I am a former county planner with 35 years experience on both sides of the counter, some of it in Mariposa County. In my professional opinion, there is no reason to divide Mariposa County into eight or so community plan areas. One county-wide General Plan can do the job very adequately, much better in fact than multiple area plans that are guaranteed to have contradictory policies and unequal treatment -- and a nightmare for the planning department to administer. It’s even easier for one General Plan to recognize unique local areas for special attention, such as for business enterprise, historic preservation, forest conservation, etc.

In January, 2000 a planning report by Jones & Stokes (hired by the County) said the 1983 General Plan was outdated and corrective actions were recommended. Fragmenting the County was not a recommendation.

Around 2001 or 2002, a former planning director floated the trial balloon of creating five general plans, one for each supervisory district. That balloon was wisely deflated – “we are one County and that’s divisive,” said a supervisor. Instead of following the one-county guideline, that former director proposed creating eight community plans. He boasted publicly, “When I know what a supervisor wants, I can come up with findings to justify anything.” Shortly after that statement he was shown the door, but his plan is still here causing controversy.

The recent General Plan update calls for final work on conservation and open space. It’s necessary work under state law -- mandatory plan elements have to be complete before any community plan or zoning can be adopted -- and far less expensive and less divisive than trying to divide and separately regulate Mariposa County in eight or so battleground community plan districts. That’s bad policy – a costly and disruptive use of government time and civic involvement.

Mike Stevens