[Sosfbay-discuss] Open Space Initiative

[Wes Rolley]

I had the following LTE  in the MH Times today.
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This month, you are being asked to sign a petition for a Land 
Conservation Initiative to go on the November Ballot.  This is being 
advertised as an "Open Space" initiative, but truthfull it goes far 
beyond being only that.
We are being asked to make a fundamental decision about what we value 
and how much value we place on the way our communitiy grows, where that 
growth takes place and at what pace.  Morgan Hill has for a long time  
favored controlling the rate of growth.  The restrictions that this 
initiative places on the permitted uses of hillsides, ranchlands and 
agricultural areas are designed to ensure that they will not become the 
haven for high impact industry that fails to meet City Zoning standards. 
We already see that in parts of Coyote Valley and will see it all over 
without additional regulation.

One objective of this petition is to "preserve ranchlands and 
agriculture."  It may be too late to truly do that.  I have been told by 
many agricultural producers in the valley that they are only marginally 
profitable, if that.  Even our own County Government demonstrated that 
they did not think it worth trying to preserve agricultural land when 
they allowed Williamson Act abuse to become the rule rather than a rare 
exception.  The initiative is one way of preserving agricultural lands.  
They may have to change in terms of what they produce and how they get 
their product to market. But having some supply of food close to 
metropolitan areas makes sense in an era when the transportation and 
handling costs of everything are escalating every year.  This initiative 
needs to be coupled with proper use of the Williamson Act.

I am going to sign the petition.  I have complete support for its 
objectives.  Even if I did not, I would still sign the petition.  The 
debate that will surely arise from this petition is health for the 
community.  The decisions we will make are important. Do we truly place 
a value on having open space, clean streams, nearby agriculture?  We 
need to choose wisely with a view toward what kind of community we leave 
our childern.

-- 
"Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don't, then you are wasting your time on this Earth" Roberto Clemente

Wes Rolley
http://www.refpub.com/
Tel: 408.778.3024