The KUSP Land Use Report #45: It’s All About LAFCO

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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.

During the next few editions of this Land Use Report, I’m going to focus on LAFCO, the Local Agency Formation Commission. There’s a LAFCO in every California county. LAFCOs play a key role in land use policy making.

If you’d like specific information on your local LAFCO, including the LAFCOs for Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, you can get that information on the World Wide Web. Hunt down my Land Use Report #45 at www.kusp.org; you’ll find a link to the website of the California Association of LAFCOs. That website will give you links to LAFCOs from Del Norte to San Diego [http://calafco.org/]. Incidentally, the Monterey County LAFCO is looking for a Public Member; so if you’re interested in serving on LAFCO, contact them for an application.

In the City of Greenfield, as I mentioned last week, a major expansion of the city limits may be proposed, converting productive farmland to urban uses. Clearly, there could be some good things about that: new housing; new tax revenues; and the chance for Greenfield to bring in new industry. On the other hand, conversion of productive farmland to subdivisions can undermine the long-term health of the Monterey County economy, which is built on agriculture.

Next time, I’ll explain in some detail who decides what happens in Greenfield. In the end, it’s all about LAFCO.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

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