wilderone
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Update on Coastline Development Plan - Todos Santos, et al
Reported in Baja Western Onion
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Todos Santos / Pescadero Master Plan - There was another meeting this last Thursday at the Ejido meeting hall in downtown Todos Santos to solicit
comments about the proposed Todos Santos / Pescadero Master Plan. This was the third meeting so far. The first meeting only had about 12 attendees.
The second meeting had about 60. There were about 200 people at the third meeting. Also, percentage of Extranjeros at the third meeting had increased
dramatically from the previous. One of the Council speakers even commented on this, saying he was a little disappointed to see that there were
actually more Extranjeros at the meeting than Hispanic locals, wishing that the locals would get more concerned about the plan.
Although intended to solicit community comments about the Plan, the first two hours of the meeting was spent debating the makeup of the Council that
was to represent the community's viewpoints on the Plan. Several attendees questioned how the Council members were chosen without public input, and
why some members such as the Mayor were even on the Council. One attendee pointed out that the makeup of the 10 or so initial Council members included
only one women, and no residents from Pescadero. Council Members stated that the Council makeup could be changed, with members added or deleted.
It was interesting to watch Mexican Democracy in action; and it was finally resolved to add several new members to the Council from the local
community. It was also decided to add representatives for the Extranjeros, acknowledging their evident interest in the Plan. Volunteers for the
Council were solicited, a vote was held, and the new members were sworn in. By this time, several audience members had left but the meeting continued
on past 9 PM.
There were again three main points raised during the meeting about serious local infrastructure problems that need to be addressed before any new
development plan could be done:
1. Potable Water Supply - Currently, there is a major failure with the pumping and delivery system with one of the town's main wells and the rest of
the system is aging and overburdened.
2. Waste Water Treatment. - Untreated, raw sewage is apparently running into the ocean because of lack of adequate treatment facilities.
3. Garbage Pickup - Pickup service is intermittant, and the current relleno (dump) North of Pescadero is full.
Apparently, public comments and recommended revisions to the Plan are due by the end of this month. That doesn't leave a lot of time, and local
residents and visitors to our area who are concerned about future development here are urged to get involved if you want your voice to be heard.
Whatever your interests, you WILL be impacted by this Plan if and when it is ever implemented.
If you attended either of the previous two meetings, please send additional information or comments to the BWO, and we'll include them if appropriate.
One thing that would be very helpful is an interpretation and explanation of the Legend symbols included in the Master Plan maps. We will add this
information to the web page on the Baja Western Onion website when available,
There is supposed to be another meeting this week and we will provide details as to time and location when they become available. - Baja Western Onion
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Hook
Elite Nomad
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Very much appreciate you posting this information here. Thank you.
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flyfishinPam
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A comment on the apparant lack of interst by local attendees, this is something that happens in Loreto too. Loretanos have heard promises and plans
for years that never panned out so they are sceptical and donīt want to waste their time in these meetings. another point that iīve seen at meetings
is that the presentors often have a just listen and do as we say attitude. sounds like that didnīt happen in Todos Santos which is good. Education
is key to the people having the best understanding about the decisions the committees, politicos and developers make and how the people can have their
input and how they can pressure representatives into actually representing their interests.
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BCSTech
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Location: Todos Santos, BCS / Placerville, CA.
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(Cross Posting from another thread on this topic)
RE: Development in Todos Santos
I'll be e mailing the latest issue of the Baja Western Onion this morning. It will contain an announcement about the next meeting about the Master
Plan, to be held at the Cultural Center this next Tuesday, August 14th at 11 AM.
The Mayor of La Paz will be there (TS is in their jurisdiction) as well as the members of the Council elected to speak on behalf of TS about this
issue. For the first time that anyone can remember around here concerning any governmental policy issue, foreign nationals owning property here have
been formally invited to provide their comments on the Plan.
A few things...
The mayor and the council want to focus this meeting on soliciting comments on the plan, and not wasting time arguing about who should be on the
council or how to fix the city's broken water pump.
One of the people reportedly pushing this Plan, as well being responsible for pushing the "Pueblo Magico" designation, is a local Mexican Developer.
Interestingly, in the original Plan, few to none of the proposed roads criss crossing the area apparently would be built through his property. But
they were going to be built right through the middle of quite a few others' private property. This was just one of the reasons many people here were
so upset.
