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Community GPU Forums

California Native Plant Society, Monterey Bay Chapter Carmel Valley Association Citizens for Responsible Growth Coalition to Protect Housing, Farmlands, Air & Water Concerned Citizens of River Road Friends, Artists and Neighbors of Elkhorn Slough Highway 68 Coalition

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Community GPU Forums

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  1. California Native Plant Society, Monterey Bay Chapter Carmel Valley Association Citizens for Responsible Growth Coalition to Protect Housing, Farmlands, Air & Water Concerned Citizens of River Road Friends, Artists and Neighbors of Elkhorn Slough Highway 68 Coalition LandWatch Monterey County League of Woman Voters of the Monterey Peninsula Líderes Comunitarios de Salinas Monterey Pine Forest Watch North County Citizens Oversight Coalition Planning and Conservation League Foundation Prunedale Neighbors Group Prunedale Preservation Alliance Ranch San Juan Opposition Coalition Save Our Shores Sierra Club, Ventana Chapter Community GPU Forums

  2. Forum # FiveCommunity GPU Final Direction • Importance of the County General Plan. • Why we need a Community General Plan Update. • Next steps in the Community GPU Process. • Summary of major policy recommendations based on the 12 Guiding Objectives and Community Input. • Break-out discussions to ratify policy direction.

  3. What is a General Plan? “The General Plan is the Constitution for all future developments within a city or county” • Provides a vision for the County’s future for the next 20 years. • The blueprint for all future growth and development. • All zoning, ordinances, and planning decisions must be consistent with the General Plan.

  4. Elements of a General Plan Optional Elements • Administration/ Enforcement Mandatory Elements • Land Use • Housing • Infrastructure • Open Space • Conservation • Noise • Safety

  5. Why a Community GPU • Five years and $5 million taxpayer dollars were spent to develop a revised General Plan. • In June 2004, three members of the Board of Supervisors voted to “start over” and scrap the community input from hundreds of meetings and workshops. • This process completes the work the County began to deliver a community-driven vision for the future of Monterey County.

  6. Basis for Community GPU • Existing 1982 General Plan • Existing 2003 Certified Housing Element • The 12 Guiding Objectives Adopted by the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors to frame the General Plan Update • The Draft GPU 3 document, including Coastal and Inland Areas Elements and Background Reports • Contributions from the “Community GPU” Forums

  7. Timeline for the Community GPU • November: Planner to incorporate recommended changes from Community Input • December: Community GPU on website (www.8of10monterey.com) and copies circulated for review • December – January: Seek Individual and Group Endorsements of Community GPU • January: Submit Community GPU to the Board of Supervisors

  8. 12 Guiding Objectives: Touchstone for the Community GPU • Preserve the unique character of Monterey County • Identify land appropriate for development • Preserve a distinction between rural and urban areas • Strongly encourage new affordable housing for people who live and work in Monterey County • Promote high quality, walkable communities and reduce the need for automobiles • Promote, preserve and support agriculture • Minimize development of commercially viable agricultural land • Provide adequate infrastructure for existing and new development • Provide long-term protection of identified resource-rich and habitat areas • Protect the visual integrity of the County • Seek to provide an adequate and sustainable water supply • Provide clear land use values and policies

  9. Guiding Objective #1Preserve the unique character of Monterey County • Incorporate the Inland and Coastal Area Plans into the Community GPU, including their vision statements and special objectives for these unique areas. • New development must be found consistent with these Area Plans.

  10. Guiding Objective #2Identify land appropriate for development. • Provide a land supply that will meet the long-range (20-year) and short-range (5-year) population projections of Monterey County. • Ensure that future growth will not exceed the carrying capacity of available infrastructure and the environment.

  11. Monterey County Projected Need – Room Enough

  12. Monterey County Projected Need – Room Enough * GPU3, Chapter 9, p.254 ** AMBAG 20-Year Forecast ***Room Enough, p.2

  13. Guiding Objective #3Preserve a distinction between urban and rural areas • The majority of new urban development shall be directed to the cities and their spheres of influence. • New urban development in the unincorporated County shall be directed to the Community Areas of Pajaro, Castroville, Boronda, Fort Ord, and to downtown Chualar. • Subdivisions of land outside these areas shall be limited to protect valuable agricultural and resource lands.

