SJ mayor happy construction won’t come to CV
Published in the July 22 – Aug. 4, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
Julie Hutcheson
Recently, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said he wouldn’t lose any sleep if no new construction ever came to rural Coyote Valley, the 7,400-acre area located just outside Morgan Hill’s northwest border. Liccardo expressed his disinterest in investing in the development of infrastructure on San Jose’s southern edges and preferred that businesses locate in the already urbanized areas of the city.
The mayor’s words indicate that a new day may be dawning. This day comes with the recognition that the true value of Coyote Valley is not in paving it over with buildings and roads, but in its rich resources of farmland, wildlife habitat, groundwater protection, and other economic and environmental benefits — benefits that Coyote Valley already provides to all Santa Clara County residents.
Gone for now are the mega-development proposals for sprawling industrial and tech campuses. Gone are the proposals for sprawling housing developments that would have far outweighed the number of residences in Morgan Hill with tens of thousands of additional car trips on U.S. 101 generated each day. Good news for us in Morgan Hill who commute to and from the northern part of the county every day.
Still most of us might not realize the very real importance of Coyote Valley to our region. There is a growing but unmet demand by farmers for prime farmland with a reliable water source. Coyote Valley’s several thousand acres of prime farmland are a precious resource given the year-round growing climate, sufficient water, rich agricultural history, and proximity to a large market of people who want local food.
Lately, interest in farming in this area has undergone an upswing. San Jose’s decision in 2010 to leave the mid-portion of Coyote Valley as an urban reserve (meaning it won’t consider any urban development in that area until after the year 2040) helped spark this increase.
Many landowners in mid-Coyote Valley have been reconsidering the use of their property as of late. Efforts by Sustainable Agriculture Education, the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority are helping to increase the viability of farming in Coyote Valley.
In addition to the economic diversity that farming in Coyote Valley helps bring to our region, there are the economic and social contributions this natural area provides. Minimal urban development in Coyote Valley is integral to protecting Silicon Valley’s water supply. The Coyote Valley floor contains the last remaining undeveloped groundwater recharge area for Silicon Valley. Coyote Creek, which runs through the valley, is critical for rainfall capture and provision of water supply. Under current and future projected drought conditions, it is imperative to maintain such a resource. Being a mostly undeveloped floodplain, Coyote Valley also plays an important role in reducing the risk and cost of flooding in some of the county’s urban areas.
As one of the only two wildlife corridors in our region, Coyote Valley functions as a vital pathway for the migration of coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, black-tailed deer and other animals between the Diablo Range and Santa Cruz Mountains. A number of birds, including raptors like red-tailed hawks and bald eagles, also use Coyote Valley as a breeding ground and home. The trail along Coyote Creek is a wonderful amenity, too, for Morgan Hill bird watchers, bikers, and joggers alike seeking easy access to open space trails.
This new paradigm of protecting and enhancing the natural capital comprising Coyote Valley received voter approval and funding last November when the Open Space Authority’s Measure Q passed with more than two-thirds support. The OSA clearly indicated they considered Coyote Valley as a high priority area for land conservation and enhancement projects.
Mayor Liccardo’s statements suggest the City of San Jose has heard this call and has a new perspective on its stewardship role in Coyote Valley. Let’s hope this kind of perspective on the value of preserving open space and farmland takes hold of Morgan Hill’s elected officials, too, as they continue to vote for development on much of our remaining farmland.
Julie Hutcheson is a legislative advocate for Committee for Green Foothills, a nonprofit organization that protects open spaces, farmlands and natural resources of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. She wrote this column for Morgan Hill Life.
