem, as you might guess, is money. Staffing the LUACs is not an inconsiderable task, and there has been a proposal simply to eliminate the LUACs, or to restrict their jurisdiction very severely. At 10:30 tomorrow morning, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will consider proposed revisions to the procedures governing the LUACs, but the recommendation is that the existing system pretty much remain in place. For the citizens who serve on the LUACs, and speak for their local communities, it’s a real victory for citizen participation.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
Board of Supervisors Agenda
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/cttb/agenda.htmInformation on the LUACs
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/planning/cca/luac/luac_agenda.htm
Tuesday,
June 22, 2004 – TAMC And A New Funding Proposal
Money makes all the difference, doesn’t it? Great ideas don’t
mean much if there isn’t the money available to carry them
out. That’s true with respect to every aspect of our lives,
and it’s certainly true in the area of transportation planning.
In both Santa Cruz County and Monterey County, transportation policy discussions are really taking place in the context of a debate on whether or not, or how, to get more money from local taxpayers.
Santa Cruz County officials, acting through the Regional Transportation Commission, are debating a possible half-cent sales tax measure, which would need to be approved by two-thirds of the county voters. Whether to put a such ballot measure on the November ballot, and exactly how to structure that ballot measure, are the topics under discussion.
The same questions are being addressed in Monterey County. Tomorrow, at the meeting of the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, or TAMC, a new twist will be discussed. TAMC meets at 9:00 a.m. at the Salinas Community Center, and will be considering a new approach. Instead of proposing a “transportation only” measure, maybe it makes sense to ask the voters for approval of a “multi purpose” funding measure, that would provide some money for highway and other transportation projects, but that would also generate money for Natividad Hospital, and for other local governmental purposes. You can get more information at the KUSP website, www.kusp.org.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
TAMC Website
http://www.tamcmonterey.org/June 23, 2004 TAMC Agenda
http://www.tamcmonterey.org/tamc/
2004/junagenda/agenda.pdf
Wednesday,
June 23, 2004 – Castroville Citizens Advisory Committee
The little town of Castroville has been identified as a good place
to locate at least some future development. In general, good planning
principles say that new development should be directed to existing
cities (which Castroville is not) and to other areas that have already
been committed to urban development, and where the infrastructure
necessary for new development can be economically and conveniently
provided. This is how Castroville gets on the list for possible
future development.
Monterey County has officially identified Castroville as an area for future development largely by designating the town as a “redevelopment area.” That means that special financing mechanisms can be used to upgrade the community, and to provide transportation and other amenities that would facilitate and accommodate new development.
The key to the kind of development that makes the most sense, economically, socially, and environmentally, is to “focus new growth.” If growth is permitted to proliferate throughout rural areas, not only are the environmental impacts of that new growth maximized, but service costs are maximized, too. Directing new growth into areas already committed to an urban level of development, areas like Castroville, is good for everyone, and particularly the taxpayers. If you’re interested, the Castroville Citizens Advisory Committee meets this evening at 6:00 p.m., at the Gambetta Middle School. Get more information at www.kusp.org.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
Castroville Redevelopment
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/housing/
Redevelopment/CastrovilleRedevelope.aspThe next Castroville CAC Meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m., June 23, 2004, at the Gambetta Middle School Multi-Purpose Room. The school is located at 10301 Seymour Street, Castroville.
Thursday,
June 24, 2004 – Big Sur Coast Highway Management Plan
The Fourth of July is coming up soon. That means, among other things,
that newspapers and magazines will probably publish copies of one
of the most famous “signature pages” ever produced. There
is something strangely moving about the Declaration of Independence,
at least for me, and I think it has a lot to do with the signatures
at the bottom of the sheet. They reflect, in all the differences
of their personal styles and orthography, a unanimity and agreement
of purpose that was achieved against the odds, and that has brought
great blessings to our nation.
If you’ll click on the Land Use Report link at www.kusp.org, and track down the transcript for today’s Report, you’ll be directed to another “signature page,” that also reflects a unanimity and agreement of purpose (perhaps achieved against some pretty stiff odds) that will have benefit for all of us.
I am referring to the signature page that establishes official approval of the Coast Highway Management Plan for the Big Sur portion of Highway One. On this page you’ll see the signatures of Congress Member Sam Farr, who should get a lot of credit for the achievement, along with the signatures of Supervisor Dave Potter, State Senator Bruce McPherson, Assembly Member John Laird, and a number of others. The Coast Highway Management Plan consists of guidelines for aesthetics, landslide management, storm damage response, and vegetation management, and will help keep Big Sur the spectacular place it is.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
Coast Highway Management Plan Website
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/projects/bigsur/Final CHMP
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/projects/bigsur/news.htmCHMP “Signature Page”
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/projects/
bigsur/pdfs/CHMPsignatures.PDFDeclaration of Independence Reproduction
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/projects/
bigsur/pdfs/CHMPsignatures.PDF
Friday,
June 25, 2004 – Annual Celebration at Elkhorn Slough
Tomorrow, the Elkhorn Slough Foundation will be holding a celebration,
to highlight the work that the Foundation is doing, and as a way
to provide its members and friends with a chance to experience the
incredible natural beauty of Elkhorn Slough. This year’s celebration
is scheduled for Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. If you would
like to attend, please call the Foundation to see if there is still
room to accommodate you. You can get information on the KUSP website,
at www.kusp.org.
The Elkhorn Slough Foundation is a local, nonprofit organization that is dedicated exclusively to protecting the natural integrity of Elkhorn Slough. The Foundation, which is a membership based group, works closely with the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, which is actually an agency of the federal government. The Foundation and the Research Reserve have offices and other facilities at 1700 Elkhorn Road. If you haven’t visited, think about making a visit. Anytime, not just tomorrow, would be fine.
And in terms of land use policy, you should know that one of the greatest threats to the Slough is the continued subdivision and development of its watershed. One of the big issues in the Monterey County General Plan Update has been whether to permit the further subdivision of the North Monterey County area, or whether to discourage such future subdivision. The future of Elkhorn Slough depends on the decision.
For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
More Information:
If you’d like to attend the celebration, please call the Elkhorn Slough Foundation at 831-728-5939
Elkhorn Slough Foundation Website
http://www.elkhornslough.org/esf.htmEstuarine Research Reserve Website
http://www.elkhornslough.org/esnerr.htmHow to get there
http://www.elkhornslough.org/map.htm
Archives of past transcripts are available here
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