The Monterey County Board of Supervisors is expected to take action tomorrow on a proposed Carmel Valley Canine Sports Center. The item appears on the Board’s afternoon agenda, at 1:30 p.m.

The Canine Sports Center project was approved by the County Planning Commission, and comes before the Board on an appeal by project opponents. I have mentioned this project more than once on the Land Use Report, because the proposal has generated great public interest on both the “pro” and the “anti” side. Foremost among those urging a “No” vote is the Carmel Valley Association, or CVA, which is probably the County’s most venerable and effective community organization. The major argument advanced by the CVA is the impact of the new traffic that the Canine Sports Center would be likely to generate, if the project were approved. If you’d like to read what the CVA has to say about it, there is a link in today’s Land Use Report. The CVA rather theatrically urges that the Canine Sports Center has been perpetuating “Nine Deceptions” and a big cover up about traffic burdens

To get the “pro” side of the argument, it’s sufficient to read the County staff report, which analyzes the project and finds it consistent with the applicable General Plan and zoning ordinance policies. You can find links to both “pro” and “anti” arguments in today’s blog posting. That’s at kusp.org/landuse.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• CVA Bulletin On Hearing On Canine Sports Center Project
• Board of Supervisors Agenda Website
• EIR And County Information On Proposed Project

This afternoon, the Santa Cruz City Council will hear from the City’s Water Supply Advisory Committee, and receive a set of “Agreements and Recommendations Final Report.” This report will outline a way for the City to address its long-term water supply needs. At the time of this recording, there is no documentation available. If you are following water supply issues, you’ll want to review that report, once it is available. You can come to the meeting at 2:30, which might be a pretty good thing to do! The Council has said, however, that there really won’t be any debate or discussion this afternoon. There will be a full discussion at the Council meeting on November 10th.

The BIG item before the Council today is at 7:30. Mayor Don Lane, and Council Members Micah Posner and Cynthia Chase, are recommending that the Council make a commitment to a permanent Community Garden in the Beach Flats area, and that the City seek to renew the City’s current lease with the Seaside Company. The Seaside Company has proposed to take back the land on which the Garden is located, and to use the land for its own business purposes. I follow land use related items pretty closely, and can report a virtually unprecedented outpouring of public support for maintaining the Beach Flats Garden as currently configured.

There’s a “March For The Garden,” starting at 5:30 this evening. You are invited. There is more information at kusp.org/landuse.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Beach Flats Community Garden Website
• March For The Jardin Facebook Page
• City Council Agenda – October 27, 2015
• Lane, Posner, and Chase Memo To Council
• Public Correspondence On Community Garden

Tomorrow, a group called “Women In Transportation,” with the acronym WTS, will hold a “Monterey Bay Transportation Happy Hour.” Heavy appetizers and wine are promised, along with some heavy networking, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. There is a formal program from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. You can get location and other information at kusp.org/landuse.

Once you get beyond the “heavy appetizers and wine” part of the event, WTS is going to be talking about VMT, an acronym referring to “Vehicle Miles Traveled.” The idea is to reduce VMT, to improve overall community health, not to mention the benefits that reducing VMT has on helping to slow down global warming. Moderating the program tomorrow will be Kathy Previsich, Santa Cruz County Planning Director. Susan Bransen, Deputy Director of the California Transportation Commission, will tell attendees about a plan to charge drivers directly for their use of the road, and Chris Mitchell and Anais Schenk, transportation consultants, will do the VMT piece.

This event is “hosted” by the WTS Chapter in the San Francisco Bay Area, which seems to imply that WTS sees our Region as just one more part of that megalopolis over the hill. Caution is advised on that, but attendance is suggested!

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Happy Hour Announcement
• Program Description
• WTS San Francisco Bay Area Facebook Page

Friends of Locally Owned Water, or Felton FLOW, is holding a “Future of the San Lorenzo Symposium” tonight, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The Symposium will take place at the County’s Highlands Park, located at 8500 Highway 9, in Ben Lomond. Since the San Lorenzo River is the main source of water for the majority of residents in northern Santa Cruz County, this sounds like a meeting that you might want to attend, even if you don’t live in Felton.

Felton FLOW is the group that led the charge for public acquisition of the formerly private water system in Felton, then owned by the California American Water Company. Cal-Am didn’t particularly want to sell its system to the public, but the residents of Felton, and Cal-Am customers, thought the public, not a big corporation, should be in charge of their water supply. From everything I’ve heard, the former Cal-Am customers are happy to have put their water supply under public control. Folks from the Monterey Peninsula, where Cal-Am controls everyone’s water destiny, are also invited to the meeting tonight.

Felton FLOW has also given local water customers a heads up on an upcoming public hearing to consider a drought surcharge. This would only affect customers of the San Lorenzo Valley Water District. If you’d be affected, you might want to mark your calendar for November 19th, at 7:00 p.m.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Felton Flow Website
• Contact Felton Flow By Email
• Press Release On Proposed SLVWD Drought Surcharge

If you and your significant other, or your friend, or anybody ever schedule a “movie night,” or even if you venture out solo, from time to time, to see a good film, let me give you a suggestion.

On Wednesday, November 4th, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., there will be a special screening of the award-winning film “Sand Wars,” followed by a panel discussion of local experts to explore the issues surrounding the pretty much unknown practice of sand mining, its impact on the environment, and its consequences both locally and globally. On the local side, the evening will include presentations by Dr. Gary Griggs, a Distinguished Professor of Earth Sciences and the Director of the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of California at Santa Cruz, Dr. Jason Scorse, Associate Professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, and Dr. Ed Thornton, Emeritus Professor at the Naval Postgraduate School.

Here’s the schedule: 6:00 p.m. a Reception; 6:30 p.m. the Film; 8:00 p.m. the Panel Discussion. The “Sand Wars” film and discussion will be presented at the Irvine Auditorium, McCone Building at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, located at 460 Pierce Street.

You can find out more at kusp.org/landuse. The Monterey Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation is one of the sponsors.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Sand Wars – Green Planet Films
• Trailer – Sand Wars
• Let’s Talk About Sand – TED Talk
• Surfrider Foundation – Monterey Chapter