The Master Plan has already gone through some major revisions since the meeting last week. One of our citizens personally went to Mexico City to
petition the the governing agencies responsible for the Plan. Most of the proposed major roads have apparently been taken out, as well as that Malecon
(realy stupid idea, as any Todos Santeņo who's walked along that beach in the winter will tell you). The revised plan can be seen at AmeriMex Realty
in Todos Santos
Apparently, this is a 50 year plan for the area (Tiempo Mexicano?). The plan was reportedly drafted by some of the same engineers and architects who
designed Cancun. Conclude what you might from that.
Vamos a ver...
Alan Thompson
Publisher, The Baja Western Onion
News For the Left Coast of Baja California Sur
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Marie-Rose
Senior Nomad
Posts: 894
Registered: 10-2-2003
Location: Victoria, B.C. and Todos Santos
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Thanks Alan
It's good to see the Onion cross referrenced here... such a great service and greatly
appreciated
Remember, when in Mexico, yes may be no and no may be
maybe!
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BCSTech
Senior Nomad
Posts: 584
Registered: 4-16-2006
Location: Todos Santos, BCS / Placerville, CA.
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Thanks Marie Rose. Looking forward to seeing you and Fred back here soon. The band needs a place to practice again 
If anyone wants to subscribe to the Baja Western Onion newsletter to keep up with what's going on with the Master Plan and other stuff in the area,
send a blank e mail to newsletter ( -at- ) BajaWesternOnion.com (as always, replace the " ( -at- ) " with an @ ). Put the word Subscribe in the
subject line.
BTW, It's Free...
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BCSTech
Senior Nomad
Posts: 584
Registered: 4-16-2006
Location: Todos Santos, BCS / Placerville, CA.
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BTW, here is an update on the Todos Santos / Pescadero Master Plan from the August 18th edition of the Baja Western Onion:
Special Master Plan Report
As many of you know, there was a public meeting this last Tuesday to discuss the proposed Master Plan for Development of Todos Santos and Pescadero.
The meeting was specifically intended to solicit comments from the Extranjero population, and lasted for about three hours. Present at the meeting was
the Chief Architect of the Plan, Lic. Alejandro Sanchez, and the Secretary of Development and Ecology. Contrary to what was reported earlier, the
Mayor of La Paz and the local council were not present at this meeting.
This was one of a series of meetings held in the area in the last two weeks with different interest groups representing the towns people, The City
Council, the Subdelegation of Las Playitas, The Ejido of Todos Santos and Pescadero, and the Extranjeros. Elena and John Moreno provided translation
throughout the meeting, and most of the audience came away with a much better understanding of what the Master Plan is, and especially, what it is
not.
Following is a summary of meeting highlights:
* The Master Plan seeks to set the conditions, restrictions and limits to control development going forward. It is not retroactive and cannot
address development problems or abuses that were acknowledged to have already occurred, i.e.; over density, too-small lots, buildings on the dunes or
exceeding height restrictions and setbacks, etc. Nor does it address current infrastructure issues. The Plan is simply a framework to regulate and
limit development in the future.
* It was emphasized that, without a Master Plan in place, there is no structure to control area development going forward, and that abuses will
continue to occur. The Plan was presented as an opportunity for our area to lead the way in showing Mexico how to handle Eco-tourism and development.
* The company selected to devise the Plan was chosen in competition with other firms. This information is available on the La Paz Government web
site: http://www.bcs.gob.mx/.
* Once the Plan is signed into law, it becomes Federal law that will survive electoral changes in local, state and national government, and
prevent new administrations from concocting their own short-term development schemes (AKA corruption).
* The projected area population from Elias Calles North is estimated at 20,000 by the year 2030, and 40,000 by 2050. In addition to providing for
new residents and businesses building and living here, another concern of the Plan is to anticipate the needs of the service personnel that will also
be necessary to provide services for the expanding community.
* There are no bulldozers and cement trucks lined up to start laying down roads, buildings and hotels, nor is there money provided in the Plan to
support any such development. That is not the purpose of the Plan.
* Subdivision and building density in several areas along the coast will be limited to lots no smaller than 2,000 square meters, and no more than
4 residences per hectare (2.5 acres).
* Building on lots directly adjacent to the coastline will be limited to one-story structures. Starting 150 meters behind that (492'), buildings
will be limited to no more than 9 meters (29') in height
* Minimum road widths will be limited to no less than 13 meters (42'). Major roads will be no less than 20 meters (65').
