Monterey 2031 - General Plan Update

Community Survey Report Results

The Monterey 2031 Community Survey was conducted from March 1, 2023 to April 30, 2023 to provide residents, business owners, and people working or attending school in Monterey with an opportunity to share input that will inform strategies for the Monterey 2031 General Plan Update. The survey focused in particular on eight areas of Monterey with the greatest potential to accommodate new housing or other types of development over the next 10 years. The questions were designed to solicit feedback that will help plan where new housing, employment, and shopping should be located, and how to achieve other community objectives like improving transportation options, revitalizing older commercial streets, and preserving and enhancing neighborhood character. The survey was conducted in both English and Spanish. An online version of the survey was available via a link on the Have Your Say Monterey website, allowing people to access it on their own time from their laptop, smartphone, or home computer. A paper version of the survey was also available at the Monterey Public Library.

City staff and consultants implemented a robust program of outreach activities to raise awareness of the survey and promote participation. Mailers were sent to every address in Monterey, with provisions to ensure that both homeowners and renters received notifications. Using a “go to them” strategy, a total of eight "pop up" events were held at locations around town where community members gather. The pop-up events featured stop-and-talk stations that provide community members with opportunities to learn about the project and share input. Participation was also promoted through citywide newsletters, email blasts, posters, and posts on social media.

In total over 1,050 survey responses were received, which includes 907 online responses, input from about 120 people at pop-up events, and 42 paper comments. This survey report documents the survey methodology, provides a demographic profile of respondents, and presents key implications for the planning process. A full and complete record of all comments received is included in the report.

View the Community Survey Report

Preliminary Sites Inventory and Key Strategies Memorandum

A Preliminary Sites Inventory and Key Strategies memorandum has been prepared that provided context for decision-maker meetings in June. The memorandum is organized to:

• Provide relevant background information regarding State guidance for site suitability and community input on locations and strategies for new housing;
• Introduce several areas of the City with the greatest potential to accommodate new housing, an assessment of the capacity for new housing in each, based on State site suitability guidelines and potential strategies to facilitate development in the area; and
• Summarize the total potential housing capacity of the sites with implementation of the potential strategies in relation to Monterey's RHNA allocation.

The Tuesday, June 20, 2023 City Council meeting will be a joint meeting with the Planning Commission to receive a report on the Community Survey Report results, Preliminary Housing Opportunity Sites, and Key Strategies to Facilitate Production of the City’s Regional Share of Housing for the Draft Monterey 2031 General Plan Update. The report is posted on isearchmonterey.org along with the background memorandum. The agenda report for the June 20 meeting will be available within 24 hours of the meeting. The Planning Commission received a report at their June 13, 2023 meeting. Links to the agenda and attachments are available as Item 5 at https://isearchmonterey.org/OnBaseAgendaOnline/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=5577&doctype=1

Pop-up outreach continues to promote the Monterey 2031 - Community Survey. Visit Planning staff at the Farmers Market at Old Monterey Marketplace on Alvarado Street.

Next Pop-Up Outreach dates and locations:

Thursday, April 13, 11 - 12 p.m. at the Monterey Public Library
Tuesday, April 18, 4 - 6 p.m. at the Farmers Market on Alvarado Street
Tuesday, April 25, 4 - 6 p.m. at Farmers Market on Alvarado Street

We hope to see you!

It's not too late to help build a housing plan for Monterey! Survey deadline extended to April 30, 2023.

On March 1, as part of the Monterey 2031 General Plan Update, the City launched an interactive online survey that gives community members a voice in shaping the plan for where new housing, employment, and shopping should be located and how to achieve other community objectives like improving transportation options, revitalizing older commercial streets, and preserving and enhancing neighborhood character.

To date, over 500 people have shared their ideas, but to ensure that everyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Monterey has the opportunity to participate, the survey deadline is extended to April 30, 2023.

Choose from a 5-minute survey, a 10-minute survey, or take them both! TAKE THE SURVEY!

