I like to urge KUSP listeners to get personally involved in local land use decision making, and to that end, I advertise various meetings and events, and encourage you all to attend. I realize, however, that I often don’t give you very much “lead time.” Today, I can do better. The date of the next Big Sur Multi-Agency Advisory Council meeting has been set for Friday, September 9th. There’s plenty of time for you to put that date on your calendar! The meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m. in the Conference Room at the Pfeiffer State Park in Big Sur.

Big Sur is recognized around the world for its spectacular natural environment.  Based on what I’ve seen at the meetings of the Big Sur Multi-Agency Advisory Council, Big Sur should also be recognized as a place where true citizen participation is just as spectacularly evident. The meetings always take place in a true “town hall” atmosphere. Participating are the local County Supervisor, Dave Potter, the Member of Congress representing Big Sur, Sam Farr, the State Senate and Assembly Representatives representing Big Sur, and a host of Agency officials, including people from CALTRANS, the U.S. Forest Service, the State Parks and Recreation Department, the State Coastal Commission, and the State Department of Fish and Game. This is not to mention the local Big Sur residents and business people, who are always actively engaged. See for yourself on September 9th.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

For more information on the meeting, contact Kathleen Lee, Administrative Assistant to County Supervisor David Potter. Kathleen can be reached at .

The California Coastal Commission is California’s coordinator for “Coastweeks,” a national celebration of our coastal and water resources. “Coastweeks” takes place from September 17th through October 9th, and the Coastal Commission has now created an “online calendar” of coastal and water related events. If you’d like to see what’s coming up, you can find out by going to the KUSP website, clicking on the Land Use Report link there, and then tracking down the transcript to today’s Land Use Report.

On the “Coastweeks” calendar, you’ll find all sorts of activities for persons of all ages, including community festivals, native plant restorations, guided nature walks, kayaking trips, sand castle contests, and more. The 21st Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day kicks off “Coastweeks” on September 17th, and will be held from 9:00 to noon at a beach near you! Again, find out the specifics at the KUSP website.

We who live on the California Central Coast are privileged to be able to be here. This is a particularly beautiful part of the world. In the long run, our local land use decisions will help either to preserve and protect this spectacular coastal environment, or will slowly degrade and destroy it. Getting directly involved in the policy issues is what I usually emphasize. But today, I’m reminding us all that direct action, on the beaches, is another way to help protect the coast. Check out “Coastweeks.”

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

The Coastweeks Online Calendar
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/coastweeks/coastweeks.html

The California Coastal Commission Website
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/index.html

21st Annual Coastal Clean Up Day, Saturday, September 17th
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/ccd.html

Planning and land use concepts are quite simple to understand. For instance, directing new growth to existing urban areas, to the greatest degree possible, is one of the principles of good planning. Here’s how Measure J, the Santa Cruz County growth management measure, expresses it (and this is a quotation):

“It shall be the policy of Santa Cruz County to preserve a distinction between areas in the County which are “urban” and areas which are “rural.” Divisions of land in rural areas shall be discouraged, and new residential developments shall be encouraged to locate in urban areas.”

When development is guided according to this principle, the following things automatically happen:

• Lands with high natural resource value (usually outside urban areas) are preserved.
• Productive agricultural land is preserved.
• Taxpayer costs for new infrastructure are lower.
• Commuting distances between residential developments and job centers are minimized.

The result, in other words, of focusing and directing new growth into areas already used for urban level development has clear economic and environmental benefits. Economically, it’s cheaper to develop where there is already infrastructure in place. Environmentally, focused growth reduces energy use, air pollution, and traffic congestion, as compared to alternative forms of development.

This key land use planning concept is easy to understand. It’s sometimes a lot harder to get our elected officials actually to follow the rules.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

Text of Measure J: (Title 17, Santa Cruz County Code)
http://ordlink.com/codes/santacruzco/index.htm

In 2002, LandWatch Monterey County published a study they called Room Enough, because their research indicated that there was ample room within areas already dedicated to urban use to handle expected population increases.

Recently, LandWatch planners have been doing more research on the expected future growth of Monterey County. Specifically, they have been examining what are often called “pipeline” projects. These are projects that are either approved (but unconstructed) or are pending in the permit process.

As I pointed out yesterday, focusing new growth into existing urban areas, to the greatest degree possible, makes obvious good sense. The issue, in that case, is all about “location.” But location isn’t the only important factor in land use planning.  The “amount” of growth permitted is also important, and if a lot of new development has already been approved (but has not yet been constructed), or if there is a lot of growth “pending” in the permit process (most of which will be approved), then allowing massive “new” growth, beyond those pending and approved projects, may actually be counterproductive. To give you a preliminary glimpse at the data, it appears that enough development has already been approved in Monterey County for about 21,000 new persons, and that pending developments would house over 71,000 more. Maybe LandWatch will have to put out a “Growth Enough” report, to follow up on its earlier study.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

The “Room Enough” Report
http://www.landwatch.org/pages/publications02/
roomenough/091602roomcover.html

I like the following quote, from Wallace Stegner, talking about a pristine and beautiful piece of land:

“What is such a resource worth? Anything it costs. If we never hike it or step into its shade, if we only drive by occasionally and see the textures of green mountainside change under wind and sun, or the fog move soft feathers down the gulches, or the last sunset on the continent redden the sky beyond the ridge, we have our money's worth. We have been too efficient at destruction; we have left our souls too little space to breathe in. Every green natural place we save saves a fragment of our sanity and gives us a little more hope that we have a future.”

When I think about this, I can envision the Santa Cruz County North Coast, or the open lands along Highway One in Big Sur. Our greatness as human beings is often expressed by what we build, by what we do ourselves. But let’s stop for a minute. I think Stegner is on to something. Our human greatness can be defined by what we leave alone, as well as by what we do ourselves. Another Creator, greater than we, has made this Earth beautiful. Buying the lands that reflect the beauty of this Earth, to set them aside, never to be touched, is perhaps an even wiser investment than buying such property for what we, rather pretentiously, call “development.”

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

The Stegner Center, University of Utah
http://www.law.utah.edu/stegner/