The KUSP Land Use Report #34: The Greenfield General Plan

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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.

Greenfield is located in the heart of the Salinas Valley, and it’s just starting to work on a new General Plan. At a workshop on Thursday, interested residents took an official look at the future of the city. One key issue is what will become of the agricultural lands that surround Greenfield.

Greenfield’s population is about 13,000. At a 2.5% annual growth rate, Greenfield can expect another 10,000 persons by the year 2020. In Monterey County, every 1,000 new residents have required the conversion of 159 acres of agricultural or open space land. If that pattern prevails, Greenfield would need to convert over 1,500 acres of agricultural land, and the physical size of the town would about double.

There is another way to plan for anticipated growth. In Santa Cruz County, each 1,000 new residents requires the conversion of only 40 acres of land, not 159 acres. With General Plan policies that make agricultural land preservation a priority, Greenfield could probably accommodate the 10,000 new persons it expects with a loss of only 400 acres of agricultural land, not 1,500 acres.

Every town in the Salinas Valley faces this same issue. In Greenfield, Salinas, and elsewhere, now’s the time to have your views heard.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

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