Reading letters in The Times and listening to public
’s clamor in Council chambers indicate that members of our City
Council are having difficulty in understanding who we are and more
importantly what we value.
Reading letters in The Times and listening to public’s clamor in Council chambers indicate that members of our City Council are having difficulty in understanding who we are and more importantly what we value.
It is clear from the policies we have that we are a community that values being small (Measure P), rural and open. We do not want to develop like others cities with a proliferation of strip malls, fast food outlets and auto dealerships, nor does this community support an incursion or the loss of our open space as identified and protected in our city’s master plans. We’ve come to realize that this is truly a special place. That while we allow for growth, it will be planned growth that reflects community standards and values.
While residents watch each and every development other communities appear not to care. If some one were to build a Taco Bell/gas station mix in Sunnyvale it would be a never-no-mind. If someone wanted to build a mini mall on Tully or Story in San Jose, the reaction I imagine would be similar if not the same.
What Sunnyvale and San Jose had is long gone and sadly gone before anyone realized how precious it was. Dissected, leveled, and paved, it resembles little of its history and its agrarian past. Haphazardly planned, these cities have incredible service and traffic issues.
In Morgan Hill it is different. The community realizes that it has a chance to preserve what it has. It is this rural nature, and hometown appeal that I believe we value most. But these goals and values are not shared by some Council members who have voted and will continue to vote in violation of our master plans and our values for the short gains in revenue. These plans can not be violated if we are to hold to that which we have.
What are our master plans? These are significant documents developed by citizens, commissioners and council members that look far into the future from natural resources, streets, traffic, jobs and water to recreation projects and housing including land use.
The plans are supported by studies and research. They set standards. Approved through an open participatory process, they serve as guidelines for our elected and appointed officials. Assembled, moved by motion and approved by vote they are the heart and soul of this community – an open declaration of what we are and where we want to go in 20 years. Unfortunately they are viewed by some as cursory guidelines and often succumb to whims and wants, self interest and unfortunately money.
Over the last few months Council has violated the principles of these plans, failed to respond to the public’s need, and limited the public’s debate on important issues. Council voted to approve a mini-mart and gas station at the junction of Cochrane and Monterey, a designated gateway against the wishes of so many. Council approved In-N-Out at Cochrane (another gateway), voted to add a gas station, mini-mart and a fast food franchise at Tennant Ave. in violation of the principles that guide that intersection’s development. Council voted to approve an auto dealership against the wishes of many more. Council has been at odds with its own City staff on these very issues. These were not unanimous decisions. One or two votes the other way and Morgan Hill remains whole.
We are making these decisions because we building a series of excessive projects – community center, aquatic center, sports center and more. As good and needed as they are at $100 million plus, they are designed to serve the entire south county region.
In order to sustain these projects we have and will continue to violate the tenets of our master plans including our special zoning and their conditions in order to bridge an ever growing revenue gap by allowing fast-food outlets and mini-marts to cluster at our gateways, thereby allowing them to creep ever so slowly down each and every city street to where we like Sunnyvale and San Jose just give up.
It’s time we had a Town Meeting – a Town Meeting like no other, outside of Council Chambers where we can discuss issues in an open forum – a meeting where you can ask a question and get an answer. It’s time we reaffirm our values, confirm our direction and identify our needs. Join me as we move in the long standing democratic tradition of a much needed Town Meeting. Let Times know that you support the call – it’s time we talked.
Mark Grzan is an active member of the Morgan Hill community and a current member of the Green Belt Advisory Committee. He can be reached at gr******@ve*****.net The Board of Contributors is comprised of local writers whose views appear on Tuesdays and Friday.
