The KUSP Land Use Report #39: A Range of Views On The Monterey County General Plan

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Gary Patton, Executive Director of LandWatch Monterey County, presents the following Land Use Report. The opinions expressed by Mr. Patton are not necessarily those of KUSP Radio, nor of any of our sponsors.

Last Wednesday, the Monterey County Planning Commission took testimony on the Draft Monterey County General Plan Update. The hearing began at nine in the morning. By five o’clock, when they called it a day, the Planning Commission had heard about 84 separate presentations, and people were still waiting in line.

Don’t worry if you missed that meeting. You can testify on Monday, April 22nd, at a continued hearing called for 6:00 o’clock in the evening at the Monterey County Courthouse. Or, you can come to one of the five other scheduled hearings that will be held between now and May 29th.

It’s fair to say that the Draft General Plan Update got a very mixed reception. A number of citizens and citizen groups did state their support, but the bulk of the testimony was negative. Attorneys representing landowners said the Plan was inflexible. The Farm Bureau submitted a proposed rewrite of the most important provisions. Representatives of the Hospitality Association thought the new Plan would make housing even more unaffordable than it already is, and one law firm submitted a 45-page report, detailing what they claim are more than 100 legal deficiencies.

The great thing about democracy is that after all the debate, and after the discussion, our elected representatives will make a decision, sort through the claims and complaints, and adopt a document to guide the future growth and development of Monterey County. Don’t miss your chance. Weigh in at one of the upcoming public hearings!

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

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