The Monterey 2031 Community Survey launched on March 1st and as of March 16, 2023 over 365 community members have weighed in to help shape a shared strategy for the future of our community. Amid the ongoing housing shortage in California, Monterey is required by law to plan for 3,654 new homes by 2031 to meet current and projected need. Planning for new housing will require a thoughtful strategy that considers the location and type of new homes in light of environmental hazards and quality of life.

This interactive, online survey is designed to give community members the chance to help plan where new housing, employment, and shopping should be located and how to achieve other community objectives like improving transportation options, revitalizing older commercial streets, and preserving and enhancing neighborhood character. The survey can be completed in just 5 minutes, but there are options to provide more input and dive deeper into the issues if you wish. Take the survey at online at https://monterey2031.mysocialpinpoint.com/.

There are also opportunities to have your say in-person at the Monterey Public Library, 625 Pacific Street, and at locations and events around town. Come see us at the Del Monte Farmers' Market Friday morning March 24! Hard copy surveys will be available.

Monterey 2031 is an important citywide project that involves updates to the City of Monterey General Plan to respond to emerging issues and new State laws. The survey will remain open until March 31, 2023. We need to hear from you to make sure the strategy for Monterey 2031 reflects the priorities of our community.

Monterey Public Library Survey Display

Help build a housing plan for Monterey! Amid the ongoing housing shortage in California, the City is required by law to plan for at least 3,654 new homes over the next 8 years to accommodate current and projected need. With relatively little vacant land available for new development and the risk of environmental hazards like wildfire and flooding in certain locations, accommodating new housing will require a thoughtful strategy.

Please take this online survey to help make sure the strategy reflects the priorities of our community. The survey is open through March 31, 2023 and for people who live and work in Monterey. WATCH THE VIDEO. The direct link is https://monterey2031.mysocialpinpoint.com/ or scan the QR code. Residents, watch for a postcard coming to your home.

A Joint Special Meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission will take place on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. Please see Item 7, Progress Report on Monterey 2031 – a General Plan Update of the Housing, Land Use, and Safety Elements, on the Agenda posted at https://isearchmonterey.org/OnBaseAgendaOnline/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=5437&doctype=1

Monterey 2031 Listening Sessions – Summaries and Recordings

The Community Development Department and planning consultant, Dyett and Bhatia, held fourteen listening sessions, between December 6, 2022 and December 8, 2022, to connect with community members and provide a forum for members to learn about the Monterey 2031 General Plan Update. Held at the Monterey Conference Center, each listening session garnered discussion on topics such as housing, land use, community character, climate resilience, and emergency preparedness. Approximately fifty-six (56) individuals, including community members, professionals, land holders, housing developers and service providers, non-profit leaders, military liaisons, and interested residents participated in the sessions. The summaries below highlight the constraints and opportunities heard by the participants in each session. Recordings of the session are available in the title for each session.

Session #1 Non-Profit Leaders - Link to ZOOM recording

A major challenge and overall theme of this listening session is the lack of water supply available for residential development. Opportunities mentioned by participants include local case studies of workforce housing, such as Pebble Beach and Cannery Row; various non-traditional alternatives, such as tiny homes and assisted living quarters; as well as the reuse of Ford Ord property. North Fremont can also be a possible opportunity site for housing, though participants expressed not wanting the community to feel like they have been targeted or dumped on. Participants expressed curiosity in state and federal funds to bridge the gap in the housing market and the vulnerability of the city. Participants also stressed the importance of putting faces to the people that are in most need of affordable housing, such as hospitality and service workers.

Session #2 Community - Link to ZOOM recording

Participants emphasized that water supply is a major constraint in the development of housing. Other challenges Monterey faces are wildfire and sea level rise hazards. Participants mentioned various housing opportunities such as locations near North Fremont, Franklin Street, and the Downtown core. They mentioned various living trends that can be opportunities, such as co-living, age-in-place, intergenerational households, and junior accessory dwelling units. Participants hope to desegregate income groups and research further inclusionary requirements versus inclusionary incentives. Lastly, participants suggested having an online survey being distributed via flyers for residents to fill out their thoughts and concerns on housing.

