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KUSP LandWatch
News
Week of October 18, 2010 to October 22, 2010
Week of October 18, 2010 to October 22, 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 October 18, 2010 to October 22, 2010
- Monday, October 18, 2010
12,535 Acres And A Tax Transfer
- Tuesday, October 19, 2010
All That Jazz – And Redevelopment, Too
- Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Cutting Units In Carmel Valley
- Thursday, October 21, 2010
When Land Use Issues Come Home To Roost
- Friday, October 22, 2010
Ventana Wilderness Trails Guide
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 18, 2010 12,535 Acres And A Tax Transfer |
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Tomorrow, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will consider a proposed 12,535-acre annexation to the Carmel Valley Fire Protection District. That’s actually a pretty big deal. If you’d like to see the areas proposed for annexation, there is a map in the Board’s Agenda Packet. The Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO, is actually the agency charged with determining whether or not this proposed annexation makes good sense. Before LAFCO gets to tackle the governmental service issues, however, Monterey County has to sign off on a “Property Tax Transfer Agreement.” This agreement will define the “fair share” that the County and the Fire Protection District will get from property taxes generated within the areas proposed for annexation. Since the Fire Protection District will be assuming new service responsibilities, their share is going up. A resolution and a chart, also available in the Agenda Packet, document the changes in great detail. If you are a property owner in the area, the agreement won’t change your own taxes, but it will change who gets them. That may mean that this item isn’t critical for you, but which agency provides fire protection certainly is. Presuming that the Board approves the Tax Transfer Agreement, LAFCO will soon offer you a chance to weigh in on that question. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Tuesday, October 19, 2010 All That Jazz – And Redevelopment, Too |
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The items I talk about are supposed to relate to land use. So, how do I convince you that a celebration being held this evening (one that I intend to advertise right now), has anything to do with land use policy? This celebration is taking place at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center, located at 320 Cedar Street in downtown Santa Cruz. It starts at 5:30 p.m., and trumpets the completion of a new mural, by artist Marvin Plummer, honoring 35 years of jazz in Santa Cruz. There is a reception, and the screening of a short time-lapse video of the mural process. Refreshments will be served. There is an actual viewing of the mural, too. If it sounds like fun (and I think it will be), you should consider heading down to the Kuumbwa at 5:30 tonight. The public is invited. Sponsors include Kuumbwa Jazz and the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Santa Cruz. Ha! There’s the land use link! Redevelopment is deeply tied to the land use policy decisions made by local governments. Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Leopold, for instance (no slouch where it comes to music by the way), is promoting a host of redevelopment projects in the Live Oak/Soquel Area. In the City of Santa Cruz, the Redevelopment Agency has helped make this arts project possible. Several years ago, I did a series of Land Use Reports on redevelopment, and the links are here in today’s transcript. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Wednesday, October 20, 2010 Cutting Units In Carmel Valley |
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The October 15th edition of the Carmel Pine Cone carried a story about recent actions affecting future development in Carmel Valley. You can find a link to the Pine Cone’s front-page article in the transcript of today’s Land Use Report. Pine Cone Editor Paul Miller claimed that the Board of Supervisors made “a big reduction in the number of new housing units to be allowed in Carmel Valley,” and went on to say, “hardly anybody noticed.” Pine Cone Reporter Chris Counts noticed, and by reading his story, it’s clear that development interests noticed as well. How “big” that reduction actually was is more debatable. As Counts’ article tells the story, the Board is now proposing General Plan language that will reduce the number of new units that can be created in Carmel Valley over the next twenty years from 266 to 200. For those Carmel Valley residents facing water and traffic problems right now, the reduction in proposed future development is undoubtedly excellent news. However, it’s not clear that this “big” reduction will actually prevent adverse traffic and water supply impacts. Also, just a “heads up,” it is not a “done deal” till the hammer falls on the final adoption of the General Plan. That currently is scheduled for next Tuesday, October 26th. Carmel Valley residents wanting to preserve these reductions should probably be in attendance. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Thursday, October 21, 2010 When Land Use Issues Come Home To Roost |
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I have produced these 90-second Land Use Reports for about 9 ½ years. And every one is “documented,” with a written transcript containing links to more information. These transcripts are currently maintained on the KUSP website, and I invite you to check them out. The titles I affix to my written transcripts are only discoverable by tracking down the transcript for a particular Report. At least, that’s the normal case. Today, however, I want to read my title: “When Land Use Issues Come Home To Roost.” Today’s Land Use Report is all about roosters. This is not a laughing matter in North Monterey County. North County residents recently convinced the Monterey County Planning Commission to recommend an ordinance that will limit the number of roosters that can be kept on a residential property. The title of the story in the Monterey County Herald was pretty good, too: “Planning Commission backs permits for rural roosters.” I like the alliteration, there, of “rural roosters.” If you want the details about the proposed new rooster regulations, check out today’s transcript. Here’s the serious point: land use regulation is truly plenary. It can address whatever issue seems important to the local community, so you should get involved. Not only can the plenary power of land use regulation be applied to abate the noise of rowdy rural roosters. Sometimes, even bigger problems can be solved! For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Friday, October 22, 2010 Ventana Wilderness Trails Guide |
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With rowdy, rural roosters as my excuse, I promoted the value of land use regulation in yesterday’s Land Use Report. The Land Use Report has never had a “hidden agenda.” From the start, it has unabashedly promoted your personal involvement in the land use decision-making process. Land use policy and project decisions have a profound impact on our future, and whatever your personal perspective or interest, your personal involvement is key. There are those who are paid to be involved, and they will be there when the final nails are hammered in on the framework of laws and policies that set our land use agenda. If you care about the issues, you’ve got to be there, too. Not necessarily personally, though that’s desirable. Getting organized with others who share your perspective is the best way to be effective. That’s how those rooster regulators did it! Despite my fondness for policy, and regulations, frequent listeners will remember that I also promote a non-regulatory approach to using the land. Specifically, I am not averse to telling listeners to “take a hike.” Get out there. See those special places. The more people who see them, and love them, the better protection they will have. In the transcript of today’s Land Use Report, I put a link to a Trails Condition Map maintained by the Ventana Wilderness Alliance. And I’ll remind you again that they have a meeting in Marina, tomorrow. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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Archives of past transcripts are available here
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