  14. Guiding Objectives #4 and 5Provide housing affordable to Monterey residents and workers in walkable communities. • Require new housing to be affordable to the residents and workers in Monterey County, high in quality, and located in walkable communities. • New affordable housing shall be permanently protected for sale or rental to persons and families with very low, low or moderate incomes.

  15. What is Affordable Housing? Housing capable of purchase or rental using no more than 30% of household income by people/families in the following income categories: • Very Low = At or below 50% of median income • Low = 51 – 80% of median income • Moderate – 81-120% of median income Monterey County Median Income = $48,305 Monterey County Median Home Price = $532,000 Household Income to Buy Median Priced Home = $142,000

  16. Who Needs Affordable HousingIn Monterey County? • Moderate Income Jobs: • Police Officer = $52,308 • Elementary School Teacher = $50,492 • Farmworker Supervisor = $40,462 • Low Income Jobs: • Construction Laborer = $37,765 • School Bus Driver = $28,989 • Hairdresser = $24,313 • Very Low Income Jobs: • Bank Teller = $23,313 • Restaurant Cook = $22,796 • Farmworkers and Laborers = $18,689

  17. Affordability by Design Affordable housing in Monterey County generally corresponds to the following densities: • Moderate Income: 10-15 households per acre • Low Income: 15-20 households per acre • Very Low Income: 20-30 households per acre Affordable housing will only be built if it is required to be built by County General Plan policy.

  18. How dense is that?

  19. Multifamily Housing with Appearance of Single Family Forms. Battle Road Farm. 10 homes/acre. What looks like a grand New England farm house incorporates 3 to 6 affordable units, each with a separate entrance and porch.

  20. Guiding Objectives #6 and 7Promote and preserve agriculture. • Establish specific programs to maintain and enhance the long-term viability of agriculture in Monterey County. • Study and promote opportunities for increasing the economic profitability of agriculture. • Ensure the continuation of routine and ongoing agricultural activities.

  21. Leading crop producer in California & USA $3.3 billion annual market value of products $14,000 per acre of cropland v. $30 for grazing

  22. Only 1/5 of agricultural land is “important,” i.e., irrigated cropland – primarily in Salinas Valley Some grazing land has high environmental values

  23. Since 1996 more than one square mile per year has been developed – double the previous rate. 70% of developed land has been “important” farmland.

  24. Land use is inefficient – only 8 people (3 dwellings) per developed acre (compare to 12 in Bay Area). Recent trend is better – 10 people per acre.

  25. Current inefficient use will lead to loss of 25,000 acres of agricultural land within a generation

  26. Guiding Objectives # 8 and 11Provide adequate infrastructure and a sustainable water supply. • Direct new urban development to cities and Community Areas where adequate infrastructure can be provided. • Ensure all essential public services and infrastructure to support new development meet service level standards. • Require proof of an adequate, long-term and sustainable water supply for new development.

  27. GPU Economic Analysis Findings • Under the current cost/revenue structure of the county, lower growth scenarios provide a better fiscal outcome for the county. • Unincorporated development exerts higher service costs on County government, than does growth in the cities. • While all residential developments generate a negative fiscal impact on the County, low-density residential developments generate costs that are much greater than high or even medium density developments.

  28. Guiding Objectives # 9 and 10Protect the County’s natural and scenic resources. • Identify and protect significant ecological areas (SEAs). • Direct new development away from ridgelines and viewsheds. • Identify open space lands for permanent protection through acquisition from willing sellers.

  29. Guiding Objective #12Provide clear land use policies and values. • As much as possible, set standards that establish clear criteria, instead of requiring studies. • General Plan Amendments should be separated from project applications. • Project applications not consistent with the General Plan should be rejected. • Policies that violate Constitutional rights are declared void.

  30. Community GPU “Where we go from here and whether the things that are done through planning or under the guise of planning will be any good and make our future cities, our communities, and our rural areas better places is largely up to our citizens.” Herbert H. Smith, Citizen’s Guide to Planning

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