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LandWatch State of Monterey County Report 1999
1.3 Recommendations
 

Current trends never tell us what "must" or "will" happen in the future--they only describe what is happening now. What will happen in the future depends on our actions today. If we make no changes and do nothing new, then the trends documented in this report will define the future reality of Monterey County.

The current pattern of development in Monterey County is putting the future of both the economy and environment at risk. Significant land use reforms are necessary. LandWatch urges local governments to adopt the following five-point program to guide development of their general plans:

  • Land use policy should encourage the efficient use of land and the conservation of valuable natural resources through the designation of urban growth boundaries.

  • The economic vitality of our local communities should be enhanced by directing new growth and investment inside designated urban growth boundaries and away from open space and productive farmlands.

  • Land use policy should maximize social and economic opportunity by integrating affordable housing within mixed-income neighborhoods.

  • Adequate public facilities and services--including police, fire, schools, parks, transportation facilities, and a reliable water supply--must be in place prior to, or concurrently with, new development.

  • The land use regulatory system should be made more effective, efficient, and accountable, thus providing increased certainty for developers, landowners, and the public, and eliminating unnecessary regulations and delay.

Now is the time to make these public policy changes. Many Monterey County jurisdictions are in the process of amending their general plans, or will soon begin doing so. The urgent need to incorporate these basic land use policy changes into the general plans of the county and the various cities within Monterey County should be clear from this report.

Monterey County citizens are becoming mobilized to address land use issues. With the success of citizen referendum campaigns on Rancho San Carlos, Rancho Chualar II, and Mountain Valley, there is a growing sense that serious land use reforms are necessary. Current trends indicate that land use conflicts will continue to be resolved at the ballot box unless local governments recognize the need for reform and adopt sound land use policies.

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LandWatch's mission is to protect Monterey County's future by addressing climate change, community health, and social inequities in housing and infrastructure. By encouraging greater public participation in planning, we connect people to government, address human needs and inspire conservation of natural resources.

 

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