Local Monterey County Ballot Measures "K" and "M" call into question whether local residents should have the right to determine local land use issues.
Measure M proposes that neither the Board of Supervisors nor the City of Seaside be allowed to decide Fort Ord land use issues but, instead, the electorate of the entire Monterey County should determine whether to eliminate 540 acres of Fort Ord land from development and thus prevent, not only the Monterey Downs proposal, but any other land use except "open space."
Conversely (under the same electorate guidelines), Measure K proposes that development be allowed on land already designated for commercial use in the hopes a successful developer will purchase a certain "endowment" parcel of land to help fund a veterans' cemetery on Fort Ord.
The Monterey Downs development was first introduced to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors in 2010. The city of Seaside favors this project which will require a joint agreement with Monterey County because the 550 acres reside in both jurisdictions. This project involves 1,400 housing units, a 200 room hotel, a commercial and retail village, a 6,500-seat covered arena for equestrian events, a 1-mile training track and more. In December of 2012, Land Watch of Monterey County fired a warning shot they were opposed to this project because of the loss of open space, destruction of trails and wildlife habitat, but it is the race track and resulting gambling that has captured the most attention.
Historically, the conversion mandate of Fort Ord to civilian use was (and is) to help local communities recover from the financial impact of this base closure. Fort Ord was fully operational, when it closed in 1993, with thousands of occupied homes, water, gas, electrical power, and all the amenities of a developed community.
Moreover, there existed more than 200,000 square feet of commercial warehouse space with loading docks on one side and railroad tracks on the other. One could argue the entire costs to tear down the old wooden barracks, improve existing infra-structure and build a modern road system could have been paid out of rental income from these residential and commercial properties. There is little doubt the potential income would have generated $-millions every month.
Today, some 20 years later, nearly all these amenities are gone leaving behind vacant and battered homes with no functioning infra-structure.
So where did this all go wrong? We know, for example, any formula to fail requires a host of divergent views. Each conflicting faction is certain their view is the only one which provides the perfect solution. Compromise, of course, is out of the question. Currently, the Fort Ord Reuse Authority's voting board members include Carmel, Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Sand City, Salinas, Seaside and Monterey County. Add to this the 12 "Ex-Officio Members" plus local politicians, and then there is the so-called "smart development" group i.e. Land Watch, Keep Fort Ord Wild and so on. Now you have the basis for divergent views and the necessary elements for failure.
Any developer wishing to do business on Fort Ord is faced with overcoming the varied and often conflicting views of the FORA board - plus, his project must be examined through the environmental impact report process in an open public forum and is subject to hostile and arbitrary views from organized groups like Land Watch and Keep Fort Ord Wild who feel they have a monopoly on how to pursue "smart" development which would exclude gambling and the East Side Parkway in favor of horse and bike trails to the National Monument.
Placing Measures "K" and "M" on a ballot is, of course, one more technique in the infamous "Formula for Failure" because it is intended to overthrow the rights of local residents to determine local land issues.
Frankly, I am amazed when any major developer indicates a desire to put a business in our area. It must be some form of masochism to punish one-self with all the red tape, criticism and potential litigation that goes with the effort.
At the very least, any and all developers deserve to at least be allowed to make their presentation before an open public forum. It is at that time the public is encouraged to speak out. Adding another 540 acres as open space to the already designated 14,600 acres of the Fort Ord National Monument is not a solution to anything.