Greenbelts and growth boundaries are common in California, but
if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gets his way, the kind of debate that
has engulfed Morgan Hill over its future growth may soon be a thing
of the past.
Greenbelts and growth boundaries are common in California, but if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gets his way, the kind of debate that has engulfed Morgan Hill over its future growth may soon be a thing of the past.
For two years, Morgan Hill officials, property owners and environmental advocates have been grappling over redefining the city’s development boundaries and determining how much open space to preserve by drawing an Urban Limit Line around the city and establishing a protected greenbelt.
The City Council will get the final advisory committee recommendations at Wednesday’s meeting.
At the center of the housing versus greenbelt debate is the city’s desire to define itself and restrict the number of new homes that can be built there.
“The governor is putting pressure on us to move quickly,” Morgan Hill Mayor Dennis Kennedy said. “The laws that allow us to establish greenbelts are under attack and they may change.”
Concerned that there’s not enough housing in the state, the governor has convened a stakeholders group to draft legislation to alter the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and make it easier to build housing developments – and potentially limit local authority to control growth.
CEQA requires that proposed development projects be subjected to a thorough environmental review process. The governor would like to see that process done on a regional rather than a per project basis and limit the ability of growth opponents to sue.
“No one is suggesting that CEQA be repealed or gutted, but we need to place in CEQA some real deterrents against filing frivolous lawsuits,” said Paul Campos, general counsel for Homebuilders of Northern California.
Environmental advocates, though, point out that CEQA already contains exemptions for so-called infill developments that aren’t subject to environmental review.
“Saying that people are using CEQA to fight infill development is overblowing the opposition of environmentalists,” said Brian Schmidt, of the Committee for Green Foothills.
“We’ve never opposed a housing project in San Jose, and in Coyote Valley, our concern has been that they don’t have enough housing. CEQA can actually help housing and promote density by pointing out the problems of projects that promote sprawl.”
City Council will meet at 7 p.m. most Wednesday, April 20, in City Hall Chambers, 17555 Peak Ave. Details: www.morganhill.ca.gov or 779-7271.
Meetings are broadcast live on cable access channel 17.
Gilroy Dispatch reporter Matt King can be reached at mk***@gi************.com or 847-7240.
