Land outside the city limits may not be brought into an Urban
Limit Line outside Morgan Hill
– precluding any significant development – for decades,
according to the Morgan Hill City Council.
Land outside the city limits may not be brought into an Urban Limit Line outside Morgan Hill – precluding any significant development – for decades, according to the Morgan Hill City Council.
The Council tried to allay the fears of some property owners regarding the future of their land as they approved a new task for the Urban Limit Line Committee at Wednesday’s council meeting,.
That new task includes extending the committee’s job to investigate the nitty gritty details of setting up a greenbelt plan and how many ways there are to underwrite its costs.
Council looked favorably on a subcommittee of five members to tackle how to set a line in the southeast quadrant, generally south of San Pedro and east to Carey Avenue, past Foothill Avenue.
Both city and county are working together on the greenbelt idea – the ULL committee has representatives from both – since land outside Morgan Hill’s city limits is under county jurisdiction. Both plan to develop greenbelt program details together.
One hot topic Wednesday, and anytime the ULL is mentioned, is the possibility of setting up a benefit assessment district, essentially charging land owners in the greenbelt area a tax or fee that would be used to buy the land or the land’s development rights.
Committee member Jan Guglielmo was vocal Wednesday in her support of the largely elderly property owners in the southeast quadrant where the limit line placement remains contentious. She suggested that a fee be placed on everyone who would enjoy looking at the greenbelt – usually the hillside area – is the way to go.
“If Morgan Hill wants a greenbelt, let’s all work together to find a way to pay for it,” Guglielmo said to rousing applause.
David Bischoff, director of community development (planning), said he received a disturbing call during the afternoon.
“I had a call from a property owner who said she had received a flyer encouraging people from that area (the southeast quadrant) to attend this meeting,” Bischoff said. “The flyer suggests that council would consider approval of a benefit assessment district for that area. That is really not on the agenda tonight.”
The council will consider, probably later this year, a number of different alternatives to pay for the southeast greenbelt lands, one of which could be a benefit assessment district. But on Wednesday the council was deciding on the Urban Limit Line Advisory Committee’s scope of work and not about possibly charging landowners a tax or fee.
Phyllis Pedrizzetti, whose family owns land north of San Pedro – the Pedrizzetti Winery – said she had heard nothing at all about any Urban Limit Line committee meetings or any threat to her property.
When she insisted that she be notified, Bischoff assured her that her land was not under consideration for greenbelt at all.
Several others voiced displeasure with the city’s efforts to notify land owners in the area. Councilwoman Hedy Chang said the parcels involved number about 200.
Bischoff said land owners in affected areas were notified by mail and that meetings are noticed in the calendar listings of The Morgan Hill Times and the city’s Web site.
Committee member Alex Kennett, an Open Space Authority elected representative summed up the general feeling.
“No deal is a good deal unless it’s a good deal for all,” Kennett said.
