The Monterey County Board of Supervisors meets tomorrow, and there are a number of land use items on the agenda. I have a link to the Board’s agenda at kusp.org/landuse, and I encourage you to take a look.

Agenda Item # 25, scheduled at 10:30 tomorrow morning, would adopt, on a preliminary basis, a so-called “Urban County Annual Action Plan.” I don’t really think of Monterey County as particularly “urban,” but the County has partnered with the City of Del Rey Oaks and the City of Gonzales to qualify for Community Development Block Grant Funds, which can be used, among other things, for affordable housing. Once the Board acts, the public will then have a chance to weigh in on what is only a draft plan at this stage.

Agenda Item # 27 is a public hearing on a proposed ordinance, which would let the County declare certain development applications “inactive,” and thereafter to deny them, when the applicants are not actively pursuing the applications with the County.

Agenda Item # 27.1 would reconfigure lot lines on parcels located between San Lucas and San Ardo, in South Monterey County. Such minor lot line changes are often accompanied by more than minor impacts in the real world.

As I say, you might want to take a look at all of these land use related items!

More Information

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Monterey County Online Agenda Website

Dogs and horses feature in two new Draft Environmental Impact Reports. An EIR is required when a governmental agency proposes action that “might” have an adverse impact on the environment. The agency prepares a “Draft” EIR; then, the public has time to comment. The government MUST respond to any substantive comments submitted. If the government tries to ”brush off” substantive comments, the courts will make the government do the research necessary to provide a substantive response. A Final EIR is the Draft, plus all the comments, plus the responses to those comments. If you care about the proposed Monterey Downs development on the former Fort Ord, or if you care about the proposed Carmel Canine Sports Center, in Carmel Valley, you should get involved now.

The deadline for comments on the Monterey Downs Draft EIR is June 1st. The deadline is May 18th for comments on the Carmel Canine Sports Center. Remember, “substantive” comments are needed. Comments along the lines of “I’m against it” don’t put any burden on the government to provide a substantive response.

For those interested in Monterey Downs, the League of Women Voters of the Monterey Peninsula will hold a “pros and cons” public meeting at 12:00 noon tomorrow, at the Unitarian Church, located at 490 Aguajito Road in Carmel.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Canine Sports Center Planning Information
• Proposed Carmel Valley Canine Center Draft EIR
• Carmel Valley Association Listing of Issues – Canine Sports Center
• City of Seaside Monterey Downs Planning Information Website
• Draft EIR For Proposed Monterey Downs Development
• Notice of LWV Meeting on April 8th

The Monterey Peninsula League of Women Voters is hosting a meeting today, at noon, on the proposed Monterey Downs development. Tomorrow, the League of Women Voters of Santa Cruz County is hosting a meeting, and I think that meeting will be of interest to many Santa Cruz County listeners.

Rosemary Menard, Director of the Santa Cruz City Water Department, will provide an update on the City’s water supply, and on the progress of the City Water Supply Advisory Committee, which is developing ways to meet the City’s water supply challenges. Tomorrow’s meeting will be held from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. on the Second Floor of the City’s Main Library. Bring your own lunch; this event is free and open to the public.

Tomorrow evening, at the Green Valley Cinema, 1125 South Green Valley Road in Watsonville, the Watsonville Film Festival and the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County are presenting an evening of inspiring short films. The series is called “The New Environmentalists,” and features short films about environmentalists from around the globe who are working to safeguard the Earth’s natural resources from exploitation and pollution, while fighting for justice in their local communities. Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Will Parrinello will lead a dialogue, following the films.

There is more information on all these events at kusp.org/landuse.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Notice of Monterey Peninsula LWV Meeting on Monterey Downs
• Notice of Santa Cruz County LWV Meeting on Water Supply Issues
• Information On The “New Environmentalists” Film Festival

“Unified Corridors.” What does that phrase mean to you? Well, if you are a resident of Santa Cruz County you might want to find out about the “Unified Corridors” planning effort now underway. The effort is being overseen by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, and the idea is to maximize transportation alternatives in what is generally thought of as the North to South (or South to North) corridor between Santa Cruz and Watsonville.

That corridor is really comprised of various transportation routing alternatives, including Highway One, Soquel Drive and Freedom Boulevard, and the new Santa Cruz Branch Line. I was talking to the head of the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District not so long ago, and he’s got an idea that it might be possible to establish an express, bus-only lane along Highway One by improving the shoulder of the highway for dedicated bus use. Taking the bus might start to look like a really great option, if the busses were zipping by all those cars parked in the roadway on what some people continue to think of as a “Highway.”

At any rate, you can get links to some information about the “Unified Corridors” planning effort by visiting kusp.org/landuse. I would particularly invite you to take an online survey, about your personal preferences, to let the Transportation Commission know what you think might work best for you.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Unified Corridors Plan Website
• Unified Corridors Plan Survey
• Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission
• Notice of April 16, 2015 Unified Corridors Workshop

April 22nd is the “official” date for Earth Day. This year marks the 45th anniversary of Earth Day celebrations here in the United States. While April 22nd is the “official” date, there are events throughout the Month of April which are related to Earth Day, and one of them is tomorrow, right here in the Monterey Bay Region. I speak, of course, of the Marina Earth Day event, scheduled for Saturday, April 11th at Locke-Paddon Park. Activities begin at 9:00 a.m. and continue to 1:00 p.m.

The organizers of the Marina event promise some “work,” as well as a celebration. Be prepared to help remove invasive plants, plant native plants, paint benches and trash cans, put down mulch along the fence line, and pick up trash. Volunteers will be provided with a free lunch. On the celebration side, there will be a puppet show and booths with games, crafts and giveaways, as well as interactive learning booths. Music will be provided by Bag O' Tricks.

I have information on the Marina event in today’s Land Use Blog, found at kusp.org/landuse. It is tomorrow, remember. There will also be an Earth Day celebration in Big Sur, on Sunday, April 12th. Seaside will hold its Earth Day celebration on Sunday, April 19th. I hope you’ll participate. You can do more than one!

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Earth Day History
• Earth Day 2015 Website
• Seaside’s Earth Day Festival – April 19, 2015
• Big Sur Earth Day Festival – April 12, 2015
• Marina Earth Day Event – Saturday, April 11, 2015
• Citizens For A Sustainable Marina

Marina Event: Parking is available at Calvary Baptist Church across from Locke Paddon Park. Register by 8:45 am at Locke-Paddon Park at Seaside Circle near the Marina Library. Bring your water bottle and wear long sleeves. For more information on the Marina Event contact Natalie at nataliezayas@gmail.com