How to keep the southeast part of Morgan Hill open and green –
and still allow area property owners to profit from their land – is
a question that drew about 50 people to City Hall Monday night.
How to keep the southeast part of Morgan Hill open and green – and still allow area property owners to profit from their land – is a question that drew about 50 people to City Hall Monday night.
A subcommittee of five Urban Limit Line committee members, led by Alex Kennett, has been working throughout the summer to develop an advanced open area plan or a “plan for a plan” to settle the sometimes contentious issue.
“We are working on a general framework,” Kennett said. “We are not (yet) talking about how to buy the land (for open space.”
He said the committee would recommend that the City Council reserve money to develop a real Area Plan, more specific that the current framework, and would look into financing the acquisition of property. Of that plan, committee member Anne Beale said both sides benefit.
“Property owners would know specifics (of when their land could be brought within the city) and the community as a whole would get open space to use,” Beale said.
Environmental groups have kept a close eye on the plan’s progress and several have opposed it. Brian Schmidt of the Committee for Green Foothills was less opposed.
“I’m not ready to say this is a bad idea,” Schmidt told the committee.
With a compromise between land owners and the community as a whole, he said, you get a greenbelt and inclusion. Schmidt said this would be a good thing. He did not want the southeast quadrant brought into the urban limits before the area plan is finished, an opinion held by the other conservation organizations.
The southeast quadrant of 1,250 acres bounded by San Pedro Avenue on the north, Highway 101 on the west, Carey Road on the east and Maple Avenue on the south, contains property used for agriculture, large homesteads and undeveloped land plus some highly visible and attractive land.
The enhanced open space plan covered open space throughout, a 200-acre business park area near the freeway, commercial areas, new and existing residential development and an implementation plan.
The committee decided that interspersing open space and green areas throughout the quadrant as property was developed under strict guidelines was better than having blocks devoted to only one use.
Who would pay infrastructure and improvement costs – property owners, taxpayers or a combination of both – was an item of concern.
“It’s not fair for anyone side to pay for it all,” Kennett said.
His committee of Beale, Tim Chiala, Joe Mueller and George Thomas Jr. agreed.
The plan will go to the City Council for review Wednesday, Sept. 15, and can be found at www.morganhill.ca.gov/
Carol Holzgrafe covers City Hall for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at ch********@*************es.com or phoning (408) 779-4106 Ext. 201.
