Ag industry opposes land-use measures

Posted June 1, 2007

By John Chadwell

It was a family gathering for Mann Packing Co. at a May 31 tractor rally to show Salinas Valley growers’ opposition to Measure A or the General Plan Initiative up for vote June 1. Showing their support were sisters Lorri Koster (from right), co-chairwoman; Gina Nucci, director of foodservices; Deedee Reyna, shareholder; Reyna’s daughter, Jessica, a fourth generation shareholder; and cousin Rebecca Sturvist, business partner.

(June 1) SALINAS , Calif. — As a contentious campaign waged primarily between the agriculture industry and advocates of slow growth, voters are about to decide how growth will be determined throughout Monterey County for the next 20 years.

Residents will vote on four related land-use measures on June 5, but the agriculture industry is most concerned with Measures A and C. Agriculture interests favor Measure C, but slow-growth advocates, led by LandWatch Monterey County , wrote and support Measure A.

At the most basic level, the agriculture industry opposes Measure A because they say it is biased against private property rights and how growers could use their own land. Measure C opponents say that depending on where an acre of land is, it could be worth anywhere between $10,000 and $50,000 and growers will be swayed by developers eager to snap up prime farmland.

Jim Bogart, president and general counsel for the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, said that while property rights are important, the issue is also about the business of agriculture.

“My hope is that voters will see how Measure A adversely affects agriculture and vote against it,” he said. “It can affect land-use policies that will impact a farmer’s or shipper’s ability to engage in practices that keep their businesses viable.”

He said that if a grower wanted to build a cold storage facility on their farm in order to compete in the marketplace, it would require a general vote of the entire population to approve construction.

“They don’t see the connection between buildings and agriculture,” he said.

TRACTOR RALLY

Monterey County, Calif., growers on May 31 demonstrate their opposition to Measure A, also known as the General Plan Initiative, with a 20-mile tractor rally from historical Fort Ord to the Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey. Grower-shippers say if county voters pass the initiative on June 5, it could seriously hamper them from building on their own property or dividing the land into lots for any purpose without a countywide vote for more than 20 years.