Session #3 Downtown Land Holders - Link to ZOOM recording

Participants in this session mentioned various constraints to housing in Monterey, which include the traffic (near Downtown), roadway patterns, and circulation in general. Participants expressed interest in developing two properties along Del Monte Avenue, which could be suitable for market-rate apartment for demographics in need, specifically nurses, and doctors at CHOMP, students and faculty at the Naval Postgraduate School, students at Middlebury Institute, and folks that live in Downtown. Participants expressed opportunities for housing all over Monterey, such as the Bank of America building, McGraw Hill, land around Ryan Ranch, North Fremont, and the site of former Eddie’s restaurant (2200 North Fremont).

Session #4 Property Managers – Link to ZOOM recording

Participants in this session heavily emphasized that water supply, density, and property were the biggest constraints to housing development. Participants noted that housing is needed the most by people who can’t afford to live where they grew up, folks living on fixed-incomes, and hospitality and service workers. When asked where opportunities for housing are, some suggested property near North Fremont specifically near Motel 6, CVS and car wash, hangars by the airport that could potentially be converted to residential, and on the underutilized site by McDonald’s. Participants also mentioned a variety of methods to either incentivize housing or inform the community. These suggestions include retrofitting and electrification [of existing housing stock], lot splits, having contractors teach the public about development, housing programs such as co-living situations with single room and a shared kitchen, as well as sending flyers to residents on various housing solutions.

Session #5 Architects/Designers - Link to audio recording

Participants in this session recurringly noted the bar is too low for appeals in the development process, which add barriers to housing. Participants also mentioned that the point of entry for housing in Monterey is high because of the military population that tend to increase housing costs. Participants mentioned the amount of youth homeless population in the Monterey, which led to the conclusion that some type of state and local partnership is needed to combat this. Participants also noted parking is an issue for residential development, particularly for areas that have little parking left. Following this, participants expressed a variety of opportunities for housing development, such as enhancing buildings that are already in use, setting objective design standards, and minimizing the number of hearings for development. Additionally, when asked where they saw areas of opportunity in Monterey, participants expressed lands down by the cemetery and the sport center, as well as the potential to upzone and develop the Del Monte Shopping Center. Participants also mentioned that development of accessory dwelling units can be more flexible, specifically for existing non-conforming structures. Lastly, participants expressed how expensive it is to build a residential unit, expressed interest in the City of Salinas’ blue code committee that the City can explore, and emphasized the additional amount of amenities needed when developing residential housing, such as additional grocery stores, more fuel stations, and site drainage. A participant mentioned agriculture housing in the City of Greenfield that can serve as an example of workforce housing.

Session #6 Community – Link to audio recording

In this session, the participant mentioned certain ethnic minorities may need additional assistance in accessing housing in Monterey. The participants also mentioned major constraints to housing such as the cost of living and wages, lack of housing stock for service workers (teachers and people working at CHOMP), and the linguistic isolation people may face in the community. Participants also mentioned the suggestion to explore a vacancy tax in the city as well.

Session #7 Community – Link to ZOOM recording

Participants in this session expressed that various community members need housing in Monterey, such as people who work in the hospitality sector, older people who no longer can afford to live here, and younger people (about mid 30’s) who cannot afford a home. Participants also expressed the difficulty of hiring workers because they cannot afford to live in Monterey, or their commute is too long/far. Participants conveyed multiple opportunities and alternatives to housing, such as exploring the Ford Ord Reuse Plan, developing accessory dwelling units, live-work spaces (such as the Cannery Row hospitality apartments), and banning Airbnb. Participants also showed opportunities around Lake El Estero because it is so close to transit, underutilized parcels next to McDonalds, as well as Garden Road near the airport. Lastly, participants communicated that Monterey needs mixed-income housing, corrective housing, housing with some character, and starter homes. A participant mentioned the housing in East Garrison as an example to look at.

Session #8 Housing Developers – Link to ZOOM recording

In this session, participants expressed various constraints in the housing market in Monterey. These constraints include the reoccurring water supply, lack of sense of urgency/no sense of completion, “red tape,” discretionary review process, and highly historic location, which limits development. Additional challenges include multiple hearings from City Council and Planning Commission, fees by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), City and County, as well as the process of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Participants frequently mentioned the need to up the density in Monterey to attain the RHNA numbers, as well as focusing on Garden Road, Ryan Ranch, and Ford Ord for residential development.

