LandWatch urges immediate response to save Monterey County General Plan Update
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Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 16:53:46 -0800 Stop The Hijack of General Plan Update Here's the Current Situation The Monterey County Board of Supervisors will next consider the County General Plan Update on Tuesday, November 26, 2002 (probably at 1:30 p.m.). At that time, the Board will decide whether or not the General Plan Update for Monterey County will carry out the wishes so strongly expressed by the public, or will capitulate to those who want to spread development into rural and agricultural areas. So far, the General Plan Update process has produced a draft plan that protects open space and farmland, and that focuses new growth in a limited number of urban areas where it will be cost effective, and where necessary infrastructure and services can be provided. The current draft is notperfect by any means, but it does essentially respond to these basic rules of good planning). Not surprisingly, those who will personally profit from bad planning the developers and landowners who want to build subdivisions in rural areas and on farmland are trying to hijack the General Plan Update. It looks like they're succeeding! The County has received 270 requests to build subdivisions in rural areas and on farmland. Almost all of these requests are completely inconsistent with the ìheart and soulî of the draft GPU, and of the twelve guiding objectives that spell out the good planning principles on which the current draft GPU is based. The public, the Planning Commission, and the planning staff have recommended that most of these property owner requests be denied. Last Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors refused to deny these property owner requests, despite their inconsistency with the principles of the GPU. Here's where the Supervisors stood: Supervisor Potter - Willing to deny the property owner requests and support the GPU The GPU was scheduled for decision last Tuesday but Supervisor Calcagno wouldn't say which side he prefers. This is not a situation in which you can be on ìboth sides. Board Members need to make a decision either for or against the GPU (and either for or against the property owner requests). The Board continued its consideration to November 26th. On that date, we need the Board to deny the property owner requests that are inconsistent with the principles on which the draft GPU is based. We also need the public process to recommence. The current direction to staff is to make changes, and then to return the redraft to the Board of Supervisors, instead of sending the plan out for further public review. On November 26th, we need the Board to send this plan back to the public! Anything else will let the special interests hijack the GPU. What You Can Do: LandWatch urges you to help in any (or all) of the following ways: Call Supervisor Calcagno and tell him He should oppose the property owner requests inconsistent with the GPU principles. He should vote to return the plan to the public process on November 26th. Call Supervisor Calcagno at: 831- (831) 755-5063 Immediately write the Board of Supervisors and tell them: The Board should deny property owner requests inconsistent with the GPU principles. The Board should return the plan to the public process on November 26th. Write the Board at 240 Church Street, Salinas, CA 93901. Plan to attend the November 26th meeting in person (at 1:30 p.m.) so that Board Members will see, in the audience, that the public supports this plan! It would be hard to overstate the importance of this. Help LandWatch phone concerned residents to get them to take action as above. Help LandWatch take this issue to the streets and to the shopping centers mobilizing the public to speak out against the hijack of the General Plan by development interests. The future of Monterey County is at stake! If you want to help, please call Arianne Tucker at LandWatch: 831-422-9390, Ext.11. She'll help you make a difference: |