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Monterey County Land Use & Development Articles



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Organic Rising: Central Coast Farmers Featured in New Film

Anthony Saua, director of Organic Rising, talks about the rise of organic agriculture and its importance to health, the environment and slowing global warming,

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Farmworker Housing Study Oversight Committee Convenes to Review Progress

CENTRAL COAST — Despite significant progress since the release of a landmark 2018 farmworker housing study quantifying critically overcrowded housing conditions for agricultural workers in the region, thousands more homes are needed to relieve severe overcrowding, unaffordable rents and ensure …

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Disused Office Properties on Garden Road Are Finally Turning Into Something Useful: Homes.

On a recent morning, the whirs of construction carry through the air at 2300 Garden Road in Monterey, and Brad Slama, a developer, leads the way through a massive former office building that he’s converting into 64 apartments.

Salinas Valley Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Hundreds Attend Groundbreaking of Community Center Complex in Gonzales

GONZALES — A groundbreaking was held Saturday for Phase 1 of the Dennis and Janice Caprara Community Center Complex in Gonzales.

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Homeless Shelter Project in Watsonville to Break Ground in June

Construction will begin in June on a 34-unit community of small temporary dwellings based at Westview Presbyterian Church in Watsonville, after the Monterey County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved agreements to build and manage the facility.

King City Rustler logo LOCAL NEWS
Broadband Access Expands to San Ardo and North Monterey County, Bridging Digital Divide for More Than 1,000 Households

SAN ARDO — Two rural areas in Monterey County are marking milestones as the County of Monterey expands essential internet services.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Historic or Just Old? A Housing Project in Monterey Hinges on the Answer.

Usually, Monterey’s history is an asset, something to highlight, but in some cases, it’s complicated. History is part of what’s holding up a 42-unit affordable housing project on a 0.5-acre city-owned site adjacent to the Vasquez Adobe and behind Monterey’s…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
A Pump Track and Skate Park Concept in Salinas Inches Forward After Years of Dreaming.

A BMX pump track and skate park has been on the radar of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors since 2017. On April 16, the board approved moving the project to the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex from an original proposed…

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Pinnacles National Park Takes on Massive Paving Project This Spring, Early Summer

SOLEDAD — Pinnacles National Park will break ground on a park-wide paving project beginning at the end of April, resulting in some closures for visitors during the late spring and early summer period.

Salinas Valley Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Monterey County Secures $11M in State Grants to Combat Homelessness in King City and Soledad

SOLEDAD — The County of Monterey has been awarded two significant grants under California’s Encampment Resolution Funding program, allocating more than $11 million to address homelessness in King City and Soledad.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Carmel Valley Residents Won a Housing Unit Cap in Court. New State Laws Are Going to Break It.

In 2010, the County of Monterey approved a master plan that would limit the number of new housing units in Carmel Valley to 266. It was too many for residents’ group Carmel Valley Association. CVA took the county to court…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
With Planning Commission’s Blessing, PacRep Moves Forward on Theater Remodel.

Pacific Repertory Theatre amended its Golden Bough Theatre renovation project, resolving all existing issues in front of the Carmel Planning Commission on March 13.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
East Garrison’s ‘Town Center’ Is Coming, Allegedly. But the Rollout Has Been Messy.

Will East Garrison, a planned community on the northeastern edge of the former Fort Ord, ever have a “town center,” as envisioned when it was approved nearly 20 years ago? Maybe. But, as always with East Garrison, it’s complicated.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Coastal Commission Votes 9-1 in Favor of American Tin Cannery Hotel Project.

The California Coastal Commission voted 9-1 on Thursday, April 11 in favor of a revised plan to build a luxury hotel at the American Tin Cannery site in Pacific Grove, two years after a P.G. City Council approval was appealed…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
County of Monterey Planning Commission Deadlocks on Pajaro Farmworker Housing Project.

A shorthanded County of Monterey Planning Commission was split on its decision over a proposed farmworker housing project in Pajaro on Wednesday, April 10. The 3-3 tie denies the proposal, which allows the developer to appeal the decision to the…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Marina’s Downtown Plan Envisions Changes in Density, Traffic Flow and Landscaping.

The City of Marina is known for its coastal access, diverse community and an array of international food options, but it’s missing a well-defined downtown area.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
County of Monterey and Most Cities Failed to Meet State Deadline for Housing Plans.

There is one brass ring in California housing right now, the coveted certification of eight-year housing plans of cities and counties by the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Once grasped, jurisdictions are free from possible fines and penalties…

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California’s Insurance Crisis Hits Homeowners Hard

In this program, State Senator John Laird and Executive Director of Consumer Watchdog, Carmen Balber discuss California's homeowner's insurance crisis and whether Commissioner Ricardo Lara's proposed fixes will actually help the flight of insurance companies from the state or make …

Salinas Valley Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Salinas Valley Recycles Unveils Education Center and Garden Near Gonzales

GONZALES — Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority, aka Salinas Valley Recycles (SVR), will celebrate the grand opening of its new Education Center and Garden near Gonzales this Saturday in conjunction with the Youth Council’s year-end community project — a Sustainability …

Salinas Valley Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
County of Monterey and Friends of Laguna Seca Reach Settlement for Laguna Seca Recreation Area

SALINAS — The County of Monterey Department of Public Works, Facilities and Parks and Friends of Laguna Seca (FLS) have announced the execution of a comprehensive settlement that ends the Laguna Seca Raceway lawsuit, “Highway 68 Coalition vs. County of …

Featured

Lighthouse Field in Santa Cruz, which might be a huge resort if not for the Coastal Commission.
The Public Shore Protectors
Born amid controversy, this public agency is responsible for managing some of the most precious real estate in the world.
Zoning laws tell you what you can and can't build on the property you own. How does government get away with that?
How Zoning Laws Shape California and Society
Zoning is everywhere, but is it a way to regulate development or a tool for social engineering?
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Since 1972, the California Coastal Commission has ruled over the state’s shoreline.
California Coastal Commission: Where It Comes From, What It Does
How a nuclear plant, a real estate development and an oil spill led to a landmark law.
The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land
Starting in 1976, the legislature began creating agencies to buy up open land, and keep it open.
Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law
54-year-old environmental law is often blamed for causing the state’s housing crisis. Is it getting a bad rap?
The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works
More than half of California farmland is under contracts that prevent its development.
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