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KUSP LandWatch
News
Week of July 18, 2011 to July 22, 2011
Week of July 18, 2011 to July 22, 2011
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 July 18, 2011 to July 22, 2011
- Monday, July 18, 2011
Special Meeting In Marina
- Tuesday, July 19, 2011
One Week Ago And Then In September
- Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Capitola Is Planning For The Future
- Thursday, July 21, 2011
Next Tuesday In Santa Cruz
- Friday, July 22, 2011
Want To Go Public On LAFCO?
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, July 18, 2011 Special Meeting In Marina |
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Tomorrow, the Marina Coast Water District will hold a special meeting. The agenda lists a few “normal business” items, none of which seems of great urgency, but it also reveals that the Board will hold a “closed litigation session.” As the agenda explains: A letter dated June 21, 2011, from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors transmitted a “Summary of Preliminary Findings Regarding Director Stephen Collins’ Business Relationship With RMC Water and Environment and Marina Coast Water District.” The Summary, prepared by [the law firm of] Remcho, Johansen & Purcell, LLP, states that certain conduct raises questions about the validity of contracts to which Marina Coast Water District is a party. Based on the statements in the Remcho Summary and statements in news media since then, a point has been reached where, in the opinion of the MCWD Board based on the advice of its legal counsel, there is a significant exposure to litigation against MCWD. The future of the so-called “Coastal Water Project” may be determined by whether or not the whole arrangement was fraught with conflict of interest and illegality. Members of the public won’t be able to listen to the discussion tomorrow, but the public does have a huge stake in the outcome, and the future growth and development of Monterey County is now being debated behind closed doors. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Tuesday, July 19, 2011 One Week Ago And Then In September |
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Last Tuesday, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors approved the so-called “Whispering Oaks” business park development. Supervisor Jane Parker was the only Supervisor to vote “no.” You do have to wonder, sometimes, whether the press agents and publicists who give advice to developers are really worth the money. Apparently, the Monterey Salinas Transit District, the developer in this case, didn’t think that members of the public would notice that the name of their development (“Whispering Oaks”) is more than ironic when you realize that the development will require cutting down about 4,000 oak trees. Poorly thought through developments are bad. Poorly thought through developments proposed by public agencies (as this one is) are probably even worse, and worse still is trying to disguise what is happening by giving your development the name of the very part of the environment that you are planning to destroy. That tends to make people mad. People are mad about this one, and that means that a lawsuit is likely, based on the failure of the County to study alternatives. Opponents are also mounting a referendum campaign, to give voters a chance to have their own say. For her part, Supervisor Parker has scheduled a Fort Ord walk, in September, which will may give participants a chance to see those oak trees in person. There is more information on the KUSP website. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Wednesday, July 20, 2011 Capitola Is Planning For The Future |
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David Foster is the Housing and Redevelopment Project Manager for the City of Capitola, and I am on his mailing list. You can get on his mailing list, too, and I hope you will think about doing that. Right now, the City is planning for its future, and is revising its General Plan, and the City is trying to make sure that all those interested have a chance to participate. Don’t miss that chance. In terms of land use, there is no more important document than the community’s General Plan, and you can influence what happens to that General Plan if you will get personally involved. The next General Plan Update Community Workshop will be held this evening at the New Brighton Middle School Multi-Purpose Room. The New Brighton Middle School is located at 250 Washburn Avenue in Capitola. The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m., and will focus on the 41st Avenue/Capitola Mall Re-Visioning Plan. You can get the agenda packet for tonight’s workshop on the City’s website. The City has also placed a copy of the 41st Avenue Baseline Analysis Report online. Tonight, workshop participants will consider an Alternatives Workbook that outlines a number of different development scenarios for the 41st Avenue area. Wouldn’t it be kind of fun to get involved in that? If your answer is “yes,” you can get more information in the transcript of today’s Land Use Report. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Thursday, July 21, 2011 Next Tuesday In Santa Cruz |
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Yesterday, I tried to get those who might be interested in planning for the future of the 41st Avenue Area in the City of Capitola to think about going to an evening workshop session. Today, let me alert listeners to a somewhat comparable opportunity, focusing on the Ocean Street Area in the City of Santa Cruz. Next Tuesday, July 26th, the Santa Cruz City Council will consider the recommendations of the City’s Planning Commission, and the recommendations of the City’s staff, on a Draft Ocean Street Area Plan. This isn’t a workshop session, strictly speaking, but the public is definitely invited to attend and comment. If you care about the future of the Ocean Street Area in the City of Santa Cruz, I definitely suggest that you do that. The meeting next Tuesday will be held in the City Council Chambers, at 809 Center Street, at 7:00 p.m. You can get more information on the KUSP Website at www.kusp.org. Just click on the Land Use Report icon. Depending on what happens next Tuesday evening, it’s likely that the City Council will approve a new Draft Plan for the Ocean Street Area, and will then direct that an Environmental Impact Report, or EIR, be prepared. That EIR process will definitely allow more public input into the current Draft, so it’s not too late to have a significant impact on what happens in this part of the City. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Friday, July 22, 2011 Want To Go Public On LAFCO? |
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I have frequently highlighted the work of what I think may be the most important public agency, where land use is concerned, that nobody knows about. I am speaking, of course, of the Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO. Every county has one, and LAFCO plays a critical role in determining how the future growth and development of your community will proceed. In fact, while LAFCO starts with the word “local” in its name, LAFCOs are really more like a state agency than a local agency. The purpose of LAFCO is to review the proposed actions of local government agencies, with respect to what might broadly be thought of as land use related issues, and then to say “yes” or “no” to those local agency plans, based on standards set out in state law. Most LAFCOs have seven members. Two members are appointed by the County Board of Supervisors; two members represent cities, and are appointed by the City Selection Committee, which is a committee formed of all the mayors of the cities in the county; and two members are appointed to represent Special Districts, with the Special Districts Association deciding on who to send. Finally, there is one Public Member, chosen by all the other members of the LAFCO. The Monterey County LAFCO will soon be appointing a new Public Member, and is adverting for applications from interested members of the public. If you are interested, check the transcript of today’s Land Use Report. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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Archives of past transcripts are available here
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