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KUSP LandWatch
News
Week of September 12, 2011 to September 16, 2011
Week of September 12, 2011 to September 16, 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 September 12, 2011 to September 16, 2011
- Monday, September 12, 2011
CEQA And Sacramento
- Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Santa Cruz County Growth Goal
- Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Whispering Oaks
- Thursday, September 15, 2011
Take A Walk Tomorrow
- Friday, September 16, 2011
Around The County Next Week
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 12, 2011 CEQA And Sacramento |
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Last week wasn’t a good week for the California Environmental Quality Act. AB 900, which was hurried to passage as a last minute “gut and amend” piece of legislation, bought into the myth that CEQA is somehow responsible for this state’s economic problems. Its passage also made clear that our current crop of state elected officials just can’t grasp the idea that our governmental decision making processes should be premised on some kind of “integrity.” AB 900 gives the Governor an unlimited power to give special privileges to certain large-scale projects. The Governor’s discretion is not even subject to court review. This means that expedited and preferential environmental review will now be provided as a matter of political favoritism. Up to this point, CEQA has been about making sure that governmental decision makers really study the possible environmental impacts of proposed projects. And CEQA has applied to everyone equally. If AB 900 is signed into law, the Governor will have pretty much free reign to exempt projects from full CEQA review when the Governor decides he wants to do that. AB 900 means full environmental review for some, and favoritism for others! The Governor could still veto AB 900. If you have a position, why not let him know what you think? There is more information in the transcript of today’s Report. Outraged phone calls often work best! For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Tuesday, September 13, 2011 The Santa Cruz County Growth Goal |
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Today, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is going to be paying some attention to the future growth of Santa Cruz County. If you are a Santa Cruz County resident, and would like to “weigh in” on the future growth of your community, you should head down to the County Governmental Center this morning. Alternatively, you could visit the County website, find the right agenda item in the online agenda, and send the Board a quick email, conveying your thoughts. That’s pretty easy. You can get more information in the transcript of today’s Land Use Report. I, personally, think that the future growth and development of every local community should be a “political” issue, in the best sense of the term. That is, I believe that local communities should be trying to make growth happen the way the majority of the community wants, instead of letting growth just “happen to” the community, as the consequence of lots of individual decisions added up. Measure J, Santa Cruz County’s growth management system, was adopted by the voters in 1978, and Measure J requires the Board of Supervisors to vote on growth on an annual basis. As far as I know, no other local community in California has done anything similar. The Board can vote for rapid growth, slow growth, or something in between. Again, why don’t you let the Board know what you think? If you go to the Board meeting in person, you can also see what may be a lively discussion of how to draw the boundaries of the five Supervisorial Districts. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Wednesday, September 14, 2011 Whispering Oaks |
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As listeners may remember, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted by a 4-1 margin, with Supervisor Jane Parker voting “no,” to approve the so-called “Whispering Oaks” project. This misnamed project, if ever actually built, would destroy between 3,000 and 4,000 oak trees on the former Fort Ord, to permit a business park development that would include service facilities for Monterey Salinas Transit. The Monterey County Election Department has recently certified that enough signatures were collected to suspend this decision. Now the Supervisors will have either (1) to rescind their decision in favor of the project; or (2) to schedule an election, so the voters can decide. If the Board decides to rescind their approval of the Whispering Oaks Project, all parties involved will need to find an alternative site for Monterey Salinas Transit. If an alternative site is not found, the County could see a replay of Rancho San Juan. In the case of Rancho San Juan, in 2006-2007, the Board rescinded their action approving the project after a successful referendum, but then turned around and approved an almost identical project at the same site. Activists opposing the Rancho San Juan project had to go through the entire referendum process a second time! The same thing could happen in this case. I’ll keep you posted! For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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| Thursday, September 15, 2011 Take A Walk Tomorrow |
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Once in a while, I like to suggest that KUSP listeners “take a walk.” I don’t mean that listeners should drop out or withdraw, either. That is one way that the phrase is sometimes used. Legislators not willing to come down on one side or another on controversial legislation are sometimes said to “take a walk,” and to avoid a vote. I would never urge Land Use Report listeners to withdraw from active participation in the land use decision-making process. My “unhidden agenda” is quite the opposite! On the other hand, going to meetings all the time can be stressful, and we sometimes need a break. We are extremely privileged to have an incredible natural environment right at hand, here in the Monterey Bay Region, and we should get out in that natural environment once in a while, if only to remind ourselves what all those meetings are really all about. Tomorrow, the California Native Plant Society and Monterey County Supervisor Jane Parker invite you to take a “slow-paced community walk at Fort Ord.” I have a feeling that you can both revel in the beauty of our natural environment, and talk a little land use policy, if you join this excursion. The walk begins at 6:00 o’clock tomorrow afternoon at the east end of Inter Garrison Road (at the barricades just east of Schoonover Road). There is more information in today’s transcript.
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| Friday, September 16, 2011 Around The County Next Week |
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The mission of LandWatch Monterey County is to “promote and inspire sound land use policy through grassroots community action.” LandWatch is in the business of education, trying to make Monterey County residents aware of critically important land use policy issues, and letting them know how they can get personally involved. On Monday, September 19th, LandWatch is sponsoring an “Around The County” meeting, to be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Tarpy’s Roadhouse Restaurant on Highway 68. There is no charge to attend, and in fact you are encouraged and invited to be there. I hope some of you will be there. Steve Shimek, Chief Executive of Monterey Coastkeeper and Richard L. Warne, the Assistant Director of the Monterey County Environmental Health Department, will talk about “Groundwater and Surface Water Quality.” Land use and water policy issues are inextricably linked, and if you are a resident of Monterey County, you have probably noticed that water issues are front and center. There probably isn’t a more important topic, right now. Incidentally, if your particular concern is ocean and marine protection, this is a meeting that you just shouldn’t miss. Preserving and protecting our Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary absolutely requires that we develop better land use policies, to prevent the degradation of both surface and groundwater. Find out more on Monday! For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
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Archives of past transcripts are available here
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