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• 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

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.

What is a General Plan?

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.

“The General Plan is the Constitution for all future developments within a city or county”

Mandatory Elements

Land Use Housing Infrastructure Open Space Conservation Noise Safety

Elements of a General Plan

Optional Elements

Administration/ Enforcement

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.

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

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

12 Guiding Objectives: Touchstone for the Community

GPU1. Preserve the unique character of Monterey County2. Identify land appropriate for development3. Preserve a distinction between rural and urban areas4. Strongly encourage new affordable housing for people who live and work in

Monterey County5. Promote high quality, walkable communities and reduce the need for

automobiles6. Promote, preserve and support agriculture7. Minimize development of commercially viable agricultural land8. Provide adequate infrastructure for existing and new development9. Provide long-term protection of identified resource-rich and habitat areas10. Protect the visual integrity of the County11. Seek to provide an adequate and sustainable water supply12. Provide clear land use values and policies

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.

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.

Monterey County Projected Need – Room

EnoughExisting Legal Lots of Record

Jurisdiction Unit

Potential

3,136 County 7,399

1,315 Cities 6,929

8.2 du’s per acre Spheres of Influence

12,119

New and Rehab at

Fort Ord

10,625

County Pipeline 3,175

Cities’ Pipeline 2,813

TOTAL: 43,060

Monterey County Projected Need – Room

EnoughCounty 5-Year Housing Needs Assessment*

2,511

20-Year Housing Projections for County**

40,093

Dwelling units available*** 43,060

* GPU3, Chapter 9, p.254** AMBAG 20-Year Forecast***Room Enough, p.2

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.

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.

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 = $48,305Monterey County Median Home Price = $532,000Household Income to Buy Median Priced Home = $142,000

Who Needs Affordable Housing

In 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

Affordability by DesignAffordable 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.

How dense is that?

4 Homes/Acre Standard lots, wide streets and poor design.

13 Homes/AcreThe Farm, by Mid-Peninsula Housing, is a multi-unit building in Soquel that has the look and feel of feel of single family houses, with generous shared open space and a community garden.

40 Homes/AcreThese for sale attached townhouses are targeted at 25-75% of area median income. Higher density was achieved by placing 1 bedroom “carriage houses” over the garages off the rear drive.

Battle Road Farm. 10 homes/acre. What looks like a grand New England farm houseincorporates 3 to 6 affordable units, each with a separate entrance and porch.

Three story construction at Battle Road Farm minimizes the foot print of the buildings and allows for a huge amount of public openspace.

Multifamily Housing with Appearance of Single Family Forms.

Guiding Objectives #6 and 7

Promote 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.

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

Leading Monterey Crops (2003)

$0

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

$600

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

Land Use Profile of Monterey County (2000)

50,030

239,335

1,060,630

Urban "Important" Farmland Grazing Land

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

Urbanization of Agricultural Landin Monterey County 1990-2002

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002

Cumulative Development from 1990 to Above Dates

Acr

es

"Important" Farmand Grazing Land

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.

Per Capita Land Usein Monterey County

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

1992 2000 1992-2000

Peo

ple

per A

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of U

rban

Lan

d

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

Actual and Projected Urbanizationof Agricultural Land in Monterey County

(at 1992-2000 Rate of Per Capita Land Use)

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

1992 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040

Acr

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an L

and

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.

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.

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.

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.

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