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KUSP LandWatch
News
Week of May 7, 2007 to May 11, 2007
Week of May 7, 2007 to May 11, 2007
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 May 7, 2007 to May 11, 2007
- Monday, May 7, 2007
Population Statistics For The Central Coast
- Tuesday, May 8, 2007
What’s Up At The Board of Supervisors?
- Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Live At The Coastal Commission!
- Thursday, May 10, 2007
A Good Comparison
- Friday, May 11, 2007
Marina Traffic
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, May 7, 2007 Population Statistics For The Central Coast |
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The California Department of Finance is the state agency that tracks population. On May 1st, it released a new set of population estimates. Once the Department releases its estimates, newspapers often run stories abut growth, highlighting local impacts. Last week, a headline in the San Luis Obispo Tribune read, “Biggest Population Growth is North of Grade.” The Mercury News said, “San Jose on Fast-Growth Track.” The Monterey Herald said, “County’s Population Growing, But Slowly.” The Santa Cruz Sentinel said, “County Population Growing Slowly.” In fact, Santa Cruz County is growing slightly faster than Monterey County, with the biggest growth in Watsonville, which grew by about 2.5% last year. Keep that up, and Watsonville will double its population by 2035. The City of Greenfield, located in the agricultural lands of the Salinas Valley, makes Watsonville look “slow growth.” Greenfield is set to double its population within the next ten years. From a land use policy perspective, “speed” matters. The rate at which a community is growing will either be slow enough to allow the community to keep up with the new social, economic, and environmental demands that growth always brings. Or, its growth rate will outpace the capacity of the local community to do what it needs to do about the new growth. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Tuesday, May 8, 2007 What’s Up At The Board of Supervisors? |
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What’s up today on the Monterey County Board of Supervisors Agenda with respect to land use policy? Frankly, not much! At least, there’s not much that the public is going to be able to know about. As is often the case, it looks like many of the most important items on the agenda are being discussed in a so-called “Closed Session,” from which the public is excluded. Beginning at 9:00 o’clock in the morning, the Board will talk about lawsuits by LandWatch Monterey County, and by Helping our Peninsula’s Environment, or HOPE, both of lawsuits these relating to land use policy. The Board is excluding the public on the basis that the lawsuits need to be discussed in private, with the county’s attorney. The Board will also be meeting in a closed session to talk about the future development of Fort Ord. The development of Fort Ord is certainly a land use issue of significant importance to the future of Monterey County, but this discussion, too, is taking place outside of public view. The public is kept out of the discussion on Fort Ord on the basis that this discussion is about “real estate negotiations.” As frequent listeners know, the most important discussion about land use policy in Monterey County is underway right out in public, since Monterey County voters will have a chance to make basic land use policy decisions at an election to be held on June 5th. You can get more information is below. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Wednesday, May 9, 2007 Live At The Coastal Commission! |
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The California Coastal Commission is meeting today in San Pedro, and you can actually watch the Commission in real time, through a live video feed. Being there in person, of course, is what you really need to do, if you want to influence the Commission. It’s the difference between being an actor, on the stage of life’s affairs, and being a spectator, sitting in the box seats. It’s fun to watch, but government is not a spectator sport. Making that point is the “unhidden” agenda of this Land Use Report, and I hope some of you are taking the message to heart. Central Coast residents have benefited immensely from the 1972, voter-adopted initiative, which set aside the “coastal zone” for special and enhanced land use policy protection. Without that action, wall-to-wall condos and hotels, coupled with denial of access to the beach, was the likely future. Protection of the unique resources of the coastal zone has been the result of the voters’ action. However, perpetual vigilance is not only the price of liberty, it’s the price of environmental protection, as well. Next month, meeting in Santa Rosa, the Commission is expected to decide whether cutting down 17,000 Monterey Pine trees in Pebble Beach, to build new golf courses, is consistent with what the Coastal Act says. If you care about that decision, you might mark your calendar ahead. Watching what happens on your computer won’t affect the results. Being there often does! For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Thursday, May 10, 2007 A Good Comparison |
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The voting in Monterey County has actually begun! While Tuesday, June 5th is the officially designated “Election Day,” voters who vote by “absentee ballot” are already starting the process. The land use issues on the ballot in Monterey County pose important questions, and no one should underestimate the impact that the election will have. A “Yes” vote for Measure A (the Community General Plan Initiative) will direct new growth to the cities, and those areas already committed to urban development. It will significantly slow down further rural development. Measure A will also require a vote of the people for future changes to the General Plan. Currently, three members of the Board of Supervisors can make changes to this fundamental land use policy document. The two basic documents presented for voter decision are themselves long, and rather complex. To be an informed voter, it would be good for you to go beyond the television advertising, and to make a real comparison. The League of Women Voters has published a comparison that I find helpful, but it’s true that the League has actually taken a position in favor of Measure A. If you’d like a comparison by a source that hasn’t yet taken a position on the competing measures, you could do worse than to rely on an article published in the Monterey Herald last Sunday. The transcript for today’s Land Use Report has a reference to this very helpful article. Check it out below. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Friday, May 11, 2007 Marina Traffic |
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Discussions about traffic are an important part of what can be seen as a larger dialogue about the future growth and development of our communities. You can’t really have a comprehensive land use plan without a comprehensive plan to handle the traffic that always accompanies new development. State law recognizes this truth by requiring that every local general plan include a “Circulation Element.” Next Wednesday, I’m going to tell you about an important piece of pending state legislation that is trying to tie land use and transportation together in a way that will reduce global warming emissions. Today, however, I thought I’d highlight a discussion occurring a little closer to home. On Thursday, May 17th, the Marina Chamber of Commerce will host a discussion of “Marina Traffic Issues: Current and Future.” In view of the large-scale growth projected for Marina, it’s the “future” part of the discussion that may be most pertinent. At any rate, the presentation is scheduled from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at A Pizza Paradise, located at 251 Reservation Road in Marina. Again, that’s next Thursday. Guest speakers will include Doug Yount, Director of the Development Services Department of the City of Marina, and Christine di’Iorio, the City’s Community Development Director. The cost is $15 for non-members, and reservations are required. You can get more information by clicking on the Land Use Report link on the KUSP website. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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Archives of past transcripts are available here
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