On Friday March 14, the FORA (Fort Ord Reuse Authority) Board vote on Consistency with the Monterey County 2010 General Plan which the Sierra Club opposed was DENIED, a victory for environmental protections. The FORA Board voted 6-6 to adopt the FORA staff Resolution Attachment A, Consistency Determination between the General Plan and the Fort Ord Reuse Plan. When a vote results in a tie, the vote fails so the Consistency Determination failed.

We opposed this "determination of consistency" and believe that the FORA Board should require that the County amend the 2010 General Plan to be consistent with the 1997 Reuse Plan for several reasons we outlined in our letter by attorney Thomas N. Lippe (PDF attached). County staff must now create redline draft revisions, verify CEQA requirements are met, hold a Board of Supervisors hearing and then back to FORA for a vote of consistency. The Chapter will be monitoring this closely.

Sierra Club wishes to thank FORA Board members Supervisor Lou Calcagno, Supervisor Jane Parker, Marina City Council member Frank O'Connell, Marina City Council member Gail Morton, Carmel City Council member Victoria Beach and Monterey City Council member Nancy Selfridge for their votes on behalf of environmental protection at Fort Ord.