KUSP 88.9 fm, Santa Cruz - Gary Patton's Land Use Report

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.

Note: The Land Use Report utilizes links provided by other entities and cannot guarantee that they will remain available by those hosting organizations. For broken links, please search via the website of the organization mentioned.

Governmental agencies called “Community Service Districts” can play an important role in providing water, sewer, and other services. Usually, Community Service Districts have a lower profile than cities, or counties, or special districts, and the officials in charge are generally appointed, not elected.

The Pajaro–Sunny Mesa Community Service District is anything but “low profile.” Governed by five appointees of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, the District has been aggressively litigating against the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency, claiming that a significant part of the Agency’s revenues come from illegally imposed charges. One of the consequences of this litigation could actually be to drive the Water Management Agency out of business. Pajaro–Sunny Mesa has a desalination proposal it would like to advance; one of the members of the District Board is currently accused of living outside the District; and the Board is soon going to decide on whether to increase its water rates 10% a year for the next five years.

When I say “soon,” I mean tomorrow night. The District Board of Directors is scheduled to consider the rate increase at a meeting that will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 12th. Those affected should definitely plan to attend. Those otherwise interested in this non-“low profile” water agency, can find out more by tracking down the transcript of today’s Land Use Report.For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.More Information

Generally speaking, the land within cities is already “developed,” and “undeveloped” land lies outside city boundaries, which means that it’s under the jurisdiction of the County Board of Supervisors. Those who want to be involved in the policy decisions that will affect the future of currently undeveloped lands (often agricultural or open space and natural lands) need to pay special attention to what the Board of Supervisors is doing. In the Central Coast region, that’s actually pretty easy. The San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and Santa Cruz County Boards of Supervisors put their agenda packets online, so any person can not only find out what topics will be coming up for discussion, but can see the staff reports that the Board Members will review. Boards of Supervisors almost always meet on Tuesdays, so today’s the day!

Today in Monterey County, the Board is being asked to approve a rural subdivision on its Consent Agenda, which means the Board is likely to approve this proposal to create more new parcels in North Monterey County, where traffic and water problems already exist. That’s Item #32.

In Santa Cruz County, the Board will consider the Housing Element of the General Plan, set important land use matters for hearings, and talk about how to speed up and reform the permit approval process for residential construction projects.More information on all these items can be found in the transcript of today’s Land Use ReportFor KUSP, this is Gary Patton.More Information: San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors Agenda - http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/bos/BOSagenda.htm Monterey County Board of Supervisors Agenda - http://publicagendas.co.monterey.ca.us/

I am a big fan of a group called “Transition Santa Cruz,” because this group is attempting to engage members of the greater Santa Cruz community in the key water, transportation, and land use issues that will have such an important effect on our future. Civic education leads to civic engagement, and civic engagement leads directly to “politics,” which is where the policies that guide our collective actions come from. I keep thinking that Bob Dylan was right when he said, “we live in a political world.” Because it is “political,” we can change it. Maybe even make some improvements. Looking around at what’s happening now, I think we’d better try!

The latest civic education project of Transition Santa Cruz is a series of evening presentations called “Housing Within Reach.” You can get full information from the transcript of today’s Land Use Report, or by simply searching out the Transition Santa Cruz website. The series will take place on alternate Thursday evenings, from January 14th through March 11th, and the first session is tomorrow night.From 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. tomorrow, at the United Methodist Church at 250 California Street in Santa Cruz, you can find out about “Housing Economics,” why we are losing ground on affordability and what we can do about it. I hope many of you will be able to attend, and if you have a conflict tomorrow, don’t forget the rest of the presentations in the “Housing Within Reach” series.For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.More Information: Transition Santa Cruz Website - http://www.transitionsc.org/ Information on the “Housing Within Reach” Series - http://www.transitionsc.org/node/188 Bob Dylan, Lyrics to “Political World” - http://www.gapatton.net/2010/01/6-we-all-know-for-sure-that-its-real.html Land Use Links - http://www.kusp.org/landuse/2009/11/30b.htmlThursday, January 14, 2010 – Community Economic DevelopmentMark your calendars for a “Community Meeting on Economic Development,” sponsored and led by Monterey County Supervisor Jane Parker. The meeting will be held at the Marina Library from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 31st. Supervisor Parker is holding quarterly community meetings, to discuss specific issues of importance to County residents. The meetings are structured to share information about the selected topic with those who attend, and then to solicit input and reactions from the participants. Feedback from the meetings is placed into a brief summary report that is shared with the County Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Supervisors.Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Leopold is also focusing on economic development issues, and is also making a real effort to engage the public in what County government is doing. During the next three months, Supervisor Leopold will hold an open community meeting each Wednesday evening, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. You can get complete information by contacting Steve Kennedy, in Supervisor Leopold’s office. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 20th at the Loma Prieta Community Center, 23800 Summit Road. Other meeting locations include Michael’s on Main, in Soquel; People’s Coffee, at 1200 17th Avenue in Live Oak; and Erik’s Deli Cafe, at 1664 Soquel Drive in Santa Cruz.For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.More InformationSupervisor Jane Parker’s Website – http://www.janeparker.org/ Supervisor John Leopold’s Website - http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/bds/dist1.htm Land Use Links - http://www.kusp.org/landuse/2009/11/30b.html For more information on the Wednesday meetings contact Steve Kennedy in Supervisor Leopold’s Office at:

