Measure G created an enormous amount of animosity between county
residents before it was defeated.
Measure G created an enormous amount of animosity between county residents before it was defeated.
Now a group of local citizens are working to turn that negative energy into a positive outcome by engineering a new plan for the future of San Benito County.
County residents Joe and Julie Morris, in connection with the San Benito Agricultural Land Trust, will host an informal meeting for anyone interested in discussing growth issues and consensus building in relation to Measure G issues tonight at San Juan Oaks from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.
“The idea is to break the ice after Measure G and to show people that there is a core group committed to working on a plan for the future of San Benito County,” Julie Morris said.
Measure G, initially called the Growth Control Initiative by the Citizens for Responsible Growth (the group who authored it), attempted to preserve agricultural land in unincorporated San Benito County.
Much of the controversy stemmed from the measure’s attempt to change the zoning of certain agricultural properties to restrict further development. The measure eventually created a huge rift between proponents and opponents.
“We’re hoping to use the momentum from Measure G to kick start the effort and turn it into something good,” Morris said. “A lot of people are realizing we have to deal with growth in this county… To ignore it is just shortsighted.”
The gathering, which will include a “no-host” bar and hors d’oeuvres, is not a formal meeting but more of a social event where interested residents can talk to one another in a relaxed environment, she said.
The Morris’ hosted several workshops during the months leading up to the March 2 election when the initiative was defeated. They were intended to facilitate communication and understanding between fierce proponents and opponents of the measure.
“Some of the meetings we had before tended to be a little tense,” Morris said. “We want this to be more fun.”
The Morris’ are also in the process of formalizing a coalition of people who can start working on a plan that would address many of the growth-related issues the county is facing.
“Measure G wasn’t right but there are other tools we can use to deal with growth,” she said. “Our plan is to continue where they started. We know we have to have a plan that reflects the whole community.”
Anyone interested in participating in the group can attend a meeting May 6 in the community room at the San Benito Land Title Corp., located at 260 Tres Pinos Road, or e-mail ideas or opinions to Joe Morris at jm********@ea*******.net.
