Land Use Report

Friday, March 4, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Is growth always good? Let’s think about it! In general, we tend to think that growth is “good.” Parents want their children to grow and thrive, and “thrive” and “grow” are almost synonyms in that context. We want our bank accounts to grow. That’s always [...]

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The future of the City of Capitola will be discussed tomorrow. Tomorrow, the Capitola Planning Commission will consider a comprehensive rezoning of the City. Aslisteners probably know, the zoning designation given to a particular property isthe single most important factor in determining what the future [...]

Monday, February 29, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The future of Toro Park may be at risk. If you are concerned about illegal trail building in Monterey County’s Toro Park, there’s a meeting this evening that you will want to attend. For about nine months, concerned park users have been complaining that mountain [...]

Sunday, February 28, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. I have news today about a proposed Urban Growth Boundary. In Monterey County, the City of Marina has an Urban Growth Boundary, established by an initiative measure enacted by the voters some years ago. I am pretty sure that Marina is the only city in Monterey County that [...]

Friday, February 26, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Pot farming in rural areas is a big issue around the Bay! Last Friday, I told listeners that there would be a special meeting ofthe Monterey County Board of Supervisors today, Friday, February 26th, to consider an interim ordinance relating to the cultivation of medical [...]

Wednesday, February 24, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Parks are being planned in the City of Monterey! This afternoon, the Monterey City Council is going to be meeting with the City’s Parks and Recreation Commission, and with the City’s Planning Commission, in a joint session. The meeting will be held from4:00 to 6:00 [...]

Monday, February 22, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. All sorts of hot topics are on the agenda tomorrow; that’s Tuesday! If you are thinking you might be “bored” tomorrow, with nothing to do, consider attending one of our local “Board” meetings. Both the Monterey County Board of Supervisors and the Santa Cruz County [...]

Sunday, February 21, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. What’s happening in San Benito County? The Monterey Bay Region officially includes San Benito County. Santa Cruz County and Monterey County residents sometimes forget that, because San Benito County doesn’tdirectly touch the Monterey Bay. San Benito County is not far away, though,and San Benito County, and the cities [...]

Friday, February 19, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. What do you think about pot farming in Carmel Valley? On Tuesday, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting to consider theissue of marijuana cultivation. The Board isplanning for another special meeting, on February26th, to consider extending and perhaps amending the County’s [...]

Wednesday, February 17, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. There is a statewide uproar over coastal protection! As many listeners may know, the California Coastal Commission met last week in Morro Bay, andconsidered whether or not to fire Dr.Charles Lester, the Commission’s Executive Director. The Commission gave notice to Dr. Lester that it intended [...]

Monday, February 15, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The City of Monterey may soon have a new Waterfront Master Plan. The Monterey City Council meets on Tuesday, February 16th. There is really only one substantive item on the agenda for the evening session, which begins at 7:00 p.m. If you care about the [...]

Sunday, February 14, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. Rogue bike trails threaten our environment. I quite often hear from listeners who would like me to broadcast information about one land use item or another. I definitely encourage that! Every Land Use Report is not only aired on KUSP; itis memorialized in a written transcript, usually with [...]

Friday, February 12, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. There is a meeting next week on the proposed Coastal Rail Trail. The proposed Coastal Rail Trail in Santa Cruz County would have lots of positive impacts, and maybe some negative impacts, too. It is to beexpected a proposed project of this kind would be [...]

Wednesday, February 10, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. For the future of the coast, the stakes couldn’t be higher! The California Coastal Commission is meeting today, Wednesday, in Morro Bay, and will decide whether or not to fire the Commission’s Executive Director, Dr. Charles Lester. Usually, the public doesn’t pay much attention to [...]

Monday, February 8, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. I have a long list of meetings for you! Listeners to the Land Use Report are often treated (if that’s the word) to advisory messages about land use-related meetings that are coming up. Local and state government bodies of all kinds have important meetings, and [...]

Sunday, February 7, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. Head’s up! Cal-Am has just issued a status report. If you live, or work, or own a business on the Monterey Peninsula, you’ve got to care about what the California American Water Company, or Cal-Am, is doing to meet current and future water supply needs. As I like [...]

Friday, February 5, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. You can confront climate change right in your own home town! The Progressive Christian Forum (and I believe other sponsors) are hosting a conference on the “Moral Dimensions of Climate Change.” Doors open tonight, Friday, at 6:00 o’clock at the Peace United Church, located at [...]

Wednesday, February 3, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Downtown Santa Cruz may be going up, up, up! Decisions about land use have incredibly important impacts on the shape and character of our local communities. Of course, they have economic and environmental impacts, too. Currently, the City of SantaCruz is engaged in lots of [...]

Monday, February 1, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. A big new development is being proposed in Carmel Valley. Tonight, Monday, the County’s Land Use Advisory Committee (or LUAC) will hold a hearing on aproposed Rancho Canada Subdivision. The hearing will be held at St. Philip’s Lutheran Church, 8065Carmel Valley Road, starting at 6:30 [...]

Sunday, January 31, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. Debate is brewing around Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz County. Pleasure Point includes the neighborhoods located between 23rd Avenue and41st Avenue, andbetween Portola Drive and East Cliff Drive, which sits right at the edge of Monterey Bay. In2007-2008, the Santa Cruz County Planning Department undertook a community planning [...]