Theoretically, the public hearing is when the public gets its input, and elected officials listen to that public testimony, and then act accordingly. This rarely happens in practice, mostly because the applicant and the staff have generally “worked out” lots of issues prior to the public hearing. The Council or Board knows that, and is reluctant to impose what will be called “last minute changes.” The Coast Hotel project within the City of Santa Cruz is a good example. Before the public hearing stage, City officials, including Council Members, had extensive discussions with the developer. Opposition to the project appeared at the public hearings, and seemed to be “too late.” Clearly, standard practice cuts out the ability of the public to influence key decisions. It’s also a real “political trap” for unwary officials.

The moral of the story is that interested citizens and residents should get organized and involved prior to the official public hearings. Click on the Land Use Report link at www.kusp.org, to find out how to get involved in a couple of important projects in Monterey County.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

The University Villages Project in the City of Marina is going to have major impacts on the City. Public hearings are not yet scheduled, but preliminary design work is definitely underway. If you’d like to get involved, plan on attending the design workshop to be held on Monday, March 21st, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the CSUMB University Center Conference Room, 6th Avenue, Building 29, on the CSUMB Main Campus. For more information, contact Zeke Bean at 831-582-0882.

The proposed September Ranch Subdivision in Carmel Valley will have big impacts, if ultimately approved by the Board of Supervisors. The Carmel Valley Land Use Advisory Committee (LUAC) will consider this proposed project at a meeting scheduled for Monday, March 21st. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at Saint Dunston’s Episcopal Church (Main Building) at 28005 Robinson Canyon Road, in Carmel Valley. Information on the September Ranch project is online at:
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/pbi/major/
september/sept_main.htm

Elkhorn Slough is a local treasure of national, or even global, significance. Particularly in terms of the abundant bird life it supports, the Slough is one of the richest and most significant ecological areas on the Central Coast.

New development within the watershed of Elkhorn Slough could have a devastating effect on its biological productivity. One of the key issues in the Monterey County General Plan Update process (a process still in process after almost six years) is whether or not the new land use policies of the General Plan will protect this incredible natural asset.

If you’d like to find out more about Elkhorn Slough, let me alert you to a meeting to be held tomorrow evening, Wednesday, March 23rd, at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Conference Room, located at 1700 Elkhorn Road. The Reserve is under the ultimate jurisdiction of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (or NOAA), and its mission is to ensure the perpetual health of the ecosystems in Elkhorn Slough, and in the surrounding watershed, through preservation, restoration, research, information exchange, and education.

The meeting tomorrow is part of a standard program review by NOAA, so come tell the federal government how you think they’re doing! For more information, consult the KUSP website, at www.kusp.org.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

To find out more, please contact Becky Christensen or Michelle Gutierrez at 831-728-2822. The Elkhorn Slough Estuarine Research Reserve also has a website
http://www.elkhornslough.org/esnerr.htm

The letters T, A, M, C add up to “TAMC,” the much appreciated acronym for the “Transportation Agency For Monterey County, and Service Authority For Freeways and Expressways.” Thankfully, we can just say “TAMC” for short. TAMC is meeting today, starting at 9:00 o’clock.

One of the interesting items on today’s TAMC agenda is a “fee reallocation study” carried out on behalf of FORA, the Fort Ord Reuse Authority. The lands of the former Fort Ord are going to be seeing a lot of development, and the ultimate authority on what happens there is vested in FORA, a state-created regional agency. To FORA’s credit, they’ve done something that other local jurisdictions have not done. They’ve told developers that the developers have to pay for the impact of their development on the regional transportation system. What a concept! New development has to pay to reduce the traffic impacts it causes. This actually isn’t a very radical idea. However, as common sense as this concept is, the County of Monterey hasn’t done this, nor have the cities in Monterey County. If you think developers should have to pay an impact fee to reduce the impact of their developments on the regional transportation system, contact your elected officials.

For more information, see the KUSP website, at www.kusp.org.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

TAMC Website
http://www.tamcmonterey.org/

Agenda for March 21st Meeting
http://www.tamcmonterey.org/tamc/meetings/
2005/mar/agenda/agenda.pdf

TAMC Discussion of Regional Impact Fees
http://www.tamcmonterey.org/prog_devimpfee/index.html

On Friday, March 18th, I took part in an extremely interesting event held at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas. This was an early morning meeting of business people from throughout Monterey County. They came to hear an economist and a set of panelists (including yours truly) discuss the future growth and development of Monterey County. Key issues were the effects of growth on the local economy, and with particular emphasis on the housing market.

A spirited exchange took place. You’ll have to understand that the panel consisted, besides me, of a representative of KB Homes, one of the biggest homebuilders in the nation, plus two representatives of the so-called “Refinement Group.” This is the developer-oriented group in Monterey County that wants the Monterey County General Plan modified to provide more “flexibility” for developers. One of their bright ideas is that the Monterey County Planning Commission should be redesigned, so that a majority of the Planning Commission is directly appointed from persons selected by the business and development community. Forget about all this “public interest” stuff!

At any rate, you can image the debate. What you perhaps can’t imagine is who sponsored this impressive forum. The forum was sponsored by the Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal, which has now declared that Monterey County is within their “market area.” If you’ve been paying attention, this actually isn’t news to you.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

Silicon Valley Business Journal
http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/

To see the Business Journal coverage of Monterey County, type “Monterey County” into the “Search” box. You’ll have to register to see the articles, but there is no cost to you.

Bruce Bratton is a local figure, well known in Santa Cruz County, who used to run a weekly column in a series of local newspapers. Now, Bruce is posting his weekly column online. The column is fun to read, and is usually controversial, with lots of political and social gossip, and film reviews. If you’d like to find out how to subscribe, click on the Land Use Report link at www.kusp.org. Don’t hesitate to send me an email, too, to give me your comments and suggestions.

I mention Bruce because I always associate him with film reviews, and I’m going to mention a film opportunity myself. The Stanford Institute for the Environment and the Sea Studios Foundation (based in Monterey) are sponsoring a preview of a four film series commissioned by National Geographic, and hosted by actor Edward Norton. The series is called “Strange Days on Planet Earth,” and highlights some of the key environmental crises that are afflicting the planet. The fourth film in the series is scheduled to be shown on March 29th, next Tuesday, at the Clark Center at Stanford University. It’s titled, “Troubled Waters,” and focuses on the water supply and water quality challenges we face globally. You can wait for the series to get to PBS, which it will, or you might consider a trip to Stanford next week, for what I know will be a thought-provoking experience.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

Bruce Bratton Online
http://www.brattononline.com/

Stanford Institute for the Environment
http://environment.stanford.edu/

Sea Studios Foundation
http://www.seastudios.com/

Information on the Stanford film series
http://environment.stanford.edu/events/FilmSeries.pdf

PBS Website for “Strange Days on Planet Earth”
http://www.pbs.org/strangedays/

Map of Stanford University
http://campus-map.stanford.edu/campus_map/index.jsp