Tomorrow, the Santa Cruz City Council has a number of land use related items on its afternoon and evening agenda. I was intrigued to see that in a closed litigation session, starting at 1:00 o’clock, the Council will be considering the purchase of property at 521 Front Street. There is an existing commercial building on the site, which is right near the corner of Front Street and Soquel. I hadn’t heard about any City building plans for that location, but I’m betting that the City is contemplating adding some more parking downtown. The closed session will definitely be “closed,” so interested persons won’t find out what’s going on by showing up tomorrow afternoon.

If you do show up at 2:30 in the afternoon, you can participate in a discussion about loosening the restrictions on mobile food vending and hear about the City’s parking plans for Lower Pacific Avenue. You can also participate in an item proposing new decorum rules for those addressing the City Council.

In the evening session, starting at 7:00 p.m., the Council will consider letting the Seaside Company chop down one more “heritage tree,” this one located at 701 Beach Street. If you have the impression that the City’s policy is to preserve its heritage trees, think again. If you care about protecting heritage trees, you may want to be there to testify on Agenda Item #1, to argue against the Council’s imposition of another tree death penalty.

More Information

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Agenda: January 13, 2015 Santa Cruz City Council Meeting

Both the Monterey County Board of Supervisors and the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors meet today, and in each case, the Board has a new member. This will be the first Board meeting for Santa Cruz County Third District Supervisor Ryan Coonerty and for Monterey County Second District Supervisor John Phillips.

In Santa Cruz County, Supervisor Coonerty and Supervisor McPherson are proposing that the Board adopt a “Working Lands Resolution.” Because the proposed Resolution is on the Consent Agenda, action on the item will take place without any discussion, unless someone specifically asks for more discussion. It is not completely clear what operational impacts might come from adoption of the proposed Resolution, but it speaks positively about timber harvesting, which is always a controversial topic in both the San Lorenzo Valley and on the County’s North Coast. If you want to communicate with the Board, you can attend in person, or submit a comment over the Internet, using the agenda link found at kusp.org/landuse. The proposed Working Lands Resolution is Agenda Item 30.1.

In Monterey County, the Board will consider funding for an Environmental Impact Report on the proposed demolition of the “Arthur and Kathleen Connell House,” located at 1170 Signal Hill Road, and listed on the California Register of Historic Places. That is Consent Agenda Item #19.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Agenda
• Monterey County Board of Supervisors Agenda Website
• Santa Cruz County Board Agenda Item 30.1 – Working Lands
• Information On The Historical Character Of The Arthur And Kathleen Connell House

A solar project is being proposed in the Panoche Valley, located in San Benito County. I have put a link to a map in today’s transcript, to help those not familiar with Panoche Valley to figure out where it is. I have also included a link to a photo album published by the Los Angeles Times, so listeners can get an understanding of what the Panoche Valley looks like. This is a remote and beautiful location, currently agricultural. The proposed project would essentially “industrialize” it.

The current proposal is to reduce the size of a project approved in 2010, and to construct the project over a shorter, 18-month time frame, as opposed to the previously approved 5-year construction period. The applicant is also proposing revisions to various project components, and revisions to previously approved mitigation measures, and PG&E has identified necessary telecommunication upgrades. A Supplemental Environmental Impact Report has been prepared, and the public review period on that report ends on February 10, 2015. There is time to weigh in, if you care. The Supplemental EIR assesses only the impacts that may result from the proposed changes to the 2010 Approved Project and from the PG&E modifications, but does not reanalyze the impacts of the approved project as a whole.

There is more information at kusp.org/landuse.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Panoche Valley On Google Maps
• Draft SEIR On Proposed Changes

For more information contact Michael Krausie – 831-636-4000

I have a couple of items today that are of a “you, too, can get directly involved” character. First, let me alert you to the 35th Annual EcoFarm Conference, being held, as usual, at Asilomar in Pacific Grove. The conference runs from January 21st to the 24th.

This year, the conference will include an all-day interactive session on “Cultivating Organic Seed Stewardship,” providing attendees with an understanding of the history, culture, biology, and economics of seed. The session is intended to stimulate efforts to ensure a sustainable seed future, a critically important topic in this era of genetically modified organisms. The EcoFarm Conference will also boast a “Central Coast Livestock Producer Summit,” which will focus on the feasibility of establishing cooperative services for Central Coast meat producers. There will also be a session on “Applied On-Farm Permaculture Design,” engaging workshop participants in permaculture design methodology and principles that will help them produce design plans for their own farms and gardens. That’s just for starters.

As a second item, let me highlight an opportunity for interested persons to become a “Volunteer Naturalist” at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Reserve. Training classes begin on January 17th.

Get more information by heading to kusp.org/landuse.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• EcoFarm Website
• EcoFarm Registration Web Page
• EcoFarm Conference Website
• Cultivating Organic Seed Stewardship
• Central Coast Livestock Producer Summit
• Applied On-Farm Permaculture Design
• Announcement About Elkhorn Slough Naturalist Training
• Elkhorn Slough Volunteer Opportunities

Last week, the Santa Cruz Sentinel featured a story about two docents for the Watsonville Wetlands Watch who found a human connection through that Watsonville Wetlands Watch docent program. It appeared to me, as I read between the lines, that love and romance blossomed in the wetlands. If you’d like to see the article, I have a link in today’s transcript.

I also have a link to an announcement by the Watsonville Wetlands Watch, letting interested persons know that their 2015 docent training program begins on January 21st. You could actually sign up and become a docent yourself.

No one is claiming that this docent program is going to replace eHarmony or Match.com (not to mention Tinder) as a way to make a romantic connection. Let me say, though, you might well fall in love with the wetlands environment around Watsonville if you do sign up for docent training. If you fall in love with another trainee, consider that a bonus!

Docent training is a fun and interesting way to learn about the natural and cultural history of the wetlands, and to receive training to become a field trip facilitator. The training sessions include Wednesday evening presentations and Saturday field trips, visiting sites not normally seen by the public. Among other things, Wetlands Watch trained docent volunteers lead tours, participate in special events, work in the demonstration garden, and conduct water monitoring. I encourage you to check it out.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Watsonville Wetlands Watch Website
• Wetlands Watch Docent Training Announcement
• Santa Cruz Sentinel Article – Docents Discover Shared Passion

For More Information on the Docent Program contact Kathy Fieberling:

• Telephone - 831-345-1226 or by Email