City of Monterey Planning Division Earns State Award Planning Excellence Award of Merit for the 2031 General Plan Update

The Northern California Chapter of the American Planning Association awarded the City of Monterey the Planning Excellence Award of Merit for the 2031 General Plan Update. This planning effort is a targeted update to the Housing, Land Use, Circulation, and Safety Elements of the General Plan. These General Plan Elements address the acute housing shortage and critical need for local workforce housing, particularly for those employed in the tourism, health, and service sectors who commute long distances to jobs in Monterey.

The project outlines a multi-faceted strategy to thoughtfully integrate new housing into the fabric of the community and provide a wide range of new housing options for those who live and work in Monterey, while building resilience to natural and human-made hazards. A robust program of digital and in-person outreach activities helped to build consensus and support in the community, paving the way for adoption within 21 months. The award recognizes the City as a leader in the State of California and acknowledges the great work done by our City Council, Planning Commission and of course our Planning Division.

Community Development Director Kim Cole said, “The award represents excellence in finding housing solutions for our community. Housing affordability and capacity has been a longstanding crisis situation in California, and our creative work to find solutions for these critical social needs helps us see that solutions are in sight.”

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