There is no policy document of more importance, where land use is concerned, than a local community’s General Plan. The General Plan is properly called the community’s “Constitution for land use,” since every planning decision, and every local ordinance and regulation, must be “consistent” with the local General Plan. That’s what state law requires.

And there is probably no land use issue of more importance to our local communities than housing, and particularly affordable housing, housing that can be afforded by average and below average income families and individuals.

So, if you reside in the City of Salinas, or if you have a business in Salinas, or if you understand that what happens in the City of Salinas, and how life is in that city, has a profound impact on life in other communities in Monterey County and around the Monterey Bay, you will perhaps be moved to investigate the Draft Housing Element of the Salinas General Plan, which will govern housing-related issues in Salinas from 2015 to 2023. You will perhaps be moved, even, to testify about housing issues and housing policy. There is a public hearing on the Draft Housing Element tomorrow, at the Salinas City Hall. The public hearing starts at 4:00 p.m. You are definitely invited!

There is more information in today’s blog posting at kusp.org/landuse.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• City of Salinas Website
• Draft 2015-2023 Housing Element

On December 7th, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors decided, by a 4-1 vote, to eliminate restrictions that have kept 161 single-family homes affordable to families with average or below average incomes.

About fifteen years ago, a 100% affordable housing subdivision was built near Castroville, and the new homes were sold at a “below market price” to the lucky purchasers. One of the conditions of approval, though, was that when the homes were sold, they had to be sold to another purchaser who was of an average or below average income. This condition is called a “resale restriction.” Without that restriction, the benefit of the reduced price paid by the initial purchaser would just be turned into a personal profit for the initial homeowner. Now, the Board has voted to eliminate that condition, and the 161 current owners will be able to sell their homes at the market price, eliminating the 161 currently affordable homes.

Supervisor Jane Parker was the only member of the Board to vote “No.” She said she was “concerned that removing much-needed affordable housing that other low-income families could benefit from was a ‘disservice to the community’ and allows a ‘few people’ to benefit from something that was supposed to benefit the entire community.”

The actual “final final” decision will be made on January 26th. If you care, you should let your Supervisor know what you think.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Monterey Herald Article

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is moving towards a ballot measure in 2016 that will propose an increased sales tax for transportation purposes:

• Thirty percent of the proceeds would go to Neighborhood Projects
• Twenty-five percent would go for Highway Corridors
• Sixteen percent would go to Mobility Access
• Fifteen percent would go to the proposed Coastal Trail
• Fourteen percent would to to the Rail Corridor

Today, I want to let you know that the Transportation Commission has started work on its 2040 Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Plan (or RTP), and that the Commission would like your input. The RTP identifies multi-modal transportation needs (highway, local road, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, etc.), and identifies a financially constrained list of priority projects. In other words, if the sales tax is increased, how exactly should that new money be spent?

The 2040 RTP is scheduled to be completed in June 2018, and your input on two items is being solicited now: First, what do you think about the draft goals, policies, and targets of the 2040 RTP? Second, what specific transportation projects do you think could improve the transportation network?

The Commission would like to hear from you by January 7th.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Land Use Report – Sunday, December 13th
• Commission Website on RTP Planning

I follow water issues in both Monterey and Santa Cruz County. Land use, transportation, and water policy all go together. From the point of view of “land use,” I would say the main idea is to make sure that commitments aren’t made to new development unless there is a clear way to provide necessary water. Additionally, new developments should really only be approved if the development, as proposed, won’t overstress, even further, the transportation networks that serve our local communities.

If you think that’s a “good” approach (a “common sense” approach, some might say), and if you don’t think that kind of approach to development is currently being taken by the local government agencies representing you, then maybe you should get more personally involved in the land use, water, and transportation decisions made by local government. As I say from time to time, stimulating that kind of personal participation is the “unhidden agenda” of the Land Use Report.

In today’s blog posting, at kusp.org/landuse, I have a link to an article on groundwater management in Monterey County. It’s worth reading. It could also be well worth your time to get personally involved. One person who is personally involved sent me an email, saying that independent and mutual well owners in rural areas should have a voice in managing groundwater. That’s not now the plan, but it does sound like a pretty good idea to me!

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Article In Monterey County Herald on Groundwater Management