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KUSP LandWatch
News
Week of October 17, 2005 to October 21, 2005
Week of October 17, 2005 to October 21, 2005
KUSP provided a brief Land Use Report on KUSP Radio from January 2003 to May 2016. Archives of past transcripts are available here.
Week of October 17, 2005 to October 21, 2005
- Monday, October 17, 2005
The Oregon Case
- Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Watsonville’s Proposed Expansion
- Wednesday, October 19, 2005
A Carmel River Parkway Vision Plan
- Thursday, October 20, 2005
History in the Making!
- Friday, October 21, 2005
Glen Deven Ranch Outing
The following Land Use Reports have been presented on KUSP Radio by Gary A. Patton. The Wittwer & Parkin law firm is located in Santa Cruz, California, and practices environmental and governmental law. As part of its practice, the law firm files litigation and takes other action on behalf of its clients, which are typically private individuals, governmental agencies, environmental organizations, or community groups. Whenever the Land Use Report comments on an issue with which the Wittwer & Parkin law firm is involved on behalf of a client, Mr. Patton will make this relationship clear, as part of his commentary. Mr. Patton’s comments do not represent the views of Wittwer & Parkin, LLP, KUSP Radio, nor of any of its sponsors.
| Monday, October 17, 2005 – The Oregon Case |
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Frequent listeners have discovered that I have a particular “philosophy” about land use. I think that communities define themselves, and determine their future, by making community decisions about how the land within the community will be used. A contrary philosophy suggests that individuals should be able to do whatever they want with the land they own, and that the community should “butt out.” In fact, the best results, for everyone, are probably most often obtained from community decisions made after a vigorous debate between the party of the “community” and the party of “individualism.” The history of American politics has actually been defined by a debate along these lines. What happens in “real life” is the result of who is winning that debate at any one time. I have heard people say that Santa Cruz County is somewhat “different” from other places, and if it is, one reason is that there are lots of people in Santa Cruz County who strongly believe that community decision making about land use is a profoundly good idea! For those who have that philosophy, there is happy news in the form of a recent court decision upholding Oregon’s landmark planning law. The Oregon law directs local communities to do land use planning for community benefit. A recent initiative measure essentially said communities couldn’t do that. But now an Oregon court affirms they can. There is more information at www.kusp.org. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Tuesday, October 18, 2005 – Watsonville’s Proposed Expansion |
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An important decision is about to be made, and you are invited to participate. Tomorrow evening, the Santa Cruz County Local Agency Formation Commission will conduct a public hearing on the proposed Manabe-Burgstrom Reorganization of the City of Watsonville. In this context, “Reorganization” means “expansion.” The City of Watsonville wants to annex 91 acres of land currently outside the City, and currently used for agriculture, and to convert that land to various urban uses. The public hearing will begin at 7:00 p.m., and will be held in the Boardroom of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, 292 Green Valley Road, Watsonville. This is the former Watsonville Hospital campus. There is seating for approximately 120 people, and I’m officially encouraging you to be one of them! Spanish translation will be provided (traducción en español estara disponible). This proposed reorganization is a complex matter, with lots at stake. An excellent staff report has been prepared by the LAFCO Executive Officer. You can find out how to get a copy at www.kusp.org. One option suggested is for LAFCO to wait to see the results of the City’s General Plan Update, now in process, before making a commitment to turn more productive farmland into potential shopping centers and subdivisions, offices and industrial parks. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Wednesday, October 19, 2005 – A Carmel River Parkway Vision Plan |
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A plan for a Carmel River Parkway has been prepared by a Landscape Architecture design team from Cal Poly Pomona. If you’d like to find out what they’re recommending for one of this region’s most important and beautiful rivers, plan on attending one of the two public presentations now scheduled to take place at the Carmel Mission Inn, 3665 Rio Road, in Carmel. The first presentation will be held on Friday morning, October 21st (that’s this Friday) from 10:00 ‘til noon. There will be a second presentation on Saturday morning, October 22nd, also from 10:00 ‘til noon. Space is limited, so you do need to RSVP to the Big Sur Land Trust, which is hosting these two presentations. You can get the number to call, and more information, at www.kusp.org. As listeners probably know, I have recently taken a new job in Sacramento, as the Executive Director of the Planning and Conservation League, and the Planning and Conservation League Foundation. I’m proud to report that the PCL Foundation is deeply involved in watershed restoration efforts on the Carmel River. Incredibly important water supply, habitat, and recreational values are at stake, and it’s a great pleasure to be able to work with the Big Sur Land Trust, the Carmel River Watershed Conservancy, and the State Coastal Conservancy on these critical issues. If the public will get involved, I’m betting that there will be some truly spectacular outcomes. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Thursday, October 20, 2005 History in the Making! |
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Yesterday, a broad based group of Monterey County residents filed a Notice of Intention to circulate an initiative petition to update the Monterey County General Plan. It’s called the “Quality of Life, Affordable Housing, and Voter Control” initiative. For the last six years, at a cost to the taxpayers of over $6,000,000 dollars, Monterey County has been talking about “updating” its General Plan. The current General Plan, adopted in 1982, is not dealing with current growth pressures. Large new developments are overdrafting local water supplies, putting excessive traffic on local roads, undermining County financing, overstressing local school, police, and fire services, and damaging both natural resources and the County’s incredibly productive agricultural land. What’s worse, current land use policies have largely turned their back on the affordable housing crisis that is marginalizing the working families of Monterey County. In 2004 (after five years and five million dollars in expense) the Board of Supervisors refused even to consider a proposed General Plan Update unanimously recommended by their Planning Commission. In 2005, they refused to consider a “Community General Plan” prepared by eighteen local community groups. As far as the initiative proponents are concerned, time has expired for the Board of Supervisors. They think the people need to do it themselves, and next June, the voters should have a chance to do just that. |
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| Friday, October 21, 2005 – Glen Deven Ranch Outing |
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You may remember that the Big Sur Land Trust is hosting a meeting this morning to present a draft vision for a Carmel River Parkway. Another presentation is scheduled for tomorrow, so you still have an opportunity to find out about what will be an exciting opportunity to enhance the environment of the Monterey Peninsula. Click on the Land Use Report link at www.kusp.org for more information. The presentations today and tomorrow are “indoor events,” but the Big Sur Land Trust also provides what it calls “outings,” and I want to give you a listing of some of the upcoming opportunities. I, personally, spend an awful lot of time indoors, attending public hearings and meetings not unlike the Carmel River Parkway presentations I’m hoping you’ll attend. But any “environmentalist” worth his or her title, likes actually to experience that environment “outside.” The outings sponsored by the Big Sur Land Trust can take you to some of the most spectacular locations on the California Central Coast. Tomorrow, on Saturday October 22nd, there is an outing to the Glen Deven Ranch. On Sunday, October 23rd, there is an excursion to Martin Dunes. Next Saturday, October 29th, an outing will take participants to the Palo Corona Regional Park, and on Sunday, October 30th, there is another outing to Glen Deven Ranch. I’ve recently been to Glen Deven. My advice: sign up for one of these outings! For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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Archives of past transcripts are available here
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