LandWatch State of Monterey County Report 1999

State of Monterey County 1999

Land Use, Environment, and Infrastructure:
Status and Recommendations

The State of Monterey County 1999 is our second annual comprehensive review of land use, infrastructure, and the environment. This report not only provides the most extensive and current information on land use trends, but also provides clear direction for fundamental land use policy reform.

The State of Monterey County 1999 demonstrates that even if no new projects were approved, already approved and unconstructed projects in Monterey County will add 8,167 dwelling units, 4.7 million square feet of commercial and industrial space, and 701 hotel and motel rooms. Pending projects, if approved, would nearly double these numbers. The State of Monterey County 1999 concludes that traffic, water supply and school impacts from approved and pending development projects will degrade Monterey County's quality of life, lead to significant losses of agricultural land, and threaten its long-term economic vitality.

This is not the future we want--and the negative impacts outlined in our latest report are not inevitable.

LandWatch is working for a better future. Please join LandWatch as we ask that governments throughout Monterey County adopt the LandWatch Five-Point Program of fundamental land use reform. This Five-Point Program is detailed in the recommendation section of the report. In upcoming months, LandWatch will present the State of Monterey County 1999 to government leaders throughout the county, including the Monterey County Board of Supervisors and local city councils. We are urging all local government agencies to direct their staff to respond to the LandWatch Five-Point Program, and to discuss and adopt the policy changes needed to reform local land use practices. We need your help!

Please contact your supervisor and your local city council members and urge them to support the LandWatch Five-Point Program. These policies, if enacted by local governments throughout the county, will help preserve our community's economic vitality, high agricultural productivity, and environmental health.

Thank you for your assistance. Please don't hesitate to let us know your thoughts.

Gary A. Patton, Executive Director