Saving Farms Not City’s SEQ Goal


Thrive!'s response to the misleading article in the Morgan Hill Times on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011:  

Dear Editor,

If the City’s goal was to determine 'what the best way to preserve east Morgan Hill’s trademark idyllic aura' of greenbelt and farmlands, they would not be planning how to develop it.

If the City’s goal was to try 'to save farms' they would not be planning to encroach on them with disruptive development adding yet another burden to farming operations.

If the City’s goal was to create mitigation policies that would 'promote the preservation of agriculture' they wouldn’t be considering policies that will at best amount to a 50% loss of farmland for every acre developed.

If the City’s goal is to 'preserve a greenbelt around the southeast side of Morgan Hill' then they wouldn’t be proposing to reduce the current one to nothing more than a relatively small strip of land that will be visible only to those who drive up to it.

Farming can be a difficult and risky business even in the most prosperous of times, but without it we don’t eat. The No Food, No Farms campaign by American Farmland Trust is not an empty slogan. Nor is their statistic that every minute America is losing an acre of farm and ranch land to development.  We need to protect this land, value it for its long-term contribution to the health and welfare of our community, and support regulations and policies that help keep farming viable.

A recent City Staff report indicated that we have up to a 10 year supply of commercial land and buildings and a 17 year supply of residential dwellings. In other words, the City has plenty of land within its jurisdiction for development.  That is where the City should look to accommodate the private Catholic high school – the only solid project they have planned for the SEQ.

There is no need to spend hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on staff and consultant time on an ill-conceived plan that will lead to unnecessary and costly sprawl. Time for residents to speak up and let our Council Members know this.

Thrive! Morgan Hill 

 

Planned Development of the Southeast Quadrant


The City Council is currently planning development on some of the remaining prime farmland in our Southeast Quadrant (Tennant Ave east of the hwy 101 to Maple Ave). Development on these lands runs counter to sound growth policies and responsible fiscal management of our tax dollars. 


There is plenty of vacant and underutilized land within our city limits to accommodate future growth for decades to come, according to an Industrial Land Market Study commissioned by the City Council and completed in December 2006. Development on these lands will cause unnecessary sprawl and put an additional burden on stressed city services. 


The City Council should first work with food and farming organizations to develop sound agricultural policies and programs that will lead to making farming (and agri-tourism) an economically viable part of our community (the City encourages us to buy local, so that means growing local, too!).


Premature annexation and development of the SEQ farmlands is problematic:


- The greenbelt and farmlands are an integral part of our quality of life and the unique character of  Morgan Hill. They have helped distinguish our city from so many others in the Bay Area that have lost their greenbelts to development. Development in the SEQ runs counter to our residents' explicit wish to control sprawl and retain the small town rural feel that our residents cherish 

 

- The City is using over $173,000 of General Plan Update Funds to pay for the development’s Environmental Impact Report without first getting broad input from residents. We advocate making it part of the upcoming General Plan review process in order to get community-wide input on the proposed sweeping changes to our city’s landscape.

 

- Annexation of these county lands requires consent by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO). They have submitted a letter to the City and the City Council clearly outlining how this proposed expansion violates LAFCO's land use policies.

 

- The currently proposed development and Agricultural Mitigation and Preservation policies would do very little if anything to protect the remaining farmland in the SEQ from also being developed.
 
According to American Farmland Trust, America has been losing more than an acre of farm and ranch land every minute to development. Residents of Morgan Hill need to decide if the proposed development on prime farmland in the SEQ is worth adding to this statistic. 



Why is Thrive! Morgan Hill speaking up about this issue?


1. To Prevent Sprawl (Community)

- encourage responsible growth of our city so we retain the small town rural feel that our residents cherish

- ensure we have a meaningful greenbelt between Morgan Hill and San Martin

 

2. To Promote Orderly Growth (Economy)

- make sure the City does not over-tax the currently level of urban services (water, roads, fire, police)

- development within our current growth boundary is a more efficient use of land, services, infrastructure and money

 

3. To Protect Farmland (Environment)

- the lands in the Southeast Quadrant are widely considered as ‘threatened farmland’

- support farming so our community continues to have access to locally grown food

- lessen the environmental impact created by the conversion of farmland to urban uses (increase in traffic, encroachment on remaining farmland) 



Letters to the City Council


Thrive! Morgan Hill letter


LAFCO letter


Greenbelt Alliance letter


 

In the News...


Put SE Quad Project to a Vote 

(Morgan Hill Times 5/5/10)


Now is Not the Time to Approve 

Development That Will Strain Resources 

(Morgan Hill Times 5/5/10)


Preserve Open Space 

(Morgan Hill Times 3/23/10)



 

Copyright © 2010-2012 Thrive! Morgan Hill. All rights reserved.