* The proposed "Malecon" up the coast is actually planned as a Public Access walking path, not a road for vehicles.
* Public beach access is planned for no more than every 400 meters (appx. every 1/4 mile). As a primary component, the plan seeks to preserve
public access to the beach.
* The Municipality of La Paz has already approved a plan to govern access to the beaches. Once signed into law, it will become law for the entire
area of Southern Baja.
* A question was raised as to whether there was a law restricting the kinds of businesses that could be granted concessions along the beach. The
answer was "Yes, but there is no one blanket law affecting all areas."
* The Federal Zone along the coast extends 20 meters from the high tide line. The Plan seeks to preserve another 20 to 30 meters back from the
current Federal Zone to keep it free of development (130' to 164' from the the high tide line). This land may be appropriated from existing lots
abutting to the Federal Zone.
* The government cannot arbitrarily appropriate land without proving through process of law it is in the public interest to do so. Owners are
reimbursed at current appraised market value (not tax value).
* 10% of any land for commercial use must be donated to the municipality for public use; parks, wildlife preserves, walkways, beach access, etc..
* No big hotels will be allowed; only smaller "boutique" hotels of up to two stories, and no more than 14 rooms per hectare (2.5 acres).
Residences will be limited to no more than 10 rooms per hectare (not 10 residences).
* Rather than rely on the existing public water system, larger developers will be required to devise their own water solutions (i.e.
desalinization plants).
* A local council may be set up with the power to police conformance to the Plan and report violations. The local council is already trying to
establish a relationship with PROFEFA (Mexico's Environmental Protection Agency) to permit local policing and reporting of development and
environmental issues.
* There will be a Federal Flood Plain Zone as a component of the Plan. Variances will be needed in order to build there.
* Plan approval occurs in the following stages: 1. Local, 2. Municipal, 3. Regional, and 4. National.
* A question was raised as to whether residential areas would have higher property taxes. The answer was "No, this is not a component of the
plan." One concern in raising property taxes would be the negative impact this would have on the large local populace who cannot afford to pay more
than they are now.
* The deadline to present a final proposal to the community was pushed back until near the end of September. There will be another 120 days after
that for public comment, after which the Plan will be signed into law.
* The local council will provide a glossary and explanation of the legends and terms used in the Plan by next Monday. This will be translated into
English. We will print this information in the Onion and on the Baja Western Onion website when it becomes available.
* Input and suggestions for the Plan can be sent by e mail to Lic. Alejandro Sanchez at ceura_sanchez ( - at - ) yahoo.com.mx. He does not speak
English but others in his office may.
* The current and previous versions of the plan in JPG and PDF format can be seen and downloaded on the Baja Western Onion website here: http://www.bajawesternonion.com/MasterPlan.asp. Thanks to Elena Moreno for providing the PDF document. Elena also has the latest version of the
plan at her office at AmeriMex Realty in Todos Santos.
Following as some of the highlights addressing local infrastructure issues:
* Funds for public works projects in conformance with the plan will come from local, state and federal funds as a part of the budgeting process.
* By November of each year, the local council needs to submit requests for needed local services and utilities.
* The temporary detour used while the truck route was being repaired through downtown Todos Santos will be reused to route truck traffic around
downtown. This is an interim solution until a new highway is built East of Todos Santos and Pescadero, rejoining the existing highway new Rancho
Nuevo.
* Concerns were raised by attendees about rerouting heavy construction traffic to Las Tunas out of downtown, perhaps entering North of town near
the river.
* There will be a separate meeting next Friday, August 24, to discuss area infrastructure issues (water, sewer, garbage). Exact time and location
to follow as we receive this information.
Of course, we'll continue to provide information on the Master Plan as it becomes available. We also welcome reader comments, suggestions, corrections
and updates. - Baja Western Onion.
Alan Thompson
Publisher, The Baja Western Onion
News For the Left Coast of Baja California Sur
[Edited on 8-22-2007 by BCSTech]
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CaboRon
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thanks for the link. - CaboRon
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Don Alley
Super Nomad
Posts: 1997
Registered: 12-4-2003
Location: Loreto
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Wow. That's a heck of a lot more plan than Loreto's "High Density Tourism Everywhere" plan. Good Luck, and I hope a little rubs off statewide.
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