I am heading out for some pretty extended travel, and won’t be back until the middle of March. I will not, in other words, be here each weekday on the Land Use Report. The Land Use Report itself, however, will continue on, and you’ll be hearing from Monterey County and Santa Cruz County community leaders, giving you their thoughts on how active and engaged citizen participation can make a difference.

Land use decisions do have an important impact on our local economy, environment, and social equity. Most land use decisions are made at the local level, which means that meetings of County Boards of Supervisors will almost always address at least a few items relating to land use policy. Boards of Supervisors meet on Tuesdays, and their agendas are online by the previous Friday. Check them out!And don’t forget City Council meetings! Most City Councils meet at least a couple of times per month, and these meetings, too, almost always involve important land use policy and project decisions. You can get access to a set of “Land Use Links” by clicking on the Land Use Report icon on the KUSP website.Because our personal participation in the land use decision-making process can make such a huge difference, it’s important for us to get involved! That’s the “unhidden agenda” of the Land Use Report, and it’s a theme that will continue to be heard, even though I’m not here myself to deliver the message. For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.More InformationWritten transcripts and a list of relevant links are available on the KUSP website. So are audio “podcasts” of current and past editions of the Land Use Report - http://www.kusp.org/shows/land.html

The Saturday edition of the Santa Cruz Sentinel carried an article with the following headline: “Santa Cruz water officials begin to worry about water.” Members of the Community Water Coalition, a group based in Santa Cruz, might well say, “ Hey, it’s about time!”

The Community Water Coalition was formed in early 2009, and first appeared before the Santa Cruz City Council in February of last year. Right from the start, the Community Water Coalition has been telling the City that City officials need to pay more attention to the real possibility of systemic water shortages. At risk are the water supplies not only of City residents, but residents and businesses in Live Oak and Pasatiempo, and in parts of the City of Capitola, and farmers on the North Coast.

This Wednesday, the Santa Cruz County Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO, will review proposed comments on a Draft Environmental Impact Report prepared for a proposal by the City Council to commit virtually all of any remaining City water supply to future growth at the University of California. If this happens, current water users would certainly suffer larger water cutbacks during drought periods, and might even have to cut back their current water use during normal water years. LAFCO has another item on water policy on its agenda as well. You can find out more on the KUSP website.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010 - Upcoming in Monterey County

I am going to be doing some traveling during the early part of this year, and while I’m gone, I won’t be able to provide a personal “heads up” on the meetings and events you ought to be thinking about attending. KUSP will be filling this weekday “Land Use Report” slot with what I hope will be some pretty compelling guest presentations, but you are going to be a bit more “on your own” with respect to information about upcoming land use policy and project items.

Since the decisions made by local governments about land use, and water, and transportation have such a major impact on our future, I want to encourage you to do some “self-help” while I’m gone. KUSP now has a set of “Land Use Links” on its website, and I encourage you to use them, to investigate what is happening with respect to land use here on the Central Coast. Just click on the Land Use Report icon, and you’ll find those “Land Use Links.”

Furthermore, both Monterey County and Santa Cruz County have a specific page on their County websites that highlight some of the most important land use project and policy items currently pending in those jurisdictions. The Monterey County website, for instance, will direct you to information about oak woodlands stewardship guidelines, the always important General Plan Update, the September Ranch water demand analysis, a traffic improvement plan for Carmel Valley, and a host of specific projects under consideration. Here’s my pitch to check these out!

