CPOA Special General Meeting, February 23^rd

CPOA will hold a special general meeting to discuss the California Coastal Commission's Periodic Review of Monterey's Local Coastal Program. The Periodic Review analyzes Monterey County's implementation of the Big Sur Coast Land Use Plan, and proposes amendments to it. This may be your only opportunity to discuss the content of the Periodic Review in an informal setting prior to the Coastal Commission hearing on it in March. We have invited Brian Finegan (land use attorney), Aengus Jeffers (land use attorney), Dave Potter (Coastal Commissioner and County Supervisor), Rick Hyman (Coastal Commission Staff), and a Monterey County GPU staff member to share in a group discussion of recommendations related to Big Sur.

All Big Sur residents and property owners are invited to attend. The Big Sur Bakery will provide free food and drink from 5:30PM till 6PM prior to the presentation.  Please be our guest.

When:	Monday, February 23, 2004
Time:	5:30PM till 6PM Food & Drink
	6PM till 8PM Presentation
Where:	Big Sur Grange Hall (west off Highway 1 at south end of Juan Higuera Bridge)

Agenda:

• 6:00PM - 6:15PM Welcoming Remarks; Community Announcements
• 6:15PM - 6:45PM Meet fifth-district candidates for the Board of Supervisors: Incumbent Dave Potter, Susan Goldberg and Steve Collins will provide updates on their campaign
• 6:45PM - 8PM Periodic Review Roundtable Discussion

Important Multi-Agency Advisory Council Meeting --- this Friday, February 6th

The Big Sur Multi-Agency Advisory Council meeting on Friday February 6^th, 2004 will include a discussion of the draft Coast Highway Management Plan.  The meeting will be in the Conference Room at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park at 10:00 AM.

It is important that the Big Sur community be heard on the following two agenda items:

• Coast Highway Management Plan (CHMP) presentation of final draft
• Local Coastal Program Periodic

California Coastal Commission Periodic Review of the Monterey County Local Coastal Program

The Periodic Review can be found at www.co.monterey.ca.us/gpu/news/index.html.  This document will be the subject of a hearing during the California Coastal Commission meeting March 17^th - 19 ^th, 2004 in Monterey. The Monterey County Board of Supervisors responded to the periodic review with a scathing letter to the Coastal Commission.  Concerns expressed by CPOA at the December CCC meeting in San Francisco included:

• Recommendations could result in a building moratorium and condemnation of land in Big Sur as well as other parts of the county.
• Recommendations promoting further buyout of the Big Sur community are contrary to the wishes of the community.
• Recommendations would make it more difficult for residents to readily maintain existing roads and structures.
• The recommendations to expand Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area policies would unreasonably restrict and increase cost of development, and do not have a sound scientific basis.
• The recommendation to restrict development if it could be seen from a public trail may result in condemnation of private land and is contrary to the wishes of the Big Sur community.
• Some recommendations are contrary to recommendations made by the Big Sur and South Coast Land Use Advisory Committees.  Coastal staff should have revealed and discussed their views when they met with the LUACs during General Plan discussions in 2003.
• Some recommendations appear to have no basis in the Coastal Act and would therefore exceed the Commission's powers.

Be sure to attend the February 23^rd CPOA General Meeting for more insight on the Periodic Review and its potential impact on Big Sur.

The Coast Highway Management Plan

The revised Coast Highway Management Plan (CHMP) has been released for public comment (deadline March 5^th, 2004. CPOA will be sending you an analysis with suggested comments on the CHMP soon.  In the meantime, consider obtaining a copy of the CHMP and reading it.  It is available for download at www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/projects/bigsur, or you may read it at local libraries.  You can also call Aileen Loe, Caltrans Project Manager at (805) 549-3103 to obtain a printed copy or copy on CDROM.

CPOA and Big Sur citizens requested numerous changes to the last draft of the CHMP, many of which remain unaddressed.  This will be the last chance for the community to let Caltrans know that these changes are important.

Please also let CalTrans hear your concerns at the MAAC meeting on Friday, February 6th.

The Monterey County General Plan Update

The third draft of the Monterey County General Plan Update is now available at www.co.monterey.ca.us/gpu/.  A preliminary review of this draft is encouraging, however, it appears that more changes are needed if continued existence of the Big Sur community is to be assured.  CPOA's GPU committee will provide you their analysis in coming weeks.

Help Us Keep You Informed and Become A Member

If you send your email address to info@cpoabigsur.org, we can better inform you on issues affecting Big Sur. Better yet, become a member.  A membership form is included in this mailing.

See you at CPOA's Special General Meeting

February 23rd, 2004 at the Grange!

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