City of Monterey responds to inaccurate information contained in anonymous mailing titled “SAVE OUR WATERFRONT”

On Tuesday, June 25, 2024, City of Monterey staff was made aware that an anonymous author distributed a pamphlet by mail to a select number of City of Monterey residents. The mailer contains highly inaccurate information about the City’s Housing Element and zoning related to the state requirement that requires us to plan for 3,654 new houses over the next eight years to accommodate this projected need. It appears that the mailer was created to potentially delay the required update of the City’s housing element.

To remind everyone: to provide new housing opportunities in the City is mandated by the State. The City of Monterey is required to plan for 3,654 housing units to be built within the next 8 years. The contents of the 3-page mailer, titled “SAVE OUR WATERFRONT," is copied below, with a City response to each of the statements. It is always our intention to be transparent, responsible and inclusive. We feel it is important to address the misinformation contained in this mailing.

Under State law, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) must review and certify the City's 2023-31 Housing Element as complete. Since the April 30, 2024, submittal of the Housing Element to HCD, the City has been working directly with HCD staff to adequately address any outstanding comments. The Revised Draft Housing Element is now available for public review before it is formally resubmitted to HCD for certification. The Monterey 2031 General Plan Update consisting of the Housing, Land Use, Safety, and Circulation Elements will be considered for adoption at a joint Planning Commission and City Council hearing tentatively scheduled for July 16, 2024. As we have done throughout this entire process, we encourage residents to participate in the public hearings. More information is available at https://haveyoursaymonterey.org/monterey2031.

BELOW IS A COPY OF A MAILED FLYER SOME CITY OF MONTEREY RESIDENTS RECEIVED IN THEIR MAILBOX IN JUNE 2024, AND OUR RESPONSE TO THE MISINFORMATION IT CONTAINS. THE MAILER CONSISTED OF THE WRITTEN CONTENT AND THE TWO MAPS. THE CITY’S RESPONSE IS IN ITALICS.

COMMENT 1 IN MAILER: SAVE OUR WATERFRONT - The City of Monterey is in the process of adopting the 2023-31 Housing Element which proposes to rezone a section of the waterfront Area into the Downtown Specific Plan Area to permit the development of housing in the Waterfront Area. (Apartments/Condominiums}

SECTION OF WATERFRONT AREA PROPOSED TO BE REZONED: On the Monterey Bay side of Del Monte Ave. between Camino El Estero and Washington St.
CITY RESPONSE TO COMMENT 1: The City does NOT propose to rezone the area along the bayside of Del Monte Avenue between Camino El Estero and Washington Street for residential uses. On Map 3-3: Opportunity Areas, a yellow line was shown to generally depict the opportunity areas; however, not all parcels within each opportunity area are a potential opportunity site for housing. The Downtown opportunity area is mapped on Map 3-4: Downtown Sites where individual parcels are identified as opportunity sites. As you can see on Map 3-4, there are no opportunity sites proposed on the bayside of Del Monte Avenue between Camino El Estero and Washington. The City can amend the Downtown opportunity area, outlined in yellow below, to clarify this intent.

Map 3.4, page 38 - https://haveyoursaymonterey.org/17336/widgets/58946/documents/56479

COMMENT 2 IN MAILER: The Waterfront Specific Plan does not permit the development of housing.
CITY RESPONSE TO COMMENT 2: This comment is generally accurate with a minor correction. The City adopted a Waterfront Master Plan. Both the Waterfront Master Plan and the Coastal Commission certified Monterey Harbor Land Use Plan (Coastal Plan) do not allow residential uses on the bayside of Del Monte Avenue between Camino El Estero and Washington. For these reasons, the City is not proposing any opportunity sites in this area.

COMMENT 3 IN MAILER: Nowhere in the 2023-31 Housing Element is it written this section of the Waterfront Area is to be rezoned into the Downtown Specific Plan Area; however, the 4 Maps in the 2023-31 Housing Element shows/indicates this is the City's intention to do so. Map 3-3: Opportunity Areas clearly shows the section of the Waterfront Area being in the Downtown Specific Plan Area. This area is where the vertical black line stops.
CITY RESPONSE TO COMMENT 3: The City of Monterey is not proposing to incorporate the Waterfront Area into the Downtown Specific Plan. See response above to Comment 1.

COMMENT 4 IN MAILER: 2023-31 HOUSING ELEMENT (3-11) states: "To facilitate housing development downtown, the following strategies have been incorporated into the Housing Element Action Plan (Chapter 4): * Program 1-C: Revise City policy and regulation to incorporate a clear statement that 100 percent residential projects are permitted throughout the downtown area, except on/adjacent to Alvarado Street per City Council resolution 21-129 C.S. The City of Monterey does need additional housing but not in the 2 block area of the Waterfront.
CITY RESPONSE TO COMMENT 4: See Response to Comments 1 and 3 above.

COMMENT 5 IN MAILER: (CITY RESPONSE IN ITALICS)
HOW CAN YOU HELP STOP HOUSING IN THE WATERFRONT AREA
CITY RESPONSE TO COMMENT 5: Housing is not proposed in the Waterfront Area.
1. Spread the above information to family, friends, and business owners.
City Response: Do not share the flyer because it contains misinformation.

2. Immediately email the City Council opposing the rezoning of the Waterfront Area into the Downtown Specific Plan Area to permit the development of housing.
City Response: As always, let the City know if you have additional questions. Email suggest@monterey.gov with any questions or comments.

3. Email the cityclerk@monterey.org with your opposition to the rezoning starting Friday July 12th and request it to be posted in the public comments for City Council Meeting on July 16th.
City response: Gather factual data first and then make an informed decision. The information contained in the anonymous flyer is not accurate. Attend the joint meeting of the Planning Commission and City Council on July 16th voicing your opposition to the rezoning to permit the development of housing in the Waterfront Area.

ADDITIONAL CITY RESPONSE TO COMMENT 5: The Monterey 2031 General Plan Update consisting of the Housing, Land Use, Safety, and Circulation Elements will be considered for adoption at a Planning Commission and City Council hearing tentatively scheduled for July 16, 2024. As the City has done through this entire process, we encourage residents to participate in the July 16, 2024, joint meeting. More information is available at https://haveyoursaymonterey.org/monterey2031.

Map 3.3 is on page 35 of the Revised Draft of the Housing Element Volume 1 - https://haveyoursaymonterey.org/17336/widgets/58946/documents/56479

This map is on page 11 of the Downtown Specific Plan, posted at https://files.monterey.org/Document%20Center/CommDev/Planning/Downtown%20Specific%20Plan/20_0519-Downtown-P-Amend-Web.pdf
----------------------------