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:
KUSP Land Use Links – http://www.kusp.org/landuse/2009/11/30b.html
Monterey County Website – http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/
Monterey County Planning Department What’s New Page - http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/planning/

Wednesday, January 6, 2010 – LAFCO Meets Today On Water

The City of Santa Cruz wants to expand its “Sphere of Influence” to include an area on the UCSC North Campus that has been designated as “rural” by both the City and the County. Expanding the City’s Sphere of Influence would allow the City to provide water service to this area, which is now in a forested and natural condition. UCSC wants to construct over three million square feet of new buildings on its North Campus, and is seeking 152 million gallons of water a year to make all this new growth possible. The policy issues are significant, which is why the City has had to prepare an Environmental Impact Report, or EIR, on this proposed expansion of its Sphere of Influence. The deadline for comments on the City’s Draft EIR is January 19th. You can obtain a copy online, and I encourage you to do so.

If you’re in the mood for a meeting this morning, I’d also encourage you to stop by the Fifth Floor of the Santa Cruz County Governmental Center, where the Santa Cruz County Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO, is holding a meeting at 9:30. LAFCO is a “responsible agency” with respect to the City of Santa Cruz plan to expand its Sphere of Influence, and will be discussing this proposal, and the EIR, at today’s meeting. LAFCO will also discuss setting up a special “Water Policy Committee,” to address critically important water policy matters.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:
Draft EIR on Proposed Sphere of Influence Expansion –
http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/index.aspx?page=36&recordid=137&returnURL=%2findex.aspx%3fpage%3d342
Santa Cruz Sentinel Article on Water - http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_14109832
Santa Cruz County LAFCO Website – http://www.santacruzlafco.org/
Agenda, January 6, 2010 LAFCO Meeting –
http://www.santacruzlafco.org/pages/agenda/20100106materials/1-6-10%20agenda.pdf
Staff Report On UCSC –
http://www.santacruzlafco.org/pages/agenda/20100106materials/Dec%202009%20UCSC%20DEIR%20comments.pdf
Staff Report on LAFCO Water Policy –
http://www.santacruzlafco.org/pages/agenda/20100106materials/water%20policy%20committee.pdf

Thursday, January 7, 2010 – Upcoming Items in Santa Cruz County

As I noted on Tuesday, I am going to be doing some traveling during the early part of this year, and while I’m gone, I won’t be able to provide you with a personal “heads up” on the meetings and events you ought to be thinking about attending. You will definitely be a bit more “on your own” with respect to information about upcoming land use policy and project items. That doesn’t mean, however, that you won’t be able to find out what’s going on. You can use the “Land Use Links” that KUSP now has on its website to check out the online resources provided by most local governments on the Central Coast.

The Santa Cruz County Planning Department, for instance, has a specific page on the County website that highlights some of the most important land use policy items currently being considered by Santa Cruz County government. If you click on the Land Use Report icon on the KUSP website, and track down the written transcript of today’s Land Use Report, you’ll get the right link. Click on that link and you’ll find information on the Pleasure Point Community Plan, the new Draft Aptos Village Plan, and the Aptos Village Plan Environmental Impact Initial Study. Santa Cruz County is also going to be reviewing its Housing Element, and has prepared an Environmental Impact Initial Study for that project, too.

Land use decisions will largely define the future of our communities. An important purpose of the Land Use Report is to stimulate you to get personally involved in those critically important community decisions.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information
Santa Cruz County Website – http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/
Santa Cruz County Planning Department “What’s New” Page - http://www.sccoplanning.com/

“Swords To Plowshares” is the title of an event being held in Marina next Monday, January 11th, sponsored by Citizens For A Sustainable Marina. The event takes place at the Marina Library, and is scheduled to run from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The “Swords To Plowshares” event will provide information about how the former Fort Ord is being transformed from a military base into an area dedicated to sustainable public benefits. Speaking will be Bob Brown, CSUMB Director of Facilities; Jordan Daniels, the “Building Wise” Project Manager on the transformation of the downtown Monterey Safeway to a Trader Joe’s retail store; Professor Enid Blader from CSUMB*; Steven Endsley, the Director of Planning and Finance for the Fort Ord Reuse Authority; and Bruce Delgado, a Biologist with the Bureau of Land Management, who also happens to be the Mayor of Marina.

Talk about important land use policy decisions! Turning a military base into something completely different really does make a difference for our future.

Also on January 11th, at the UCSC Arboretum Horticulture Building, the California Native Plant Society will host a presentation on “An Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Program,” outlining how weed management can avoid the use of toxic pesticides. That meeting starts at 7:30 p.m.