On Tuesday afternoon I sent an e-mail to Morgan Hill residents asking them to join me in requesting City Council remove their plans for the Southeast Quadrant (SEQ) from the draft 2035 General Plan and to work with the community to come up with a better plan.
Within 24 hours, over 35 people responded to our call to action! Thank you!
While the City Council adopted the 2035 General Plan without removing their plans for the Southeast Quadrant, they did offer up a somewhat symbolic gesture in direct response to your letters. They deleted the following line from the General Plan description of the SEQ: “The SEQ is planned to include long-term agricultural uses; sports- and recreation-related uses, including retail and dining establishments; a private high school; and residential uses.”
This was a very small step, but a step nonetheless. It doesn’t change the fact that the General Plan and Zoning Code still allow for development on over 400 acres of the Southeast Quadrant. It doesn’t change the fact that the City needs to work with the community to develop a shared vision for the future of the SEQ. It doesn’t change the fact that the City must engage in a meaningful way in the new regional effort to protect Southern Santa Clara County’s important farmland.
I will continue to be a champion for local open space and am grateful to have Morgan Hill residents speaking up for responsible growth and the protection of farmland in Morgan Hill.
Sincerely,
Julie Hutcheson
Legislative Advocate
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