 |
Home | Issues & Actions | About |
Archive Page This page is available as an archive to previous versions of LandWatch websites. |
KUSP LandWatch
News
Week of September 19, 2011 to September 23, 2011
Week of September 19, 2011 to September 23, 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 19, 2011 to September 23, 2011
- Monday, September 19, 2011
Tomorrow At The Santa Cruz County Board
- Tuesday, September 20, 2011
The Monterey County Board And Water
- Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Capitola General Plan Update
- Thursday, September 22, 2011
Sustainable Monterey County
- Friday, September 23, 2011
The City of Santa Cruz General Plan EIR
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 19, 2011 Tomorrow At The Santa Cruz County Board |
 |
Those Santa Cruz County residents who follow “inside baseball,” where local government and politics are concerned, are likely to be at tomorrow’s meeting of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, to see how the Board will map out new Supervisorial Districts, which will be in effect for the next ten years. There is some controversy involved, but it is largely of the “inside baseball” variety. If you’d like to watch the action, be sure to be in attendance at 1:30 tomorrow afternoon, at the Santa Cruz County Governmental Center. For those interested in policy issues related to land use, growth, and development, I’d point to a couple of other items on the Board’s agenda. Agenda Item #42 provides a status report on the County’s efforts to “streamline” its permit process. The key issue in any “streamlining” proposal is whether that streamlining is to be achieved by procedural changes, or whether the proposed streamlining would result from changes that would weaken the substantive environmental and neighborhood protection standards contained in the current code. My bias would be in favor of finding streamlining solutions that don’t water down environmental protection. Finally, at 7:30 tomorrow evening, at a meeting to be held in Watsonville, the Board will convene, with some additional participants from South County, as the Zone 7 Board of Directors, and will consider flood protection efforts on the Pajaro River. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
|
|
| Tuesday, September 20, 2011 The Monterey County Board And Water |
|
Tuesdays are a good day to pay attention to politics, and to local government actions that may have an impact on the future growth and development of our local communities. Many City Councils meet on Tuesday, and that’s the day that Boards of Supervisors meet, too. Today, in Salinas, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will be addressing some important issues relating to water supply planning. It’s hard to think of a more important topic for the residents of Monterey County. I feel somewhat remiss, in fact, for not having addressed water supply planning issues in Monterey County in more depth, here on the Land Use Report. Frankly, they are incredibly complex issues, and the fact that only one minute and thirty seconds is allotted to the Land Use Report each weekday morning makes it difficult to do more than point a finger and say: “look over there!” This morning, I would point a finger at the Board’s “closed session” agenda. There is an indication that the Board will be hearing from its attorney about litigation against the County related to water planning, and that the Board will also be carrying out a “performance evaluation” of the Water Resources Agency General Manager. Two Supervisors, Supervisors Parker and Calcagno, have called on the General Manager to resign. If he hasn’t, or doesn’t, the next step is action by the Board to terminate the relationship. Wish I could tell you, in one and a half minutes, the many reasons that this seems justified! For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
|
|
| Wednesday, September 21, 2011 The Capitola General Plan Update |
|
Each City and County in California is required to adopt and keep current a General Plan document that acts as the “Constitution for land use” in that jurisdiction. The local General Plan must address seven different topics, which are called the mandatory “elements” of the local General Plan. These are: land use, housing, circulation, conservation, open space, noise, and safety. Local governments can add additional “elements” if they would like to. The City of Capitola is in the midst of “updating” its current General Plan. Before making the ultimate decision, both the Planning Commission and the City Council will have to hold public hearings, to take testimony from interested persons. In addition, the California Environmental Quality Act will definitely require that an Environmental Impact Report, be prepared. The EIR process provides a very effective way for the public to get involved, and that process hasn’t officially commenced. What has commenced is the City’s systematic effort to produce the “draft” General Plan Update that will be the subject of the environmental review and public hearing process to come. And you are invited to get involved now. You don’t have to wait. The transcript of today’s Land Use Report has a link to the City’s General Plan website, and you should consider attending a meeting of the City’s General Plan Advisory Committee, scheduled for this evening at 6:00 o’clock, and focusing on housing issues. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
|
|
| Thursday, September 22, 2011 Sustainable Monterey County |
|
I am in favor of active participation by members of the public in governmental activities related to land use, growth, and development. Stimulating such public participation is the “unhidden agenda” of these Land Use Reports. Usually, it’s relatively easy to get people involved when their local government starts doing something that they don’t like. Public engagement to oppose unpopular development projects is a time-honored tradition around the Monterey Bay. It’s a bit harder to get people involved in proactive “planning” efforts. Since our land use planning rules and regulations (including the local General Plan) have legal effects, getting a good plan adopted, and getting good ordinances in place, is a very effective way for members of the public to ensure that their local government steers growth and development in the right direction. If you live or work in Monterey County, consider joining up with “Sustainable Monterey County,” which is dedicated to such a “proactive” approach. Sustainable Monterey County oversees autonomous groups that include Citizens for a Sustainable Marina, Sustainable Seaside, Sustainable Carmel Valley, Big Sur Advocates for a Green Environment, Monterey Green Action, Sustainable Carmel, Sustainable Pacific Grove, and Sustainable Salinas. In Santa Cruz County, consider joining up with Transition Santa Cruz. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
|
|
| Friday, September 23, 2011 The City of Santa Cruz General Plan EIR |
|
Those who live or work in the City of Santa Cruz should polish up their reading glasses, and get ready to put in some hours on an important document now available for public comment. I speak, of course, about the Draft Environmental Impact Report prepared on the proposed City of Santa Cruz General Plan Update. Earlier this week, I talked about the General Plan Update process now underway in Capitola, and noted that the Capitola General Plan Update would have to undergo environmental review. The same thing is true for the Santa Cruz City General Plan Update, but while the City of Capitola is still formulating its draft document, the City of Santa Cruz is getting ready for final action. If you care about the future growth and development of the City of Santa Cruz, there is no time to waste. The deadline for comments is November 14th. The proposed Santa Cruz City General Plan Update would allow the construction of 3,350 new residential units and it contemplates a population increase of 8,040 residents, and the construction of 3,140,000 additional square feet of commercial, office and industrial uses. Impacts related to traffic, water supply, public services, schools, cultural resources, and air quality are anticipated. Your time to comment is now. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.
|
|
Archives of past transcripts are available here
|
CONTACT 306 Capitol Street #101 PO Box 1876 Phone (831) 759-2824 Fax (831) 759-2825 |
|