Letters to the editor

The Salinas Californian
Posted on June 3, 2007

Yes on D

LandWatch fraudulently attempts to identify Rancho San Juan/Butterfly Village as an example of supervisors caving in to developers and ignoring the general plan to convert farmland for development. The truth is
exactly the opposite:

In 1986, after four years of study, the county general plan identified RSJ as the best place for state mandated growth, situated on the poorest soils and
closest to major infrastructure. The county designated the area for concentrated development precisely to avoid sprawl and conserve prime agricultural land. The Butterfly Village project is 100 percent in accordance
with this designation.

Butterfly Village does not convert farmland. It has been designated for development for over 20 years. After 20 years, the property owner still hasn't been allowed to implement the plan the county imposed on
his land. Does this sound like undue developer
influence to you?

LandWatch absurdly suggests that development in the cities will avoid impacts. LandWatch opposes RSJ, but not the Salinas general plan to develop 15 times more housing and 333 times more commercial and industrial development on prime farmlands adjacent to RSJ. Butterfly Village is far less impactive because: it is smaller, provides traffic fees at a rate five times
greater than Salinas, avoids prime farmland, is water positive, contributing to the solution for saltwater intrusion, provides 30 percent affordable housing (339 units), funds a sheriff substation, fire station, equipment and personnel, schools and a library, provides 57 percent conservation, parks, open space,
and public facilities lands and is fiscally positive to Salinas and the county, costing taxpayers nothing.

The facts appear at www.butterflyvillage.com.

Vote "yes" on Measure D to affirm 20 years of county  planning and investment in Butterfly Village, reject the LandWatch campaign of disinformation and support fairness for those who play by the rules.

Mark Blum, HYH Corp. Attorney
Monterey