Session #9 Community - Link to ZOOM recording

Participants mentioned Monterey needs workforce housing for hospitality workers, people who need to commute to Monterey for work, teachers, as well as faculty at the Naval Postgraduate School/Defense Language Institute. Participants expressed various opportunities to develop housing in Monterey, such as encouraging major employers to partner with developers to construct housing, offering underused hotel units for employees, accessory dwelling units provided by churches, and encouraging Monterey Peninsula College to build housing. Participants also mentioned the idea of the City spearheading a matching system for roommates, for those who need a room and residents who have available bedrooms in their home. Participants listed Cass Street, Lake El Estero, Garden Road, North Fremont, and Lighthouse for locations for housing. Participants also expressed interest in exploring the development of commercial uses to residential units. There was enthusiasm about revitalizing the North Fremont area and revamping business around the area. Participants expressed residents may fear not knowing what development could look like, to which other participants mentioned there could be renderings made and visual preference survey sent beforehand.

Session #10 Housing Service Providers – Link to ZOOM recording

Participants noted that there is a need for affordable, workforce housing, which prompted a discussion on what constitutes or defines “workforce housing.” Following this, participants emphasized that low-income households are most in need of housing in Monterey. Participants described MidPen Housing’s activity in the City of Monterey, detailing the process of developing a 19-unit project for seniors. Participants described the hurdles in developing housing, such as the environmental constraints, funding sources, parking, stormwater management, and various documents needed for due diligence. Participants mentioned that City of Santa Cruz has a loan program for homeowners wanting to build an accessory dwelling unit, which could facilitate development and could be an opportunity for Monterey. Participants also suggested looking into housing fund examples from Capitola and Santa Cruz.

Session #11 Community - Link to ZOOM recording

Participants in this session echoed the need for housing for hospitality and service workers, the challenge of traffic with additional units, and sea level rise. Participants also discussed what climate change would look like for the city, such as flooding near the coast, looking out for wildfire zones, and thinking about alternative evacuation routes. Participants suggested informing the community beforehand about natural hazards and what to do if they arise. Throughout the conversation, participants conveyed many opportunities they see for housing in Monterey, like revamping the Highway 68 Specific Plan, building in Downtown and Lighthouse, and partnering with major employers of the area. Participants also mentioned developing pre-approved ADU plans, setting objective standards, and documenting where water credits are available in the City. Lastly, participants suggested there be a focus group held for people who work in the City of Monterey but don’t live here, for additional insight into housing needs.

Session #12 Large Land Holders – Link to ZOOM recording

Participants discussed various challenges to housing that were specific to their industry. Though CHOMP does provide some temporary housing units for their employees, it is not meant for long-term, and it is not enough for the demand. Again, various participants echoed the theme that workers are not able to afford to live in Monterey. Participants expressed the frustration of recruitment and retainment of employees because of housing; more so, because it is undermining the economic foundation of the City and region. Similarly, it is difficult to retain teachers as there is about 20% turnover year to year in the school district. The school district is looking into purchasing land to break into the housing market, though it is proving to be difficult. Many students and families in the school district are facing homelessness and overcrowding. A participant suggested a safe parking program, where families can park their car safely between the hours of 7am to 7pm, which can respond to challenges of homeless youth. Participants frequently reiterated the importance of housing to employees’ mental health and expressed urgency for the City’s housing crisis. Participants conveyed multiple opportunities for housing, such as higher density, developing in urban cores, creating some type of matchmaking for eligible seniors or singles who need an open room, as well as pre-approved accessory dwelling unit plans by the City, and converting commercial to residential use.

Session #13 Military Liaisons – Link to ZOOM recording

Participants had questions about the process of RHNA allocation for Monterey and if the water supply would be available for the amount of housing units Monterey has to plan for. Participants mentioned that the Navy doesn’t offer housing, so many personnel live far away and commute into the Peninsula. Participants did mention that military personnel can live at La Mesa and Ord Military Communities, pending availability, and usually move from another location to the Monterey Peninsula area for their line of work. Participants also emphasized two major concerns from the session, which include sea level rise and the need for a shelter for men.

