Comparison of general plans ripped

By JIM JOHNSON
Herald Salinas Bureau

Monterey County Herald
Posted on April 27, 2007

The Refinement Group released a report Thursday blasting the League of Women Voters' comparison of the competing general plans on the June 5 ballot. At a news conference hosted by the Plan for the People campaign, which backs the supervisor-approved general plan and opposes the competing general plan initiative, the Refinement Group issued what it called a "factual analysis" of both plans at the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The analysis examined what it called the League of Women Voters comparison of the two plans, and offered a series of corrections and comments authored by the Refinement Group, a coalition of community groups interested in relaxing land-use policies.

In March, the county's two chapters of the League of Women Voters released a comparison of the two competing plans. The League endorsed the general plan
initiative, calling the supervisor-approved general plan a "poor land use planning document."

Common Ground Executive Director Tom Carvey, a member of the Refinement Group, said the report was issued in an attempt to provide voters with factual information instead of opponents' hyperbole. He accused LandWatch, which backs the general plan initiative, of
disseminating inaccurate information about the
competing measures.

"What this is is myth vs. fact," Carvey said. "Measure A is seriously flawed and the information being circulated is seriously flawed."

Attorney Brian Finegan of the Refinement Group presented the analysis and focused his comments on disputes over base housing development, affordable housing claims, traffic capacity standards and development on slopes. Finegan pointed out that the supervisor-approved plan and the initiative differ in that the former was vetted through an extensive public and environmental
review process, while the latter had neither.

Planning Commissioner Nancy Isakson, who represents the local growing and shipping industry and The Refinement Group, called the League's comparison
"clearly wrong."

LandWatch executive director Chris Fitz defended the League's analysis, describing it as a careful study of the two plans by "professional planners with no ax to grind in Monterey County."

League of Women Voters representatives did not return a phone call from The Herald late Thursday.

Jim Johnson can be reached at 753-6753 or
jjohnson@montereyherald.com.

To learn more · The Refinement Group's analysis of the League of Women Voters' comparison of the competing general plans is available at
www.planforthepeople.org. The Leagues of Women Voters' comparison is available at www.lwvmp.org or www.sv.ca.lwvnet.org.