#41, May 3, 2000
I stood on the side of the mountain, facing the valley
below. To the south, on my left, was my home town. I had lived there 19 years,
and watched it sprawl across the flat farmlands. It had once been an ag town,
but now was far along in the transition to something else. North, to my right,
was the big city, the county seat. It too had once been a small farm town, but
now had spread wide, and into the hills.
The land below me was still green, dotted with ranch houses
and barns. But the gray blob from the north was clearly advancing, by subdivision
and strip mall, toward this last patch of open space.
It was 1970, in the hills above Coyote, California,
mid-point between Gilroy and San Jose. I wish the people of Santa Clara Valley
had done more, sooner, to maintain the agricultural productivity and rural
character of the land around their towns. Today, it's almost one big city.
I've heard some people tire of comparisons between Sonoma
and Santa Clara Counties. I will too when they cease to be relevant. Until
sustainability is fully engrained into our culture and economic system, and
money interests do not exercise undue influence on the political process, the
gray blob will keep surging out over green lands. While we have Urban Growth
Boundaries (UGBs) around most of our Sonoma County cities, and a complementary
County ordinance supporting community separators, there is still risk of sprawl
in the surrounding County lands. This is especially true as the technology
industry, overflowing other Bay Area locations, looks to our county for future
expansion.
Fortunately, Sonoma County voters have another
opportunity to further insure the preservation of local agriculture and open
space. Volunteers are now circulation petitions to put the Rural Heritage
Initiative (RHI) on the November ballot. The RHI would protect 80% of Sonoma
County, putting teeth in the "city and community-centered growth"
policy of the General Plan. It does this by requiring, over the next 30 years,
voter approval of changes to the Agricultural, Resources and Rural Development
land use designations in the County General Plan.
Like the UGBs, the RHI works proactively by sending a
message to real estate developers that big ag-buster developments are
politically risky. By putting the brakes on greenfield speculation, it allows developers,
elected officials, and County and City planners to focus on projects which make
creative, ecologically sound use of land within the range of existing
infrastructure.
The RHI grants reasonable flexibility. It allows the Board
of Supervisors to approve changes necessary to meet state affordable housing
requirements, for limited public uses, to avoid an unconstitutional taking of
property, or to provide greater protection for natural resources. Other
proposals for changing these land use designations can be placed on the ballot
by the Board or by petition.
Experience in other counties bears this out. Voters in Napa
and Ventura Counties have approved measures virtually identical to the Rural
Heritage Initiative. The Napa measure has been ruled Constitutional by the
Supreme Court. Since 1990, when Napa's ordinance took effect, they have voted
on six exemptions, and approved three. Those rejected were considered to have
too great a net negative impact on quality of life.
The RHI complements UGBs, effectively putting development of
County lands in the hands of City voters. RHI doesn't prevent the voters of a
UGB City, when they agree more land should be opened for building, from
expanding their UGB, and annexing the County land for development. In addition,
with the RHI in place, we will be better assured that transportation
improvements won't result in unwanted suburban growth. Another benefit: with
greater protection for County lands, the Open Space District will be able to
devote more funds to acquisition of lands for recreational use.
The RHI campaign is relying on grassroots support, not
mercenary petition circulators, to get on the ballot. They need 22,000
signatures by May 22nd. If you want Sonoma County green, not gray,
support the RHI. Call Chris Sheeter at 773-0308 or visit www.ruralheritage.net.