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Greenbelt Alliance In the News

August 1, 2002

Regional planning revived Headline

Committee that had languished now refocused on SV issues

At a meeting last week, members of the South County Joint Planning Advisory Committee reviewed eight broad topics that they will tackle in coming months. Some of the issues may take years to resolve. Among them: land-use policies, regional transportation, the future of the Coyote Valley, the creation of habitat for endangered wildlife species, the fate of agriculture and park development.

"I was encouraged by the end of the meeting. The group appears more structured now and members are ready to get back on a regular schedule," said Jim Rowe, planning manager for the city of Morgan Hill.

The SCJPAC was created in the mid-1980s to devise a South County Joint Area Plan. The document was adopted in 1989, becoming part of the general plans of Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Santa Clara County. "Cities in North County grew until they bumped against each other. We questioned their wisdom and didn't want to make the same mistake," Rowe said.

As a standing committee, the SCJPAC was supposed to review issues and forward recommendations to the three jurisdictions. But with its primary mission accomplished, the committee began to sputter. "It got to be that meetings lasted only 15 minutes or were canceled altogether. Members were saying 'Do we really need to be a committee?"' said Don Gage, chairman of the board of supervisor, who holds the gavel at the committee meetings.

Finally, high-level planners from the county and the two cities met earlier this summer to evaluate the situation. They agreed that there are enough current and emerging issues to make it worth while keeping the committee alive. "Over the next year, I envision the committee getting involved in issues of multi-jurisdictional interest in more than a show-and-tell way. You will review and comment on issues of broad perspective," Gage said at last week's meeting, probably only the second in more than a year.

In considering the new workload, planners took into consideration their staffing and budget constraints. They chose issues that are of wide interest and ones in which studies are already underway or ready to start. Committee members added suggestions, including requests that experts or organizations familiar with the topic at hand be called on for advice.

One of the major issues is the fate of agriculture, traditionally a mainstay in South County, but one now widely seen as unsustainable on a large scale. A recently completed report by the Santa Clara County Farm Bureau on the matter will be the foundation of committee work.

The creation of a 670-acre habitat for the Bay checkerspot butterfly ordered by federal and state wildlife officials as a prerequisite for the widening of Highway 101 along the edge of the Coyote Valley may be the basis for protecting other species. A habitat conservation plan would identify species in need of protection, locate appropriate safe areas and devise techniques for providing protection.
Based on the experience of communities that have created wildlife protection programs, it will take five to seven years to establish such a program.

Developing wildlife sanctuaries could benefit from Santa Clara County Water District plans to expand its jurisdiction over waterways - another topic that joint planning committee members intend to monitor.

In 1983, the water district was given an easement that extended 50 feet from the center of creeks on either side. The corridor was supposed to keep development away from the very banks of creeks and provide the district room for maintenance work, including erosion control and the eradication of non-native vegetation. Now, the district wants to increase its easement to 150 feet from center on either side. It's not an attempt to amass land, but to help the district protect water quality and restore and create habitat for wildlife, district press liaison Mike Di Marco said. "What we know now is a lot different than what we knew in 1983," Di Marco said.

In another area, San Jose elected officials and planners indicate that work is likely to start this fiscal year on a specific plan for the development of the Coyote Valley. Last year, Morgan Hill and county officials joined counterparts in developing a series of interim planning principles, a guideline approved by the two cities and the county. According to advisory committee plans, its members would request a chance to review and comment on the work and conclusions of the San Jose plan.

In addition to being concerned about what happens beyond its northern border, Morgan Hill officials now are looking in the other three directions. Specifically, they want to pursue general plan elements calling for the establishment of policies governing land use outside areas currently earmarked for urban uses.

"I think there are going to be plenty of opportunities to engage the committee," Rowe said.

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