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KUSP LandWatch
News
Week of September 27, 2010 to October 1, 2010
Week of September 27, 2010 to October 1, 2010
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 September 27, 2010 to October 1, 2010
- Monday, September 27, 2010
The End Is Near For The Land Use Report
- Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Two Boards Meeting
- Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Will New Interchange Go Commercial?
- Thursday, September 30, 2010
Better Look Into The “LCP”
- Friday, October 1, 2010
Voter Forum On Water
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, September 27, 2010 The End Is Near For The Land Use Report |
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I am sorry to report that the management of KUSP has decided to terminate the Land Use Report. It will be off the air, effective December 1st of this year. I am assured that some sort of programming relating to land use will replace the current Land Use Report, but I’m not sure exactly what that will be. It won’t be every day, and it won’t be aired during your morning “drive time,” as an insert into NPR’s Morning Edition, and I will not be producing it. I have been doing the Land Use Report for almost 9½ years, and I am sorry to see it go. I have enjoyed the experience, personally, and I hope that you have, too. I appreciate the past willingness of KUSP to give a high profile to a topic that I think is of critical importance to the future of the Central Coast Region. Between now and November 26th, I think the Land Use Report will continue in its current format, so let me reiterate my periodic request that you send me comments, complaints, suggestions, and questions, so that I can make the final two months of the Land Use Report as responsive to listeners as possible. As for tomorrow, can I suggest a nice meeting to attend? The Board of Supervisors of Monterey County might well take final action on the long-awaited General Plan Update. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is talking about marijuana dispensaries and county growth. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Tuesday, September 28, 2010 Two Boards Meeting |
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As reported yesterday, important land use policy items are being discussed today, before both the Monterey County and Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. Last Tuesday, I spent lots of time watching the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, as it deliberated on the General Plan Update that has been in progress for over ten years. I didn’t go to Salinas to undertake my observations; Monterey County has an excellent video service, which makes it easy to watch the Board in real time. If you want to participate, though, you really do have to attend the meeting in person. Today may be your last chance to weigh in on the critically important, “Constitutional” issues that will guide the future growth and development of Monterey County. I, personally, think that the Board’s debate about water policy may be the most important debate still outstanding. The Farm Bureau, the Salinas Valley Water Coalition, and the “Refinement Group,” all of which organizations have been skeptical about land use regulation as the General Plan process has unfolded, proposed new language on water last week. As I say, today is quite possibly your last chance to weigh in on the General Plan. In Santa Cruz County, the Board of Supervisors will discuss the “growth goal” for next year, and will also consider what sort of regulations should govern marijuana dispensaries in the unincorporated portions of Santa Cruz County. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Wednesday, September 29, 2010 Will New Interchange Go Commercial? |
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If you have recently driven on Highway One, between Santa Cruz County and Monterey County, you will have noted work underway on the Salinas Road intersection. Salinas Road is right at the “top of the hill,” as you leave the Pajaro Valley and head towards Moss Landing. Currently, there is no “overpass” at this intersection, so drivers heading south on Highway One, who want to turn left to enter Salinas Road, face a difficult and dangerous problem. The traffic coming north, heading into Santa Cruz County, is often going quite fast, and there is a lot of it. This leads to accidents, and the backup of those wanting to turn left, onto Salinas Road, poses another traffic problem. The Salinas Road/Highway One intersection is one of the most dangerous intersections in our region. The solution decided upon was to build an overpass. Because this is an agricultural area, and one with significant scenic qualities, the design and planning process took a long time, and there was a special citizens’ advisory committee, and a lot of involvement from the Coastal Commission, to make sure that this particular highway project was done well. Now, and this is oh so typical of new overpass projects, landowners adjacent to the new overpass would like to develop their land commercially. No more scenic fields. How about a motel, or restaurant, or something like that? The Monterey County Board of Supervisors will make the decision. Now is the time to get involved. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Thursday, September 30, 2010 Better Look Into The “LCP” |
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I do try to respond to any complaints, suggestions, or questions that I get from Land Use Report listeners. You can send me an email directly from the KUSP website. Just click on the Land Use Report icon. For another couple of months, I think that will continue to work. Recently, perhaps spurred by my discussion of land use related “acronyms,” a listener from San Mateo County asked me to mention LCPs. You do know what an LCP is, don’t you? Well maybe not. I think that maybe was the point of the question. “LCP” stands for “Local Coastal Program,” and the adoption, approval, and implementation of Local Coastal Programs is a critical part of the way the Coastal Act works to protect coastal resources, and to provide access to the coast. You can a full briefing on how the LCP process works by checking out the references I’ve placed in the transcript of today’s Land Use Report. Instead of having the Coastal Commission, as a state agency, directly regulate land use within the Coastal Zone, the Coastal Act provides that local governments will do their own regulation, according to the provisions of a Local Coastal Program that they themselves adopt. Local governments don’t have free rein, however, to do whatever they want. Each local government has to get approval of its LCP from the Coastal Commission, who checks to see if a Local Coastal Program in fact complies with Coastal Act requirements. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.More Information: Gary Patton writes a daily blog, “Two Worlds / 365” Coastal Commission Website Coastal Act Laws and Regulations LCP Status Chart LCP Post-Certification Guide For Local Governments LCP Detailed Status And History |
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| Friday, October 1, 2010 Voter Forum On Water |
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Voters in the City of Santa Cruz will fill three slots on the Santa Cruz City Council this coming November. Land use, transportation, and water issues are topics of keen debate and discussion. If you would like to find out where the candidates stand on water issues, you should mark your calendar for an upcoming forum that will focus on just that topic. The forum is scheduled for next Wednesday, October 6th, and will be held at the Louden Nelson Community Center, 301 Center Street in Santa Cruz. The forum will start at 7:00 p.m., and is slated to run until 8:30. Sponsors are the Community Water Coalition, Ecology Action, the Ecological Landscaping Association, Santa Cruz Desal Alternatives, the Sierra Club, Santa Cruz County Group, the Surfrider Foundation, Transition Santa Cruz, and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, most commonly called “WILPF.” To be “transparent,” the law firm with which I am associated, Wittwer & Parkin, happens to represent the Community Water Coalition, one of the sponsors of this upcoming forum. That is not really the reason I’m advertising this opportunity for you to become more aware of water policy issues, and what the Council candidates think about them. Future decisions made about growth and development will have a major impact on our local communities, and there is hardly any land use related issue of more importance than water. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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Archives of past transcripts are available here
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