News Subscribe to Our Newsletter Sign up for Email Updates CGF In the News Press Inquiries Past Articles Calendar			Half Moon Bay Review January 21, 2004   MROSD and Farm  Bureau strike major agreement By Jim Welte In a move that likely removes a major hurdle facing  the Midpeninsula Open  Space District's annexation of the Coastside, the district reached  an agreement with the San  Mateo County Farm Bureau Tuesday that will prevent the district from  using eminent domain on the Coastside.  The deal calls for the district to sponsor state  legislation that will permanently remove its power of eminent domain on  the Coastside. Eminent domain is the power of a government body to seize  private property for public use, although the agency must pay fair market  value for the land.  Bureau Executive Administrator Jack Olsen said the  parties had been negotiating the deal for nearly three months, but that  the bureau had wanted the district to give up on eminent domain "since  Day One" when the annexation of the Coastside was first proposed  five years ago.  The district had previously stated its intention  not too use eminent domain on several occasions, including through a resolution  passed by its board and the adoption of a "willing sellers"  ordinance in both its Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and its application  to the San Mateo County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) for  approval of the annexation.  The district's board must approve the agreement  at its Wednesday meeting, and district General Manager Craig Britton said  he would recommend that they do so.  "This agreement is a momentous step forward  toward completing the initial phase of preserving the San Mateo coast,"  he said. "We wanted their support for the same reason they want ours  - to preserve agricultural land on the coast. They'll be offering their  expert advice to us when we begin to acquire parcels piece by piece."  In announcing the deal Farm Bureau President George  Armanino called on LAFCo to approve the district's application for annexation  of 140,000 acres of land on the Coastside, dubbed its Coastside Protection  Program. "Under the terms of this agreement, the district's  Coastside Protection Program will benefit and help preserve agricultural  operations," he said. Committee for Green Foothills legislative advocate  April Vargas, a vocal supporter of MROSD's plans, said she was very encouraged  by the deal. "This is a gigantic step forward in building  a partnership between the district and the people of the Coastside, particularly  agricultural interests," she said. "I think MROSD really wants  to be a good partner and they want the trust and acceptance of the community  that they will be a professional steward of the land." Page last updated January 23, 2004 .