Undecided voters seek clarity
For some, general plan forum raises more questions than answers

Monterey County Herald
Posted on May 18, 2007

By JIM JOHNSON
Herald Salinas Bureau

Teri Adams isn't typical of the average voter trying to wade through the competing Monterey County general plan measures on the June 5 ballot.
As a member of the Association of Environmental Professionals, the organization that hosted a Thursday night forum to discuss the plans at the Salinas Community Center, Adams is better informed about the issues than most.

But after listening to a panel describe the two competing general plans — and to the opposing campaigns stump for their versions of the blueprint for growth — Adams still found herself undecided on how she would vote.

"I haven't made up my mind," Adams said.

On June 5, voters will have what forum moderator Kim Tschantz called a "unique opportunity" to determine how the county develops in the future.

Four measures, including three addressing the competing general plans, will be on the ballot.
Measure A asks voters if they want to approve the citizen-written general plan initiative known as GPI; Measure B asks voters if they want to repeal the supervisor-approved general plan update known as GPU4; Measure C asks voters if they want to approve GPU4; and Measure D asks voters if they want to approve the supervisor-approved Rancho San Juan-area Butterfly Village project.

The general plan-related question that receives the most votes above 50 percent will take effect. If none of them do, the 1982 general plan remains in place.

Adams' indecision probably wasn't helped by what she called a less-than-satisfactory response to the question she asked of the panel during the question-and-answer phase of the forum: Why, she wanted to know, hadn't Carmel Valley been designated a community area in order to allow development?
The answer — that Carmel Valley already has traffic and water problems that make additional development unwise — only raised more questions for her.

"So what makes the other community areas more appropriate for development, then?" Adams said. "I wish there had been more discussion."

During a campaign of emotionally charged ads and pithy sound bytes, Adams and many of her fellow undecided voters seem to be searching for more complete answers to important questions about the county's future.

Adams said it was that quest that led the professional group to sponsor the forum. County planners Alana Knaster and Carl Holm, and the League of Women Voters'
Janet Brennan, explained the plans, and Common Ground Monterey County Director Tom Carvey and Rancho San Juan Opposition Coalition chairwoman Julie Engell spoke for their sides of the debate.

"We felt there were a lot of issues out there that needed to be addressed," Adams said.

Among the 40 or so who showed up for the forum, two women, who declined to reveal their names, said they were from out of town and just showed up to see what Monterey County voters were facing. Both said they were impressed with the information at the forum.

One man, who also didn't want to be named, said he had decided which way he was going to vote.


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