The KUSP Land Use Report #32: Rancho San Juan

"Listen Live"

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

The big news in Monterey County is the General Plan Update now underway. The policies adopted this year by the Board of Supervisors will guide growth and development in Monterey County until the year 2020. If you care about growth-related issues (about housing, traffic, water, and agricultural land preservation) now is the time to get involved. At the last meeting of the Board of Supervisors, lots of people were getting involved, particularly landowners asking for their property to be considered for more development. One of the most interesting items, however, was not, strictly, a General Plan item.

Rancho San Juan is a proposed major development, almost what you would call a “new town,” to be located just north of Salinas, but not in the city limits. This project would attempt to combine jobs, retail and commercial development, and housing, all in a single integrated plan. County staff asked the Board of Supervisors to expand the area in which development would take place, creating a “front door” to the proposed project right on Highway 101. As it turns out, lots of people had concerns, including the property owners affected.

If you’d like to find out about Rancho San Juan, mark down Tuesday, April 9th, which is when the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will next tackle this controversial proposal.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

[Back to KUSP News Index]