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Listen to the reports each weekday at 6:49 am & 8:49 am To
suggest a topic for a future land use report, or to convey a comment,
please use this link.
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| Past
Reports
The following Land Use Reports have been presented on KUSP by Gary Patton, Executive Director of The Planning and Conservation League. The opinions expressed by Mr. Patton are not necessarily those of KUSP You can contact Gary Patton at PCL by emailing him at: gapatton@pcl.org.
Monday, February 26, 2007 – “Sham” Mobilehome Park Conversions Because mobilehome park residents typically own their mobilehome, but not the land it sits on, many local governments have imposed “rent control” ordinances to prevent park owners from treating mobilehome residents unfairly. A local government’s ability to enact such a “rent control” measure, however, evaporates if the park is “owned” by the residents themselves. Some park owners have apparently been establishing “sham” resident ownerships, as a way to put mobilehome park tenants at an economic disadvantage. Supervisor Beautz is calling for a change in state law, to make sure that practice stops. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton. More Information The San Luis Obispo county Housing Trust Fund is advertising a video that documents how resident ownership of mobilehome parks, if done correctly, can be an effective way to preserve affordable housing opportunities. You can get more information at: http://www.nwaf.org/content/files/American_Dream.pdf Tuesday, February 27, 2007 – Affordable Housing in Aptos Santa Cruz County has been working very hard to get HCD certification of its Housing Element, and today the Board will be considering the designation of additional land for housing, and specifically for additional affordable housing, in the Aptos area. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton. More Information Wednesday, February 28, 2007 – A Management Plan For The Pinnacles The Pinnacles is a National Monument, established in 1908, and the National Park Service, which has responsibility for the Pinnacles, is now developing a new General Management Plan. The Park Service would really like to have public comments, and this is your chance to weigh in. You can get full information on the KUSP website, including a complete list of hearings, but here’s a starter set: You can comment on March 7th, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Soledad High School’s Mission Room, 1425 Gabilan Drive in Soledad, or on March 19th, again from 7:00 to 9:00, at the San Benito County Board of Supervisors chambers in Hollister. The last management plan was completed in 1976, so it’s high time to re-look at this area, especially since California condors and California red-legged frogs have recently been reintroduced to the Pinnacles. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton. More Information Public comments on the proposed management plan can be mailed to the Pinnacles National Monument GMP, 500 Highway 146, Paicines, CA 95043, or emailed to pinn_gmp@nps.gov. Comments will be accepted through May 31st. You may also call Carl Brenner at 831-389-4485, Ext. 265, or Martha Crusius at 510-817-1447, for more information. Thursday, March 1, 2007 – Transportation in Santa Cruz County Most recently, the Campaign for Sensible Transportation has been working at the state level, to oppose the allocation of hundreds of millions of dollars from the recently passed state highway bond, to pay for widening Highway One in Santa Cruz County. On the other side of this debate has been the Santa Cruz County Transportation Commission, which is meeting today. Highway One widening will almost certainly be discussed at today’s meeting. Also on the agenda is a recommendation to “reconfigure” the so-called “Transportation Funding Task Force.” This group has been in existence for more than a year, and was envisioned, at least by some, as a way to build a consensus for new transportation funding for Santa Cruz County. That hasn’t really happened, so now the Commission is talking about changing the composition of the Task Force, perhaps with the idea of getting a pro-highway widening recommendation. For more information, check the KUSP website. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton. More Information You can contact the Campaign for Sensible Transportation by writing to Box 604, Santa Cruz, CA 95061, or by telephone at 831-425-0665, or by email at: staff@sensibletransportation.org. You can also visit the Campaign for Sensible Transportation Website at www.sensibletransportation.org. Friday, March 2, 2007 – Campus Earth Summit This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Melissa K. Nelson, whose work in deep ecology and eco-psychology contains elements that the sponsors hope can help heal the division between campus and community. Dr. Nelson will speak alongside Acting Chancellor George Blumenthal, Assemblymember John Laird, and other community, faculty, and student leaders. The sponsors of the Campus Earth Summit believe that there are numerous opportunities for the UCSC campus to move towards long-term sustainability, and the Campus Earth Summit will include the following discussion topics: Long Range Development, Curriculum, Waste Prevention, Green Building, Green Purchasing, Campus Ecosystem Preservation, Transportation, Campus Food Systems and Renewable Energy. Groups will review current knowledge about what UCSC is already doing that moves the campus toward sustainability, including results from 2006 Earth Summit action items. Groups will then create an action plan for 2007, and form working groups to stay connected throughout the year. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton. More Information |