The KUSP Land Use Report #16: Carmel And Land Use Policy

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The following Land Use Report is presented by Gary Patton, Executive Director of LandWatch Monterey County. The opinions expressed by Mr. Patton are not necessarily those of KUSP Radio, nor of any of our sponsors.

Last Tuesday, the Carmel City Council discussed two issues affecting the future of Monterey County: affordable housing and farmland protection. Carmel is located far from the fertile fields of the Salinas Valley, and is not destined to build a great deal of new affordable housing within its city limits. Still, discussion of these two items did appear on the Council’s rather crowded agenda. That they did is an object lesson. Every local community, from Carmel to King City, has a stake in and needs to be involved with these two related problems.

In the Council agenda packet, the Mayor of Carmel said that the current Fort Ord plan should be updated, to provide more affordable housing options. As you may recall, Congress Member Sam Farr has been saying much the same thing. The agenda packet for the City Council also included a proposed "action plan" for so-called "city-centered growth." That document suggested the development of agricultural land adjacent to city boundaries in the Salinas Valley. On this topic, the Mayor did of Carmel did not indicate her position.

In fact, infill development within existing cities, and even including Carmel, may be the very best way to provide both new affordable housing opportunities, and protection for the invaluable agricultural lands of the Salinas Valley. They’re starting to talk about it, even in Carmel.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

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