The land use items being considered tomorrow by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors run the gamut from a truly “big picture” item to a “small detail” type of land use decision.

Let’s start with the “small detail” item first. This is Item #8.1, and will be heard by the Board at 10:30 tomorrow morning. Item 8.1 is all about a .86-acre land swap between adjacent owners for lands located near Gonzales. The purpose of the land swap is to correct the fact that an existing single-family residence is built across and straddles a property line. It’s a pretty straightforward item, but it’s complicated legally, because at least one of the parcels has a Williamson Act, Farmland Security Zone contract, which needs to be taken into consideration. Prior County action didn’t do that.

The “big picture” item is Item #10, a 1:30 p.m. scheduled item. This is expected to be the Board’s final action on the proposed Pebble Beach Company development plan. Important affordable housing issues are at stake. It’s probably your last chance to be heard.

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors meets in Salinas, and all regular Board meetings are open to the public. You are free to come and go, and speak out if you have a mind to. A link to the Board’s website, where agenda materials can be reviewed, is found in today’s blog below.

More Information:

• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Agenda, Monterey County Board of Supervisors
• LandWatch Monterey County Alert on Pebble Beach Housing Issue

Fort Ord used to be a training base where United States military personnel got prepared to go into battle. Now, the former Fort Ord has become something of a battleground itself, as future land uses are being hotly debated in a number of forums, both state and local. Maybe I should say “fora,” rather than “forums.” One of the places where the future of Fort Ord is being determined is at FORA, the “Fort Ord Reuse Authority.” The future (or not) of the Reuse Authority is also being debated, and that’s happening in Sacramento, where Assembly Member Bill Monning is carrying a bill that would extend FORA’s existence into the future. At any rate, if you are from Monterey County, you probably know that one of the hottest land use debates around concerns how the lands of Fort Ord will be used. If you are interested in this topic, the blog entry for today’s Land Use Report has some links to information that will probably help you scope out the issues.

Today, I want to alert you to an opportunity to speak out on a proposed Equestrian Center, which would be located on lands on the Former Fort Ord now found within the City of Marina. Public access opportunities are one concern. The Marina City Council will be taking up this item this evening, during a meeting that begins at 6:30 p.m. Again, there is more information below.

More Information:

• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• LandWatch Monterey County Alert on FORA Base Plan
• Keep Fort Ord Wild Website
• Friends of the Fort Ord Warhorse
• Sierra Club Recommendations on Fort Ord Base Reuse Plan
• Is Beach Access Threatened By Equestrian Center?
• Assembly Member Bill Monning Website
• AB 1614 – Bill Monning Bill To Extend FORA
• FORA Website
• City of Marina Website
• City Council Agenda, June 19, 2012

Land use and strawberries are definitely related, at least here in the Monterey Bay Region. If you’d like to find out more about strawberries, the website of the California Strawberry Commission might be a good place to start. I’ve put a link to the Commission’s website in today’s blog entry. The Commission was established by state legislation in 1993, but the work of the Commission is funded not by the taxpayers but by an assessment made on California strawberry growers. The amount of the assessment is approved annually by the Commission’s Board of Directors, and is used to support both research and marketing. In terms of research, by the way, a recent report claims that eating strawberries (and blueberries, too, just to be fair) will help delay cognitive aging. If I could only remember that when I go to the grocery store it might help me to remember what to buy when I go to the grocery store!

Kidding aside, the Commission is holding an Open Forum with local strawberry farmers in Watsonville, on Tuesday, June 26th, starting at 5:30 p.m. The Forum will be held at the Watsonville Civic Plaza, 275 Main Street, 4th Floor. I am giving you a “heads up” now, in case you’d like to attend, because the Commission would like an RSVP. You can get information on how to RSVP below.

More Information:

• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• California Strawberry Commission Website
• Eating Strawberries Delays Cognitive Aging
• Wikipedia Entry on the California Strawberry Commission
• RSVP for the June 26, 2012 Open Forum by Email – castrawberries@golinharris.com
• RSVP by telephone – 213-438-8783

I got an E-invite the other day from the Santa Cruz City Planning and Community Development Department. It was very nice, all in shades of blue, and it said, “We hope to see you there!” I don’t think I’m off base in extending this invitation to you, too. If you are a Santa Cruz City resident, or if you care about land use decisions that will affect the future of Santa Cruz County, mark your calendar for Tuesday, June 26th, “after the hour of 7:00 p.m.,” as my invitation said.

At 7:00 o’clock next Tuesday evening, the Santa Cruz City Council will consider adoption of the Final Draft General Plan 2030, and the Final Environmental Impact Report prepared on that Plan, which analyzes its possible impacts. As you may recall, if you are a frequent listener to this Land Use Report, I’ve been providing periodic alerts that this proposed revision of the City’s current General Plan was moving forward. There are a lot of issues related to water. There are issues of new density in lower density neighborhoods. There are provisions about global warming, and there is a commitment to significant new population growth. That’s just a partial list of what the Plan provides. Since every community General Plan is a “Constitution” for land use in that community, you should invite yourself to this party, even if you didn’t get an individual E-invite. It’s important.

More Information:

• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• City of Santa Cruz Website
• City Council Agendas
• City General Plan Website
• Questions on the General Plan should be directed to:
  • Ken Thomas at 831-420-5148
  • Michelle King at 831-420-5092

A so-called “plasma arc” waste disposal project is proposed near Gonzales, and opponents claim that this “plasma arc” technology releases very toxic air contaminants. Since Gonzales is a community with lots of lower income and farmworker residents, opponents also think the proposed facility raises “environmental justice” issues. Supporters, on the other hand, think that “plasma arc” technology is a lot safer than old-fashioned incinerators, and that this approach could help create energy while also reducing the need to landfill garbage.

Governor Brown seems to have taken the side of the project sponsor, the Plasco Corporation, and wants to let Plasco sell their energy as “renewable” energy, a big economic advantage. This has led to some rather strong statements from those opposing the project. A Greenaction spokesperson said:

The Governor's support for … this controversial and polluting project, and his attempt to promote these [facilities] across the state, … is a threat to people everywhere, and is sabotaging the state-mandated environmental review process and state investigation of the civil rights violations committed by the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority.

My conclusion, with good arguments coming from both sides, is that the public needs to get deeply involved as this project goes forward. Luckily, the CEQA process should allow that to happen. Again, ONLY if concerned people get personally involved.

More Information:

• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• KION News Report on Proposed “Plasma Arc” Facility
• Sacramento Bee Article on Governor Brown’s Action on the Project
• Anti-Project Statement Prompted buy Governor Brown’s Action
• Earlier Land Use Report items have links to arguments on both sides:
  • Initial Land Use Report on Proposed “Plasma Arc” Facility - Thursday, June 7, 2012
  • Second Land Use Report on Proposed “Plasma Arc” Facility – Friday, June 15, 2012