Session #14 Community – Link to ZOOM recording

In this session, the participant echoed many of the themes heard throughout the sessions, such as how difficult it is to afford a place to rent or own in Monterey. Many hospitality workers in general often commute long and from far because of the cost of living. Participant mentioned various opportunities to create housing, such as churches with large parking lots, shopping centers that may be abandoned or underutilized, as well as underused office/commercial that can be converted to residential. Participant was fairly on board with accessory dwelling units, though did express concern over parking.

We Want to Hear from You! Monterey 2031 is an important citywide project that involves updates to the Housing, Land Use, and Safety Elements of the City of Monterey General Plan (see Important Links to view the General Plan last amended 2019) to respond to emerging issues and new State laws. As the project begins, we invite you to participate in a discussion of key issues, challenges, and opportunities that will need to be considered and addressed in the general plan update.

The City will host a series of Listening Sessions, on December 6, 7, and 8, 2022, to directly connect to community members and provide a forum for residents to learn about the project, voice their priorities, and share their perspectives on the issues and opportunities that will need to be addressed. Held at the Conference Center, each 50- minute listening session will be a facilitated small group discussion on topics such as housing, land use, community character, climate resilience, and emergency preparedness.

SIGN UP TO PARTICIPATE: Participation is only available in person. These sessions will be recorded and posted to the Have Your Say Monterey website. To participate in a 50-minute listening session at the Monterey Conference Center on either December 6, 7, or 8 (AM and PM options available) use this link to select the dates and times you are available: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SVKLLNN A confirmation email will be sent, although not immediately, to those that have registered. This email will identify the selected date and time you have been confirmed to attend.

If you are unable to participate in person there are two additional ways to participate: 1) Contact Christy Sabdo, Associate Planner, at sabdo@monterey.org or 831-646-3758 to schedule an online session, or 2) Share your comments on the General Plan update in the Open Comments tab on this webpage. In the early phase of this project, the objective is to hear from a wide range of voices in the community about issues and opportunities that will need to be addressed.

Also available in Adobe PDF under Important Links - last updated September 26, 2022

What is the General Plan and who uses it?

The General Plan is the roadmap for the future of Monterey, guiding land development and conservation in our community. It is a long-term planning document consisting of written text and diagrams that expresses how the community should develop over time. It specifies locations for various land uses, transportation improvements, new parks and open spaces, and other public infrastructure. The plan is a basis for land use decision-making used by policymakers such as the Planning Commission and the City Council. All cities and counties in California are required by law to have a general plan.

What goes into the General Plan?

For cities like Monterey, the required State-mandated "elements," or topics, of a general plan include: Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Conservation, Open Space, Noise, and Safety. General plans may also address other topics that are important to the community. Monterey's General Plan includes optional chapters addressing urban design, economic development, historic preservation, and social programs and services. View our current General Plan.

What is a Housing Element?

The Housing Element is a required element of the General Plan. It is essentially the City's plan for addressing local housing needs. Unlike other elements of the General Plan, the Housing Element must be updated every eight years to address changing demographics and market conditions and to plan for housing needs over the next 8-year cycle. The Housing Element also has a more detailed list of statutorily required contents than other elements and it must be certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) with every update. For these reasons, the Housing Element is typically published under a separate cover than the rest of the General Plan. View our current Housing Element.

What's in our Housing Element?

One of the key components of the Housing Element is the inventory of sites available for housing, presented in a table showing the location, size and zoning applicable to each site together with a projection of the number of housing units that could realistically be accommodated on the parcel in view of past trends and local conditions. A map of the sites is also included.

By law, the Housing Element must also include an assessment of local housing needs, potential constraints to housing production, and fair housing issues - which means any factors that impede access to housing for disadvantaged groups like the disabled, the elderly, or racial and linguistic minorities. In view of that assessment, the Housing Element must include a program of actions to address identified needs, constraints, and fair housing issues.

