Milpitas Post
November 27, 2002
 
Look to the hills for inspiration, beauty and hopefully no new sets of housetops

When Milpitas voters strongly expressed their wishes through Measure Z back in 1998, they wanted the strongest possible protection against a sprawling view of houses on the ridgelines. They clearly wanted an end to the spoiling of a most dramatic backdrop for our suburban scene.

That protection was enacted for the city limits but it did not extend into the unincorporated areas which are governed by the county planning commission and the Board of Supervisors.

Currently on the table is a much-watched 17-home development along Felter and Marsh roads which will transform the Patrick Ranch into a subdivision of very expensive homes. And when you spend that kind of money, you want that "million dollar view." There's the rub.

The project, created by Citation Homes, calls itself a "cluster" subdivision. The 17 4- to 6-acre parcels will spread over 57 acres of the 517-acre ranch. The remainder will be in permanent open space. The county is taking the better part of a year to weigh all of the aspects of this development because it is clear that environmental groups as well as ranchers, land speculators and homebuilders all are closely watching the decisions. The critics have honed in on the fact that the county has not dealt with the ridgeline issue in its laws.

There has always been a good deal of sympathy at the county for ranchers who have held their land for a long time wishing to develop. Traditionally, planning commissioners and the supervisors who appoint them have tried to find ways to accommodate to these developments. Often these approvals come despite concerns such as water supply or sewage disposal. The aesthetic issues and the visual impacts seem to have a far lower priority. Nonetheless, however,the county's general plan says that "roads, building sites, structures and other facilities shall not be allowed to create a major, lasting visible scar on the landscape."

Environmental groups like the Committee for Green Foothills, the Greenbelt Alliance and the county Audubon Society all are anxious to see some redesign to lower the home profiles below ridgelines. They remind the supervisors that their own workplan for this year asked staff to address the weakness of county laws relating to ridgeline homes.

This project by the Patricks, understandably has sympathy from many Milpitas residents in view of their involvement with the community. And it is evident that the county must reckon with some intense pressure to open up hillsides for those big-bucks homes. In addition, it will be difficult, if the Citation Homes project slides through without any redesign, to stop others from seeking the same treatment on other ranches in the eastern hills.

The final decisions on this project will be coming early in 2003. It is almost certain that the present design could have some negative effect on the natural beauty of our hillside backdrop which will not be able to be reversed. If you have opinions on this issue, we suggest you urge the supervisors to quickly establish some new zoning rules for hillside that protect the ridges. Write or call Supervisor Pete McHugh, the former Milpitas mayor who represents this area on the board, at 70 W. Hedding St., San Jose, Calif. 95110.