Most city councils don’t want to limit the ability of their cities to expand onto adjoining farmlands and open spaces. Good planning does require such limits, but elected city officials usually want to preserve their own options, and absent some kind of a mandatory limit, one of those options is always more growth on the lands just beyond whatever the current city limit might be.

Sometimes, the residents of a city take things into their own hands, as in the City of Marina, and the people vote to impose an Urban Growth Boundary on the city, using the initiative process. While this technique has been used frequently in the San Francisco Bay Area, Marina is the only local example.

There is another way to impose an appropriate limit on city sprawl, a way that doesn’t require a voter initiative. In fact, state law requires each Local Agency Formation Commission to establish what is called a “Sphere of Influence” for each of the cities in the county. This should be, and could be, something as strong as an Urban Growth Boundary, but often isn’t.

The Monterey County Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO, will be meeting today at 3:00 p.m. at the Salinas County Courthouse. This is the issue they’ll be discussing. You can make your views known by attending the meeting, and you can get more information by clicking on the Land Use Report link at www.kusp.org.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

CALAFCO Website
http://www.calafco.org/

Santa Cruz County LAFCO
http://www.santacruzlafco.org/

Monterey County LAFCO
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/lafco/

Agenda for September 27, 2004 Monterey County LAFCO Meeting
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/lafco/agenda.htm

Santa Cruz County has a unique system to manage its future growth. The system was established by the voters in 1978, when they adopted Measure J, a referendum measure placed on the ballot by the Board of Supervisors. One of the most important features of Measure J is the fact that it was approved directly by the voters. Under state law, once a measure is adopted by the voters, it can’t be changed without voter approval. This puts the voters in the driver’s seat, rather than their elected officials. Without this kind of safeguard, changing politics at the elected level would quite likely have resulted in major changes to the strong standards established by Measure J.

Among other things, Measure J prevents the conversion of economically productive agricultural land to other uses, and it prevents the County from allowing major new subdivisions in rural areas. It also imposes a mandatory requirement for affordable housing. These rules have helped limit the kind of sprawl that other areas have experienced.

Another feature of Measure J is its requirement that the Board of Supervisors vote, each year, on the amount of growth that the community wants to accommodate in the year to come. Growth is made subject to a community decision, so the community is in charge of growth, not vice versa. That’s happening today, when the Board meets at 9:00 o’clock at the Santa Cruz County Governmental Center.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

Santa Cruz County Website
http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/

Board of Supervisors Agenda
http://sccounty01.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/bds/Govstream/ASP/Display/
SCCB_AgendaDisplayWeb.asp?MeetingDate=9/28/2004

I’m always trying to make the point that self-government won’t work unless we get involved ourselves. It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to vote for elected officials to represent us, but if that’s all we do, we’re likely to be disappointed with the kind of governmental decisions that result. The democratic system works best when voters and members of the public not only participate vigorously in the electoral process, but then follow that up with continued involvement in the governmental process in between elections. Without continued participation by the public, elected officials all too often drift away from what the people really want (and maybe even what the officials promised when they ran for election). As a practical matter, real self-government means we have to go to lots of meetings. Here are just a few meetings taking place today:

• At 8:00 a.m., and continuing all day, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District will hold a Strategic Planning Workshop.
• At 9:00 a.m., the Monterey County Planning Commission will discuss code enforcement.
• At 1:30, the Commission will consider more development at Rancho San Carlos, the luxury development above Carmel Valley.
• At 4:00 p.m., the Monterey City Council will hold a study session on economic development; and
• At 6:30, Monterey County Supervisor Lou Calcagno will hold a Town Meeting in Aromas to talk about water and development issues in North County.

Lots of good reasons to get involved!

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

Monterey Peninsula Water Management District Agenda
http://www.mpwmd.dst.ca.us/asd/board/boardpacket/
2004/20040929/draft0929rev.htm

Monterey County Planning Commission Agenda
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/pbi/cca/pc/2004/09-29-04/pc09-29-04a.htm

Monterey City Council Agenda
http://www.monterey.org/ccncl/agendas/2004/a040929ss.pdf

The Aromas Town Hall Meeting will take place at the Aromas Grange, corner of Rose and Bardue, near Carpenteria Road, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Contact Supervisor Calcagno’s office for more information - (831) 755-5063.

A project that would implement the single biggest development ever proposed in Monterey County, the so-called “Rancho San Juan” development, is slated for possible approval today at 2:00 p.m., before the Monterey County Subdivision Committee. You can get more information at www.kusp.org.

The Subdivision Committee is being asked by County staff to approve a luxury home and golf course development that the landowners are calling “Butterfly Village.” The “Butterfly Village” development is supposed to be only a part of a larger development scheme, known as Rancho San Juan. This overall scheme has not yet been approved by Monterey County. In fact, environmental review has not even been completed. Since the overall concept for Rancho San Juan has not yet been approved, how could the County staff be recommending approval for an implementing project that would carry out the overall plan? Come to the meeting this afternoon and you can ask that question. You can also ask, “what about water?” You can also ask, “What about the mammoth traffic impacts on Highway 101 and other County roadways?” You can ask why this project is even being considered, since CALTRANS called the traffic analysis in the EIR “inadequate?”

The City of Salinas has been officially opposing the Rancho San Juan development. So has a group of community activists. You can get information on how to become involved at the KUSP website.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

Subdivision Committee Agenda
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/pbi/cca/sub/09-30-04/sub09-30-04a.htm

To contact the Rancho San Juan Opposition Coalition, call David Smith at 831-422-9390, Ext. 11

To contact the County staff responsible for Rancho San Juan, call Alana Knaster, (831) 755-5025

Monterey County is “ground zero” for a number of development proposals. Here is just a partial list:

• In North Monterey County, where there is a severe groundwater overdraft, and where traffic problems are bad and getting worse, a number of large subdivisions have either been approved or will shortly be considered by the Board of Supervisors.
• Just north of the City of Salinas, the County is expediting the so-called “Rancho San Juan” development, the single biggest development proposal in Monterey County’s history.
• The City of Salinas is seeking LAFCO approval for a series of developments that would add 3,000 acres to the City.
• The Cities of Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield, and King City are all urging major expansions of their cities onto adjacent agricultural lands. About 10,000 acres of prime farmland would be converted to subdivisions and other such developments.
• The County is expediting a major development in a remote area of the former Fort Ord, called “East Garrison.”
• The City of Marina is processing three major residential developments, with several thousands of units, all on a simultaneous basis.
• A number of larger developments are being considered for Carmel Valley.
• New developments are being approved along the scenic River Road Corridor; and
• Major developments are being processed along Highway 68.

It’s not a bad time to get involved in these land use issues. Failure to do so may be hazardous to your health—and to the future of Monterey County!

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

The LandWatch website is often able to document the key development proposals being considered in Monterey County. Check www.landwatch.org.