Pajaro Valley
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Growth
Management Strategy
FACT SHEET
WHO
IS ACTION PAJARO VALLEY?
Action
Pajaro Valley was formed by a number of committed community members in
September 1998. The mission of Action
Pajaro Valley is to facilitate an on-going collaborative process for planning
and creating a positive future for all residents of the Pajaro Valley. The
organization is a California nonprofit corporation with a small staff. The
community office is located in the heart of Watsonville, across the street from
the City Plaza.
HOW
DID THIS PROJECT GET STARTED?
The
idea of a community vision and growth strategy in the Pajaro Valley grew out of
observing similar processes in other communities. Business leaders, community
organization members and government officials served as a catalyst to bring
together private and public sponsors to initiate the process. A collaborative
desire to address the Valley’s socio-economic and environmental challenges grew
into an organized effort involving a partnership of people from many sectors of
the Pajaro Valley. The APV Visioning effort involved over 2,000 community members.
As a result, the APV group decided to create a strategy that addressed the
community vision and growth in the Pajaro Valley through:
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A
bioregional or Pajaro Valley approach;
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A
multi-jurisdictional effort: City of Watsonville, Santa Cruz & Monterey
Counties; and
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A
coalition of business, government, environmental, agricultural and community
members.
WHAT
IS THE PAJARO VALLEY GROWTH STRATEGY?
The
Pajaro Valley Growth Management Strategy is a set of policies and principles
designed to guide future growth in the Pajaro Valley in order to sustain and
enhance the quality of life for all of the Valley’s residents. These policies
and an Urban Growth Boundary have been created by a consensus process between a
representative and diverse set of community interests and stakeholders. The
policies aim to concentrate future growth and development in designated
communities in order to build community-oriented neighborhoods, provide
for economic development, and protect the Valley’s natural and
agricultural resources. The Pajaro Valley Growth Management Strategy
includes a set of maps specifying the proposed location of these designated
communities. The areas were selected based upon criteria that ensure:
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Efficient
and sensitive use of land;
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Goals of Action Pajaro Valley’s Growth Management Strategy: Provide a range of housing--primarily
“workforce” housing Protect agricultural and environmentally
sensitive land Provide for a healthy economy Maintain the unique character of the Valley Improve the quality of life for all
residents in the Pajaro Valley We need your groups’ support! Please endorse the strategy by signing the Stakeholder Agreement
Form ________________________
Community
and neighborhood livability; and
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Maintenance
of unique character of area.
These
maps will be further refined as Santa Cruz County and the City of Watsonville
planning efforts proceed and as further public input is sought.
WHO
IS IN CHARGE OF THIS PROJECT?
Voluntary
steering committees, comprised of individuals from diverse stakeholder groups,
are shouldering the task of building consensus among key government and
community organizations, organizing community meetings, and getting the message
out to the entire community. Local and county government is involved in the
project and is lending staff support where needed.
WHO
IS GOING TO MAKE ALL THIS HAPPEN?
The
support of everyone in the Pajaro Valley is needed to make this happen.
Citizens, community organizations, businesses, and government are all needed to
ensure that the Pajaro Valley will have the kind of future that is desired. The
Action Pajaro Valley Advisory Board is initiating the implementation process
for the Pajaro Valley Growth Strategy through an extensive community
involvement program that seeks the support of community organizations and
agencies throughout the Valley. Further implementation efforts will include:
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An
agreement of APV Stakeholder groups
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An
agreement between the City of Watsonville and Santa Cruz County;
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A
vote of the people of Watsonville to implement the growth strategy;
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Inclusion
of key components of the Growth Management Strategy into the General Plans of
all three jurisdictions; and
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A
system for monitoring and evaluating the growth strategy.