Podcast: |
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Monterey County
Local governments make most of the land use and development decisions that I talk about here on the Land Use Report. That particularly includes city councils and county boards of supervisors. County governments have land use jurisdiction over all lands that are not located within the boundaries of an existing city. If land is located within a city, then the city council of that city has jurisdiction
City councils and boards of supervisors almost always make their decisions based on advice and recommendations provided by the city or county planning commission. Sometimes, the decisions made by planning commissions are final, though subject to an appeal to the council or the board. Planning commissions, in other words, are important. If you care about land use, you really should be following the activities of your local planning commission, just as you should also be following the decisions of your local city council and board of supervisors.
Today, the Monterey County Planning Commission is meeting in Salinas, starting at 9:00 a.m. A link to the Commission’s agenda is at kusp.org/landuse. The commission will be considering a “Right To Farm” ordinance, new procedures governing how to amend the County General Plan, and an ordinance change that would make it more difficult for oil companies to explore and produce oil and gas in residential districts in Monterey County. There are some other items of interest, too!
More Information:
Former Santa Cruz County Supervisor Gary Patton talks about land use, and land use decisions, with an emphasis on public participation and how the land use process works.