The City's current Housing Element covers the 8-year period from 2015 through 2023. The inventory in the current element identifies 31 sites available for housing with a combined capacity for 715 new homes. View our current Housing Element.

Why do we need to update the Housing, Land Use, and Safety Elements?

Like other communities in the Monterey Bay Area, the City is required to update the Housing Element of our General Plan by December 15, 2023 to address demographic trends, market conditions, and new State laws. Amid the ongoing housing shortage in California, Monterey is required to plan for 3,654 new homes over the next 8 years to accommodate this projected need. As a built-out community, nestled between the California coast and the Santa Lucia Mountains, integrating new housing into the fabric of the community will require a thoughtful approach to land use and community character. Ensuring consistency of the Land Use Element with the newly adopted Monterey Regional Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan is also required. At the same time, State law triggers requirements to incorporate new data on natural hazards and climate change into the Safety Element along with actions to strengthen community resilience and emergency evacuation capacity.

What is Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)?

A term that is central to the Housing Element process is RHNA, which stands for Regional Housing Needs Allocation. It is the total number of new housing units that the City must plan to accommodate in the upcoming cycle. RHNA is split into four categories representing different levels of affordability, based on median income level in the county.

The affordability categories are as follows:

• Very Low Income - Households making less than 50 percent of the area median income (AMI)
• Low Income - Households making 50-80 percent of AMI
• Moderate Income - Households making 80-120 percent of AMI
• Above Moderate Income - Households making more than 120 percent of AMI

Since housing production is driven largely by market forces, the City is not required to build new housing to meet its RHNA. The mandate in State law is that the City ensure that local zoning has sufficient capacity to meet RHNA for all income categories throughout the 8-year planning cycle. Additionally, HCD will be reviewing the Housing Element to ensure it includes policies and programs to facilitate accommodating the RHNA.

Where does RHNA come from?

The State determines the estimated need for new housing in each region of California for the upcoming cycle, based on population projections and other factors including rates of vacancy, overcrowding, and cost-burden. Each regional planning agency then allocates a target to each city or town within its jurisdiction, considering factors such as access to jobs, good schools, and healthy environmental conditions. For the Monterey Bay Area, the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) developed and refined a methodology for RHNA allocations with input from local jurisdictions in between August 2021 and October 2022.

For the period from December 15, 2023 through December 15, 2031, the City's RHNA allocation is provided below. The City is required to ensure that local zoning has sufficient capacity to meet RHNA at all income levels throughout the period.

Monterey is a built-out community, how can we accommodate our RHNA?

Meeting RHNA obligations will require a thoughtful strategy that satisfies the legal requirements while also preserving Monterey's distinctive community character. There are few vacant sites available for new development, so a range of options will need to be explored, including increased residential development downtown; higher density infill development along commercial corridors such as Lighthouse Avenue, North Fremont Street, and Del Monte Avenue; and on-campus student and workforce housing. New State laws that seek to promote development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and smaller scale housing can help Monterey accommodate its RHNA. ADUs - sometimes called caretaker or second units - are built on single-family residential properties, either as standalone structures or incorporated into the main house. They can be more affordable due to their smaller size and offer opportunities for lower income households, including seniors, students, teachers, and other public service workers.

What about water supply?

Availability of water supply is a significant constraint to housing development in Monterey and other communities in the region. Since 1995, the City has been impacted by a Cease and Desist order imposed by the State Water Resources Control Board on California American Water (Cal Am) for diversion of water from the Carmel River without rights. While the illegal diversions have ceased, the order remains in effect until a new water supply is operational for multiple years. Regionally, two water supply projects have the potential to provide a reliable and sustainable local water supply for years to come. Pure Water Monterey is an advanced water recycling project, jointly developed by two public agencies – Monterey Peninsula Water Management District and Monterey One Water (M1W) that provides both purified potable water for domestic use, as well as a supply for irrigating the Salinas Valley. The Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project is pursuing a three-pronged strategy to resolve the long-standing water crisis that includes a desalination facility, aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) wells, and recycled water purchased from the Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency (MRWPCA).

