Tomorrow being a Tuesday, the day most usually set for meetings of Boards of Supervisors, it’s a good time for Central Coast residents who care about land use issues to check out what is scheduled for consideration tomorrow. I’ve put links to the San Luis Obispo County, Monterey County, and Santa Cruz County Supervisors’ agendas below.

In Santa Cruz County, the Board is scheduled to consider Coastal Commission recommended changes to the County’s Neighborhood Compatibility Guidelines. If you live in Live Oak this may be an item of particular interest. It’s Agenda Item #41. If you decide to participate in the discussion of that item, and arrive at the Board meeting at 9:00 o’clock in the morning, which is probably what you should do, if you do want to participate, then you’ll be able to see the Board honor outgoing Sheriff-Corner Steve Robbins and appoint Sean Saldavia as the County’s new Assessor-Recorder. Congratulations to both of them!

In Monterey County, the Board of Supervisors will consider future planning options for downtown Salinas. What the Board will NOT consider is the proposed subdivision on River Road, which has been custom-framed to facilitate new residential development in an area that has heretofore been set aside for agriculture. The so-called Mohsin-Samoske subdivision will apparently be continued to May 19th.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

San Luis Obispo County Board Agenda
http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/bos/BOSagenda.htm

Monterey County Board of Supervisors Agenda
http://publicagendas.co.monterey.ca.us/

Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Agenda
http://sccounty01.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/bds/Govstream/ASP/
Display/SCCB_AgendaDisplayWeb.asp?MeetingDate=5/5/2009

Personal participation is the key to democratic self-government. If we think that we can achieve the kind of governmental decisions that reflect our deepest aspirations by electing people to hire people to run our lives for us, we’re likely to be disappointed. Because public participation in government is so important (and certainly that’s true in the arena of land use and planning), I like to highlight opportunities for your personal engagement. I also like to compliment public officials who go out of their way to make it easier for over-extended and hardworking residents to find out more about what their local governments are really doing.

You may remember that last week I highlighted various constituent meetings sponsored by Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Leopold, who represents Live Oak, Soquel, and the Summit Area. Today, I’d like to compliment Monterey County Supervisor Lou Calcagno, who is also going out of his way to take local government to the people. Supervisor Calcagno has scheduled a whole list of outreach meetings over the next several months, and says that the purpose of the meetings is “to bring constituents of District 2 up to speed on issues confronting County government, and to give constituents a chance to voice their concerns.” I’ve placed the schedule of these meetings below. The next meeting is tomorrow night at the Prunedale Grange, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

Supervisor Calcagno’s Outreach meetings are scheduled as follows: May 6th, Prunedale Grange, 6-8 p.m.; May 26th, Pajaro Middle School, 6-8 p.m.; June 3rd, Moss Landing Chamber of Commerce, 6-8 p.m.; June 11th, Full Gospel Church in Las Lomas, 6-8 p.m.; June 24th, Aromas Grange, 6-8 p.m.; July 1st, Gavilan Middle School, 6-8 p.m.

Contact Henry Gowin for more information – GowinHM@co.monterey.ca.us

Santa Cruz county Redevelopment Agency Website
http://www.buildastrongersoquelandliveoak.com/

Workshops are currently scheduled for May 21st (Live Oak Senior Center); May 27th (Congregational Church of Soquel), May 28th (Live Oak Senior Center), May 30th (Live Oak Elementary School Gym), and June 4th (Live Oak Senior Center).

Supervisor Leopold is also holding Constituent Meetings on May 6th, May 13th, May 20th, May 27th, and June 3rd.

Contact Supervisor Leopold for more information at: john.leopold@co.santa-cruz.ca.us

The Santa Cruz County Local Agency Formation Commission (or LAFCO) is meeting this morning, starting at 9:30. I’ve put a link to the LAFCO agenda packet below.

One of the items in the agenda packet is a copy of a letter written by the LAFCO Executive Officer to the Santa Cruz County Planning Department, commenting on the Draft Environmental Impact Report prepared by the County for a proposed Specific Plan for the Atkinson Lane Area. The area in question is adjacent to the City of Watsonville, and is currently used mainly for agriculture.

If the Specific Plan were adopted and implemented, the result would be to turn a largely agricultural area into a fairly dense residential area. Naturally, there are lots of planning issues involved, and while most of the possible problems with the proposed development would occur if and when the City of Watsonville implements the proposed Specific Plan, it is the County, not the City, that is taking charge of the planning process and the environmental review necessary to permit the City’s development plan.

As one person put it to me, the County is “fronting” for the City’s planning. This may cause the County some difficulties, since there really are some problematic features in what’s being proposed. The Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau has filed a long letter of objections, and some of the very same concerns are echoed in the LAFCO letter.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

Santa Cruz County LAFCO
http://www.santacruzlafco.org/

May 6, 2009 LAFCO Agenda
http://santacruzlafco.org/pages/agendas.html#2009

The Santa Cruz City Planning Commission is meeting this evening, starting at 7:00 o’clock. The Commission will be asked to certify that the proposed 2010-2012 Capital Improvement Program is consistent with the City’s General Plan. This item highlights the powerful impact that a community General Plan can have on real life decisions. In order for the City to spend money on capital improvement projects, which can include anything from street widenings, to bike paths, to skateboard parks, to sewer lines, to new city buildings, it is legally required that the City determine that the proposed project is “consistent” with the City’s General Plan. If the adopted General Plan for your community is designed correctly, it can actually guide and constrain how government officials spend your money! Here’s the lesson: take it very seriously when your community starts a General Plan update process. The General Plan is a community’s “Constitution for land use.”

Tonight, the Planning Commission is also going to consider the Housing Element of the General Plan. If you are a property owner or resident, the policies to guide how and where and at what density housing is developed will affect you and your future. Tonight, you have an opportunity both to learn and to participate. The meeting will be in the City Council Chambers at the Santa Cruz City Hall, and you are most cordially invited to be there!

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

City of Santa Cruz Website
http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/

According to an article in the Monterey Herald, the Monterey County Planning Commission debated last week whether or not the Commission should form what I’d call a “secret subcommittee” to review a number of "hot-button" growth issues. Commissioner Jay Brown proposed the “subcommittee” idea. Had the Commission adopted that idea, a subcommittee of the full Commission would have met in closed sessions to look at a series of issues that Planning Commissioners have identified as important during their preliminary review of the latest General Plan Update documents, and the Draft Environmental Impact Report on GPU5.

Chairman Keith Vandevere, and several members of the public, argued that the Planning Commission should keep its review process in an open session status, to maximize public involvement and participation. The “secret subcommittee” idea was voted down by a 5-2 vote, with three Commissioners absent. Thus, instead of starting subcommittee proceedings behind closed doors, the full Commission will soon begin conducting a series of open public hearings about the issues. Most concerns, at this stage, appear to focus on biological impact mitigations, species and habitat conservation plans, and measures designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Since the Commission has decided that the public is going to be “included in” to the next stage of deliberations, I hope that members of the public will actually take advantage of the opportunity provided!

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

Monterey Herald Article on GPU5
http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_12261538

Monterey County GPU5 Website
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/planning/gpu/
GPU_2007/gpu_2007.htm