The Sierra Club has endorsed a San Benito County ballot measure called “Empower Voters to Make Land Use Decisions” that will be on the ballot in November 2024. The main thrust of the measure is to require a vote of the people to change General Plan land use designations for land designated as Agriculture, Rural, and Rangeland. The initiative is modeled after successful ballot measures in similar counties (Sonoma, Napa, and Ventura).
The Sierra Club endorsed a nearly identical measure that was defeated by the voters in 2022. Minor changes have been made to:
- focus on removing four of 16 development nodes identified in the San Benito County General Plan (rather than all 16 nodes), and
- remove the language about New Community Study Areas (because the Board of Supervisors recently removed those areas from the General Plan).
This measure aligns with Sierra Club policies on Infill, Agriculture and Food, and Wildlife and Native Plants. Of particular concern, San Benito County contains a variety of biologically important habitats, including aquatic habitats, grasslands, wetlands, and oak woodlands that need to be protected. These habitats provide high conservation value for the preservation of protected, rare, threatened, and endangered wildlife species, such as the California condor, San Joaquin kit fox, Central Coast mountain lion, and steelhead trout.
The measure includes an exception to allow Agriculture, Rural, or Rangeland to be redesignated to Residential designations to comply with state housing requirements. A vote of the people would not be required to approve such General Plan land use changes. This is important given the severe housing shortage in our region.
The Initiative is not designed to halt all growth but simply puts key decisions about land use and growth in the hands of voters. Many San Benito County residents feel frustrated and powerless in the face of increasing sprawl development and traffic congestion. The Sierra Club supports their effort to preserve the rural, agricultural character of the County.
Additional resources:
- Ballot Measure Campaign Website: https://www.campaigntoprotectsanbenito.org/initiative
- Freelance Article: https://sanbenito.com/slow-growth-initiative-qualifies-for-ballot/