Supporters Want Farmland Protection on 2022 Ballot

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COMMUNITY NEWS Supporters Want Farmland Protection on 2022 Ballot

On Dec. 13, a coalition of Watsonville and Pajaro Valley community leaders, farmers, and environmentalists delivered 3,180 signatures in support of a ballot measure to renew Watsonville’s Urban Limit Line through 2040.

Once signatures are verified, the measure protecting farmland can be scheduled to go before City of Watsonville voters, likely in November 2022.

State law requires initiative proponents to collect signatures from 10 percent of Watsonville’s registered voters, about 2,170 signatures.

Leaders of the Committee for Planned Growth and Farmland Protection surpassed that goal.

“We had thousands of supportive conversations with our neighbors all over town about the need to protect vital farmland and encourage smart growth in Watsonville,” said Sam Earnshaw, cofounder of the Watsonville Farmers Market. “It is overwhelmingly clear that our community wants to vote on renewing the urban limit line and we feel confident they will next year.”

Added Yesenia Jimenez, who is on the staff of Watsonville Wetlands Watch, “It’s time to promote truly affordable housing in Watsonville and not destroy our beautiful farmland and wetlands for unaffordable sprawling developments.”

The Urban Limit Line was established by voters in 2002 via passage of Measure U

Supporters of farmland protection and planned growth in Watsonville with 3,180 signatures aim to ask voters to extend the Urban Limit Line in 2022. — a historic compromise between farmers, business, and residents to protect Pajaro Valley farmland, wetlands, and growth within the city for 20 years. In 2013 Watsonville voters affirmed the Urban Limit Line by defeating Measure T, a developer-backed effort to change it, with 77% of the vote. Some of Measure U limits will expire in 2022, with the rest expiring in 2027. Supporters of renewing the Urban Limit Line point to city housing reports, indicating the city has more than 100 sites of developable land. They also cite a 2020 city survey in which more than 95% of city residents said the vity should create additional jobs and housing near already existing infrastructure to help preserve natural and agricultural land. The campaign reports endorsements by the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau, Watsonville Wetlands Watch, and more than 50 community leaders and farmers. n ••• For info visit: www.Watsonville PlannedGrowth.org