Tomorrow, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will consider the development of the East Garrison area. They will consider two General Plan text amendments, a Specific Plan, proposed amendments to the County's Zoning Ordinance, and a "Development Agreement" that provides contractual guarantees for the developer. Also before the Board is a "Combined Development Permit," consisting of a standard subdivision to create parcels for 1,470 dwelling units, commercial uses, and public uses. In addition, the Board is being requested to approve the removal of thousands of oak trees, a General Development Plan, and a use permit to allow development on slopes over thirty percent. The Board would also have to make a water allocation for the proposed project, and act on a so?]called Disposition and Development Agreement that essentially transfers the land to the developer. The proposed project does not include any extraordinary commitment to affordable housing.

The East Garrison property is located south of Reservation Road, at the East Garrison gate at the former Fort Ord. The proposal is not typical, because the land is essentially owned by the people of Monterey County. Most of the details that the Board will consider in open session tomorrow (including the transfer of the land to a private developer) have been negotiated in secret sessions over the last three years. Tomorrow at 1:30 is probably the only chance you'll have to make your thoughts known to the Board.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

Monterey County Board of Supervisors Agenda
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/cttb/agenda100405.htm

Today at 1:30, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will be considering development of the East Garrison area. This is land owned by the County, given to it by the federal government. The proposal is to transfer ownership to a private developer, to provide the developer with various contractual guarantees, to allocate scarce water supplies to the developer, and then to allow the developer to cut down thousands of oak trees to build a new residential community on the outskirts of the former Fort Ord. No extraordinary affordable housing commitments are being made in connection with this proposed development.

The cities of Monterey County are also very development oriented. Salinas is seeking approval of a 3,000 to 4,000 acre annexation, and the City of Marina has many development projects in their development "pipeline." Most, but not all of these, are located on the former Fort Ord. The Marina City Council meets this evening at 6:30, and Item #11 is a series of reports on the following projects, all happening simultaneously: Cypress Knolls; Marina Heights; Marina Station (which is on the Armstrong Ranch); University Villages; and Downtown Vitalization.

The City of Marina has redesigned its website, and the entire agenda packet, including staff reports, should be available online. Click on the Land Use Report link at www.kusp.org for more information.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

City of Marina Website
http://www.ci.marina.ca.us/

Full Council Agenda
http://www.ci.marina.ca.us/council/2005/1004.pdf (promised to be up on October 3rd)

To become involved with the land use development issues that will so profoundly affect the future of Monterey County, contact LandWatch Monterey County by visiting their website at www.landwatch.org.

Yesterday, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors considered an important item from a land use policy point of view. To see the staff report, please click on the Land Use Report link at www.kusp.org. And while you're there, please send me any comments or suggestions you may have.

You may have noticed that I didn't tell you, yet, what this "hot topic" was that the Board of Supervisors discussed yesterday. I don't want to keep you in suspense; it was the County's "Transfer of Development Credits" program. This concept, that development can be "transferred" from one geographic area to another, is an effort to place development in the "right" areas, in terms of environmental protection and otherwise, while making it possible for landowners in "other" areas, not as suitable for development, to realize at least some "profit" on their land, similar to, if not identical, to the kind of profit they'd make by developing the land. You get the picture, development is discouraged where the County feels it's inappropriate, but landowners in that area get to "transfer" development to some other, better, place. As you might imagine, making this kind of Transfer of Development Credits program work is quite complicated. The San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission has suggested a number of changes that might make the program work more effectively. The materials I've referenced are interesting reading, and I encourage you to look them up.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

San Luis Obispo County Website
http://www.co.slo.ca.us/SLOCo_InterPortal.nsf/index.htm?OpenForm

Board of Supervisors' Agendas
http://www.co.slo.ca.us/Board_of_Supervisors_Inter.nsf/
Calendar.htm?OpenPage&charset=windows-1252

Agenda Item on TDC
http://www.co.slo.ca.us/Board_of_Supervisors_Inter.nsf/
ByDominoFilename/Agendas_100405_e-1.pdf/$FILE/e-1.pdf

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission and Service Authority For Freeway Emergencies is meeting this morning at 9:00 o'clock at the Scotts Valley City Hall. A host of important transportation issues will be discussed.

If you're interested in efforts to acquire the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line, which might open up rail and bicycle options within Santa Cruz County, you'll find that topic on the agenda. If you're more of a "highway expansion" person, you'll be interested in the report of the Transportation Funding Program Task Force. The Commission is going to be getting a report on the Highway 1/Highway 17 merge lanes project (this project intended to improve conditions at the infamous "Fishhook"), and the Commission will also get a report on the Highway 17 Safety Program. If highway litter annoys you, a report on the Commission's agenda may provide some comfort - or maybe not, depending on how you think about it. It turns out that CALTRANS has spent about $200,000 for litter control, just in the last month, within the Central Coast Region. Of course, it's nice to clean up the litter, but it's too bad that we're so uncaring about cleaning up our own messes that we're imposing such dramatic costs on fiscally?]strapped public agencies.

The decisions made by the Regional Transportation Commission are of significant importance to all of us. Many people care about these issues. Think about getting involved yourself!

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

Transportation Commission Website
http://www.sccrtc.org/

October 6, 2005 Agenda
http://www.sccrtc.org/packet/2005/0510/TCAgenda0510.htm

One group that is actively involved in transportation issues is "People Power." If you'd like to work on these issues from an "alternative transportation" perspective, check out their website
http://www.santacruzhub.org/pp/

When I urge listeners to "get involved," I do so knowing that most of us are pretty busy already. If you listen to this Land Use Report in your car, on the way to work, and you didn't, yesterday, suddenly make a detour to take in the Transportation Commission meeting, you are excused. Finding a way, consistent with other demands on our time, to get personally involved in the policy issues that will determine our community's future, is extremely difficult. The fact that it's not easy, however, doesn't let us off the hook. If we don't get involved ourselves, the decisions that shape our future will be made by others. Often, our elected representatives are particularly influenced by those who simply "show up," and show up consistently. This tends to be the interests who can "pay" for such representation. At many Monterey County Board of Supervisors' meetings, to take a poignant example, most of the audience is composed of paid attorneys, engineers, and others representing developers. The Board usually gives them what they want.

Getting associated with a group or nonprofit organization that is working on the issues you care about is one way to make a difference. You can also arrange to be informed by email about the issues you care about. Right now, the House of Representatives is about to enact a bill that would vastly increase the extinction of endangered species. It's a federal issue, but it sure affects us locally. Check out www.kusp.org for a way to become involved.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

The Planning and Conservation League will keep you informed about key state level issues affecting the environment and land use
http://www.pcl.org/pcl/pcl_home.asp

In Monterey County, LandWatch Monterey County will do the same
www.landwatch.org

To get involved in the fight to stop what amounts to a repeal of the Endangered Species Act, contact the Endangered Species Coalition
http://www.stopextinction.org/site/
c.epIQKXOBJsG/b.704799/k.CCB4/Home.htm