The Monterey 2031 project is proceeding in parallel to these separate efforts with a view to ensuring the Housing, Land Use and Safety Elements of the General Plan are fully compliant with State law and responsive to community needs in the coming years. The availability of a dependable supply of fresh water is a critical constraint that must be recognized through the process, but the constraint does not absolve Monterey of its legal obligations to plan for local housing needs.

The inability of Monterey to produce new housing units exacerbates the existing housing crisis. Although the demand for housing is increasing, the lack of available water means that Monterey is unable to increase the supply of housing to meet the new demand. The City is advocating to various regional and state agencies that the State Water Resources Control Board immediately lift the Cease and Desist (CDO) order since the illegal diversions have ceased. If the CDO is lifted, developers could set new water meters and work within the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District credit system. See advocacy letters.

What happens if the City does not update the Housing Element?

There are also penalties for jurisdictions that fail to adopt a certified Housing Element, including suspension of local authority to issue building permits or grant zoning changes, variances, or subdivision map approvals; court-imposed fines of up to $100,000 per month, which if not paid can be multiplied by a factor of six; or receivership, whereby a court-appointed agent is empowered to remedy identified Housing Element deficiencies and bring the Housing Element into substantial compliance with State law.

What will be in our Safety Element?

With its location beside the bay and a backdrop of forested hills to the south, Monterey faces the risk of hazards associated with coastal flooding, sea level rise, tsunamis, and wildfire. These risks are addressed in the current Safety Element of the General Plan; however, since 2005 when the Safety Element was prepared, several new requirements for the Safety Element have come into force, including requirements to delineate areas at risk of flooding and wildfire and incorporate policies to address the risks; requirements to assess vulnerability to climate change and incorporate climate adaptation and resiliency strategies (SB379); requirements to assess emergency evacuation capacity under multi-hazard scenarios and incorporate strategies to mitigate associated risks (SB99 and AB747); and requirement to address airport-related hazards consistent with the 2019 Monterey Regional Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan.

While the 2005 Safety Element was updated to incorporate new information on flooding and wildfire subsequent to adoption, more current information is included in the 2022 County of Monterey Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP), which contains a jurisdiction-specific hazard risk assessment for the City of Monterey. The MJHMP also includes a climate vulnerability assessment and an evaluation of emergency evacuation capacity. Additionally, in January 2021 the City prepared a study assessing the impact of sea level rise on its transportation system, Adapting a Threatened Transportation Network to Sea Level Rise. Information and analysis from these recent documents will be referenced and reflected in the Safety Element to help satisfy the statutory requirements. New strategies for emergency evacuation and response will be developed with community input and incorporated into the Safety Element.

What will community engagement look like?

Community engagement will be a vital component of the project and there will be many opportunities to have your say throughout the process. Key community outreach objectives will be to engage a broad cross-section of community members and provide a variety of forums and channels for community input that meaningfully shapes outcomes. Activities will include bilingual English-Spanish “go-to” outreach at events and popular locations around town; an interactive map-based online survey; neighborhood listening sessions; community meetings; and a youth-led survey on climate adaptation and resilience. To learn more about opportunities to participate and stay in the know, click on the icon above subscribe to the project mailing list.

Who is the project team?

Through a public procurement process, the City Council has engaged an experienced team of planning consultants to assist City staff with the project. The consultant team, identified below, has extensive experience on similar projects throughout the state.

• Dyett & Bhatia Urban and Regional Planners - (Lead consultant) A recognized leader in general plan preparation, D&B has led preparation of general plans for more than 65 California communities, including for many distinctive coastal communities like Monterey.
• Fehr & Peers Transportation Consultants - (Emergency evacuation planning)
• Economic Planning Systems - (Real estate economics and market demand)

What is the project timeline?

The graphic below shows project phasing and key milestones. By law there are certain defined timeframes that must be respected and that have been programmed into the schedule. These include a 30-day public review period before the Draft Housing Element is sent to HCD for review and a 90-day review period for HCD. Additionally, an environmental impact report (EIR) will likely be required for the project and there is a mandatory 45-day public comment period for the Draft EIR.

Under State law, the statutory deadline for adoption of the Housing Element is December 15, 2023. The Monterey 2031 project timeline envisions completion by this date.