South County Series

South Santa Clara County’s environment provides a breath of fresh air, but this inspiring setting is at risk. Protecting its creeks, oak woodlands, and working farms while supporting the revitalization of local downtowns is key to maintaining the quality of life of this region. Join Committee for Green Foothills and Greenbelt Alliance as our investigative series continues in April to explore the issues facing south Santa Clara County. The series will culminate in a community design day on May 14. The goal is to plan for a future where farms, natural areas, and attractive towns thrive side by side and to build a shared understanding of how the health of our working landscapes is inextricably linked to the health of our communities.

Food of Life: Agriculture Panel
April 15, 2011
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Lizarran Tapas Restaurant
7400 Monterey St., Gilroy, CA 95020
The Food of Life event will be a panel discussion on South Santa Clara County agriculture. Panelists will speak to topics such as current practices, economic viability, local food systems, sustainability and more. It promises to be an informative and lively event as we explore the opportunities and challenges facing South Santa Clara County agriculture.

Panelists will include:

Patrick Archie, Director of Campus and Community Programs for the Environmental Studies Institute at Santa Clara University. Mr. Archie’s expertise is in sustainable agriculture and food policy, and he is a member of the Santa Clara County Food System Alliance.
Tim Chiala, Director of Fresh Market Sales and Procurement for George Chiala Farms, Inc., is a third generation Morgan Hill farmer. Mr. Chiala is also founder of Timptations, a Morgan Hill CSA, and serves as President for the Santa Clara County Farm Bureau.
Kathryn Lyddan, Executive Director of the Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust, has worked for the past seven years with agricultural producers, distributors and purchasers to develop innovative marketing and business models to support sustainable food systems.
Brenda Subia, Co-Founder and Farmer of Ynot Organics, cultivates a three acre farm that sells organic food and fruit to the local community. Open to the public, Ynot Organics also utilizes the farm to provide hands on learning about home gardening, healthy eating and local food systems.

Cost: Event is free. Non-hosted dinner and bar.
Other Information: Attendance is eligible for
AICP CM Credits.

RSVP
info@greenfoothills.org or
(650) 968-7243 x314

Quality of Life: Urban Tour
Saturday, April 16, 2011
9:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Explore Downtown Morgan Hill on this walking tour that will highlight the elements of a vibrant community designed around people. The tour includes a visit to a community garden, the City’s newest streetscape project, Depot Commons and The Granary, to discuss urban design, development, future projects and how they all affect Morgan Hill. There will also be an opportunity to envision a “daylighted” creek in downtown.

Tour stops will include:

The Tour will start at the Morgan Hill Community Garden, located off of Butterfield Avenue, in between the Court House and the VTA parking lot.
The Morgan Hill Community Garden. Sherrie Wren, President of the Community Garden, will address the importance of local food and its connection to Santa Clara County agriculture.
LLagas Creek in Downtown Morgan Hill- Former Mayor Dennis Kennedy will discuss the concept of daylighting the Llagas Creek, how it relates to the Downtown Specific Plan and how the daylighting project could positively impact the residents, habitat and aesthetics of Downtown.
The Third Street Promenade- Garrett Toy, City of Morgan Hill’s Director of Business Assistance and Housing Services, will evoke a stimulating conversation on new and future projects in the City and how it can revitalize Downtown.
Depot Commons- Downtown Association Board Member and downtown resident Laura Gonzalez-Escoto will discuss livability and housing in Morgan Hill. Drawing on her experience as Director of Redevelopment for several cities in the Bay Area, Laura will highlight the diversity of residential projects existing in Morgan Hill.
The Granary- Lesley Miles, President of Weston Miles Architects, Inc., will highlight The Granary’s LEED Gold Certification elements and how the adaptive reuse contributes to redeveloping downtown Morgan Hill.
The tour will end with a complimentary lunch in downtown. Marieke Ruys, from Thrive! Morgan Hill, will lead a lively conversation on how each of the elements in the tour contributes to a vibrant downtown and how community involvement can make an impact.

Cost: Event is free. Complimentary lunch provided.
Other Information: Attendance is eligible for
AICP CM Credits.

RSVP
info@greenfoothills.org or
(650) 968-7243 x314

Combining the Components of Life:
Community Design Day
Saturday, May 14, 2011
11:00 AM
The Granary
17500 Depot Street Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Please join us at the Community Design Day, the last event of our series, where we will create a community driven vision for the region - from South San Jose to the valley’s fertile farmlands in Gilroy to Sargent Ranch at the County border. We will prepare visual imagery to communicate the vision and inform current and future decision makers, shaping the landscape, the dialogue and the quality of life for the region.

This is your opportunity to influence and be a part of moving a vision forward. The Design Day will be held at The Granary in Morgan Hill, a LEED Gold building and home to Weston Miles Architects, Inc. Professional designers from American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), and American Institute of Architects (AIA) have been invited to be a part of the Community Design Day to transform your ideas into imagery. In addition, Assemblymember Bill Monning, from the 27th District, will be a guest speaker.
We need YOU to be the local voice of ideas and to share your point of view on issues such as regional transportation, like High Speed Rail and regional bike trails; revitalization and growth in downtown areas as well as overall County growth; the lack of funding for open spaces – all the while recognizing South County as a “gateway” to regional parklands; the future of local farmland; the need for wildlife corridors; and the protection of our waterways.
What is YOUR vision for South Santa Clara County?

Cost: Event is free. Complimentary lunch provided.
Other Information: Attendance is eligible for
AICP CM Credits.

RSVP
info@greenfoothills.org or
(650) 968-7243 x314