Morgan Hill
– 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.
Morgan Hill – 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. At the center of that 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 and make it easier to build housing developments – and potentially limit local authority to control growth.
“The governor believes we have a housing crisis and we need to reduce barriers to home affordability and home creation,” said Schwarzenegger spokesman Vince Sollitto “It’s all about balancing the necessary interests of society. Housing is important and so is the environment.”
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 under the law.
“No one is suggesting that CEQA be repealed or gutted, but we need to place in CEQA some real deterrents against filing frivolous lawsuits,” said Paul Campos, general counsel for Homebuilders of Northern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. “The reforms are modest. If we make it more effective, everyone is better off.”
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.”
The governor also wants to encourage regional approaches to growth management, which could hinder South County cities’ ability to remain small and rural if San Jose’s growth continues to draw more people to the South Valley.
The state already has some authority to intervene in local matters if it feels a city’s growth plan is irresponsible, but that power may be increased.
“There’s a very strong recognition of the value in local control, there is not a one size fits all solution for these problems,” said Janet Huston, spokeswoman for the state’s Department of Housing and Community. “But to the extent that any particular policy doesn’t provide adequate housing, that would be viewed problematically.”
The California League of Cities hasn’t adopted an official position on the governor’s proposal, but spokeswoman Megan Taylor said the agency is opposed to anything that suggests a top-down approach to local governance.
“The approach we believe should be taken is one that preserves local decision making,” Taylor said. “You have local governments so people can participate in the decisions that affect their community.”
