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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, who was a member of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors from 1975 to 1995. Mr. Patton now practices environmental law in Santa Cruz with the Wittwer & Parkin law firm. The opinions expressed by Mr. Patton are not necessarily those of KUSP Radio, nor of any of its sponsors. Tomorrow, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will consider the Heritage Oaks subdivision, which has been pending in the Monterey County planning system for years. There are a number of issues, but the overriding issue is water. North Monterey County is dependent on groundwater, and the aquifers serving North County are in an overdraft condition. The question for the Board is whether or not to authorize the creation of thirty-two new lots, all of which would draw on that same, overdrafted supply. Typically, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors says “yes” to developers, and approves development proposals, even when adverse impacts are clear. Tomorrow may be different. North County Supervisor Lou Calcagno is seeking reelection, and is being challenged by North County resident Ed Mitchell, who is complaining that pro-development decisions have shortchanged the North Monterey County area. “Politics” does play into governmental decisions, and often in a very good way. When local residents get organized, to the extent that they can challenge established incumbents, their concerns have a way of getting paid attention to. Monterey County residents might also take a look at the list of “future items” on the agenda of the Monterey County Local Agency Formation Commission, which meets this afternoon. Development of prime farmlands in the Salinas Valley continues to be a real threat. There is more information on the KUSP website. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton. More Information Tuesday, December 8, 2009 – The Monterey County General Plan Tomorrow, the Monterey County Planning Commission will discuss a schedule for hearings on the proposed Monterey County General Plan Update. I have to chuckle when I see that the agenda lists this item as “General Plan 2007.” Someone who hasn’t been following the saga of the Monterey County General Plan Update, and who read the agenda as a matter of first impression, might think that the County was a bit “behind,” since the Commission is only now talking about the schedule for hearings on a 2007 General Plan proposal. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton. More Information: Wednesday, December 9, 2009 – Biking and Walking in Marina The City of Marina has upgraded its website, and it’s now very easy to get helpful bulletins about what the City government is doing. I’ve signed up to get alerts on various land use related items, and would like to suggest that residents of Marina do likewise. If you want some initial guidance, you can go to the KUSP website, and click on the icon for the Land Use Report. Track down today’s written transcript, which has a list of the necessary links. Because I’m signed up on the Marina “Notify Me” alert system, I have learned that the Draft Marina Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan is now ready for public review. Public hearings will begin soon, including hearings involving the City Public Works Commission in December, hearings before the Planning Commission in January, and before the City Council in February, where final approval is anticipated. Transportation and circulation issues (key parts of a community’s General Plan, by the way) often determine just how a community develops. If you live or work in Marina, the new Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan effort provides you with a real opportunity to help shape the future of the community. “Smart growth” principles say that basing our transportation system on the automobile is often counterproductive, in all sorts of ways. Check out the current Draft Master Plan, and then weigh in with your thoughts! For KUSP, this is Gary Patton. More Information: Thursday, December 10, 2009 – Opportunities For Engagement In the City of Santa Cruz, a community group called “Santa Cruzans for Responsible Planning,” or SCRP, is actively engaged in maximizing civic engagement and oversight where key land use and development issues are involved. If you’re interested in being more than a spectator, you might want to get involved yourself. I’ve put a contact email address in the written transcript of today’s Land Use Report. Another way to get engaged in land use and planning issues is to become a member of one of the City’s advisory bodies that review land use, public works, and development issues, before they go to the Santa Cruz City Council. Often the City’s Commissions have a big impact on the ultimate decisions made by the City Council on land use related matters. If you have any interest in that idea, please be advised that the Santa Cruz City Council will soon be making appointments or reappointments to various City Commissions. Applications are due by January 13th and the City Council is scheduled to take action on the appointments or reappointments at their meeting on January 26th. The Downtown Commission has one vacancy; the Historic Preservation Commission has two vacancies; the Public Works Commission has one vacancy; the San Lorenzo River Committee has two vacancies; the Transportation Commission has two vacancies; and the Water Commission also has two vacancies. If you’re a City resident, here’s a chance to get directly engaged in these key policy issues. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton. More Information Friday, December 11, 2009 – Sustainable Events! Here are some upcoming opportunities to find out how to make our communities more “sustainable.” In Santa Cruz, on Thursday, December 17th, at 6:30 p.m. at the Santa Cruz High School Auditorium, Bruce Appleyard and Josh Hart are going to be making a presentation based on research done in the late 1960's by Berkeley Professor of Urban Design, Donald Appleyard. That research dramatically revealed the reality of car-based urban planning, and has become a fixture in sociology and planning texts. Bruce Appleyard is Donald Appleyard’s son, and is a PhD candidate in urban planning at UC Berkeley. Josh Hart is a UCSC graduate who is back in California after three years in Great Britain, and after having obtained a master's degree in transport planning from UWE Bristol. He will present contemporary evidence of the impacts of automobiles on local communities, and outline best practices from places where livable streets have become a priority. His research shows the social benefits of a human-centered, livable streets approach to planning. On a more celebratory note, Marina residents are invited to join the Citizens For Sustainable Marina at a Holiday Potluck to be held Monday, December 14th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Marina Library. No RSVP is needed. There is more information in the transcript of today’s Land Use Report. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton. More Information |