Nonprofit says SEQ plan won’t preserve ag land and doesn’t make sense
Published in the February 3-16, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
Julie Hutcheson
March 11 is an important date in the politically heated issue concerning the city of Morgan Hill’s annexation of a portion of the Southeast Quadrant, the area of prime farm land surrounding Tennant Avenue and Hill Road. On that date, a hearing with the Local Agency Formation Commission at the County Building in San Jose is scheduled to be held to address concerns about the application made by the city to annex 215 acres of the land for recreation purposes and as the site of the proposed Saint John XXIII College Preparatory High School.
Julie Hutcheson, a legislative advocate for the Committee for Green Foothills, is advocating for a much more robust agricultural lands preservation program that would include creating a viable agricultural area in the SEQ along with an economic strategy to ensure farming remains viable citywide in the long-term. She has also been requesting that the SEQ Plan and program be discussed on a much greater level within the city’s current General Plan update.
Morgan Hill Life asked Hutcheson to put into perspective for our readers the importance of what happens at next month’s meeting concerning the Southeast Quadrant annexation application.
What is the Committee for Green Foothill’s position on the possible SEQ annexation and why do you take that stand?
Committee for Green Foothills has studied the SEQ issue exhaustively, measuring it by two simple criteria: Will it preserve farmland, and is it sensible planning for Morgan Hill’s future?
Unfortunately, the answer is unequivocally no. This is a classic case of sprawl that hearkens back to the 1950s and 60s.
San Jose made the mistake of growing so big and so fast that much of its agricultural heritage — orchards particularly — was lost in the development of Silicon Valley. What steps do you think Morgan Hill should make now toward smart growth actions to protect the future of our rural and ag heritage in the Southeast Quadrant?
That is exactly what is at stake with the SEQ. The city should open the discussion to the residents of Morgan Hill and all parties with expertise about integrating farming in a growing community.
The city needs to engage in earnest in the county’s effort to create a regional plan to preserve farmland and increase the viability of farming in our county. The city turned down an opportunity to apply for funding for farmland conservation, through the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, specifically for the SEQ. This makes no sense. They should pursue and embrace these and other opportunities.
Some people have expressed concern about how the city is planning an expansion into the Southeast Quadrant because they see it as a Trojan horse and think eventually it will become developed and lose the ag. What is your response?
This plan threatens the preservation of farmland in the SEQ, pure and simple. The Silicon Valley Land Conservancy, the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority and American Farmland Trust determined the city’s agricultural program is inadequate.
Funding is inadequate; the means to implement the “stay ahead” provision is inadequate; identification of areas that can reasonably be used to mitigate farmland loss is inadequate; and on and on.
The Open Space Authority and American Farmland Trust also called into question the compatibility between the city’s development plan for the SEQ and the continued viability of farming in the area.
What do you hope LAFCO might decide on whether or not to annex the Southeast Quadrant and why is this important?
We hope LAFCO will deny the application. It is wildly counter to LAFCO’s mission which is to curb urban sprawl, avoid the premature loss of farmland, and assure cities provide the efficient delivery of services such as water, police, and fire. City of Morgan Hill staff confirms there is an abundant supply of undeveloped industrial and commercial land already within the city. Why do we need more? Remember, this annexation is only phase one of the SEQ development plan. Phase two will be for housing. Mayor Steve Tate’s assertion that no homes will be built in future city-controlled areas of the SEQ is misleading.
You have also been requesting that the SEQ Plan and program be substantively discussed within the city’s current General Plan update. Explain why that is important.
This is a pivotal decision that will have major consequences down the road. Substantive public dialog was missing from the SEQ decision.
I serve on Morgan Hill’s General Plan Advisory Committee and our task is to help update the document that is the city’s blueprint for growth. On day one, we were told that we were not to weigh in on the SEQ plan. Why not? We did so for every other major development proposal. Make no mistake, annexation of the SEQ will open the area to any type of development.
Morgan Hill resident Julie Hutcheson is the legislative advocate in Santa Clara County for the Committee for Green Foothills, which is based in Palo Alto.
