More Information
Conference Information - http://www.coastalconference.org/sac_2006/index.htm
Conference Registration - http://www.websurfer.us/sac2006/register.htm

Tuesday, April 18, 2006 – The PCL Symposium
Yesterday, I talked about a watershed conference being held this week in Sacramento. Today, I want to extend my personal invitation to you, and to urge you to come to the Planning and Conservation League Environmental Legislative Symposium, to be held on in Sacramento on Saturday, April 29th at the energy-efficient SMUD Building.

SMUD, for you non-Sacramento utility customers, is short for the “Sacramento Municipal Utilities District.” SMUD, being democratically controlled (its Directors are elected), was one of the first utilities in the nation voluntarily to decommission and take off line an operating nuclear power plant. The utility has gone on to pioneer energy conservation in a host of ways, and their Customer Service Building, where the PCL Symposium is being held, demonstrates that commitment in an architecturally-striking manner.

The content of the Symposium, even more than the building where it will be held, is what I hope will draw you to Sacramento on Saturday, April 29th. Full details are available at www.pcl.org website.

The PCL Symposium is entitled, “A Change in the Climate.” You’ll find out about global warming, of course (and how California is leading the way in doing something about it), but also about how we can join together to change the political climate of this state.

Wednesday, April 19, 2006 – The Fishhook Merge Lanes Project
Transportation and land use go together. Or, they should go together. That’s probably a more accurate way to put it. In fact, our post-World War II patterns of sprawl have more or less been caused by the way we’ve built our highways, with the federal Interstate Highway Act providing the sprawl-inducing model for the land uses we’ve sprinkled with such abandon over our rural and agricultural landscapes.

Tonight, you can find out about a major transportation project proposed for Santa Cruz County, the merge lanes project slated soon to be constructed at the intersection of Highway One and Highway 17. This is the infamous “fishhook,” and the meeting tonight will illuminate the “details” of the merge lanes project. Presumably, that will include some explanation of the proposed project timeline. If when it’s all done things are better (and many commuters hope that’s true), there are bound to be traffic disruptions and delays during the actual construction period.

If you’d like to find out more about this upcoming project, plan to attend the information open house being held by CALTRANS this evening. The time is from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the Senior Citizens’ Opportunities Center, 222 Market Street in Santa Cruz. This is a drop-in event, so you can come anytime from 5:00 to 8:00!

Thursday, April 20, 2006 – Regulating Big Box Stores
Frequent listeners to this Land Use Report know that I emphasize the legal rights of the community to make up its own rules and regulations governing land use. Starting with their General Plan, and including local zoning ordinances and other land use regulations, local governments in California can use their governmental powers to shape the future of the community. Because the local officials who make most of these land use decisions are elected, and because we have (I hope we still have) access to the initiative, referendum, and recall, informed and active citizens can often make a huge difference in managing future growth and development.

Landowners, developers, and businesses would often prefer not to have to follow community rules and regulations, since such local rules can reduce their potential profits. For instance, if you can’t turn your farmlands into a subdivision or a shopping center, your land will be worth less. Wal-Mart, one of the biggest businesses in the United States, has been a relentless opponent of local regulations that might prevent Wal-Mart from continuing in its skip-out shopping center model of development. Recently, a state appeals court ruled that cities can regulate big-box superstores in order to prevent the collapse of local businesses, in a way that might extend urban blight. According to the court, the City of Turlock legally used its power to “control and organize development within its boundaries.”

There is a local group organizing against Wal-Mart in Marina. You can reach them through Steve Zmak, “Citizens Against Wal-Mart in Marina!” at cawim@earthlink.net, or by telephone at: 831-883-4459.

Friday, April 21, 2006 – Big Box in Marina
Yesterday, I briefly discussed an Appeals Court decision that holds that local communities have the right to turn down a big-box store if that store would adversely affect existing businesses in a way that could increase urban blight. As you probably know, this is a common complaint against Wal-Mart stores in particular.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.