Community to Commemorate State Sesquicentennial
New Policies, Procedures Continue to Help Preserve Monterey’s History
 - Historic Master Plan | - Cannery Row Survey | - Changes to Policies
- Historic Lower Presidio Park and Museum to Link with Downtown
 

Everywhere we look in Monterey, there are remnants of other times and other lives. History is part of our daily routine. We do business and work in historic buildings and stroll along century-old walkways. Recalling and enhancing our history and preserving our region’s past continue to be priorities at the City.

Looking Ahead
Community to Commemorate State Sesquicentennial
Highlighting Monterey’s pivotal role in one of the most important times in California history, the City will host an array of special events as part of the State’s Sesquicentennial commemoration.
Special exhibitions at the Monterey Public Library and most museums in the City; a newly developed curriculum for elementary grades; parades; lectures and symposia will all add to the interest and excitement of this important event.
Marking the 150th anniversary of California’s statehood and the signing of its Constitution, local festivities will focus on the City’s legacy as the home of the first California Constitutional Convention, which convened at Colton Hall in 1849 in prelude to California’s admission to the United States. Activities will also include the celebration of the 150th birthday of our Library – the first public library in the State.
In conjunction with the State Gold Rush to Statehood Sesquicentennial Commission, local representatives of many historical and cultural agencies have met frequently this past year to plan our participation.
While the three-year State Gold Discovery to Statehood Sesquicentennial Commemoration covers the years 1998 to 2000, the most important year for Monterey will be 1998, the 150th anniversary of the California State Constitutional Convention.
Stay tuned for information about upcoming Sesquicentennial events. To volunteer for activities surrounding this commemoration, call our volunteer coordinator at 646-3719.

New Policies, Procedures Continue to Help Preserve Monterey’s History
Being a part of one of the most historic cities in the western United States, we have a keen awareness of our responsibility to preserve Monterey’s past.
The City already owns one of Monterey’s largest collections of historic buildings, and we continue to look for new opportunities to be good stewards of our rich history.
To that end, the City has commissioned an Historic Master Plan as well as a survey of Cannery Row and formed a committee to review regulations regarding preservation.
The following is an update on each of these projects:

• Historic Master Plan
  In an effort to call attention to our historic and cultural assets, the City plans to prepare a Historic Master Plan.
  The plan will assist us in coordinating our efforts with other organizations so both residents and visitors can enjoy Monterey’s history as a “seamless” experience.
  Once drafted, the City will gather community input to help identify the parts of history that should be saved to best capture the people and events which have made Monterey the diverse and interesting place it is today.
  
• Cannery Row Survey
  As part of our ongoing effort to identify potential historic buildings and locations, we have initiated a comprehensive survey of Cannery Row.
  The final draft includes 81 buildings and sites and lists basic historic information about each.
  Information pertaining to particular sites has been given to affected property owners. The survey will be sent to the Historic Preservation Commission for a review of the technical information. A copy of the full survey is available for viewing in the Plans & Public Works Department.
  
• Changes to Policies
  The City has been reviewing policies and ordinances pertaining to historic preservation over the past several months in order to understand their implications and make changes and revisions if necessary. In order to get broad public input, an ad hoc Historic Process Subcommittee was established. The Subcommittee, which includes members of the Council and the various commissions as well as business and neighborhood representatives, has recommended a framework for new historic policies and ordinances. The Historic Preservation Commission is holding public hearings on Subcommittee recommendations that include surveys of properties, a review process for surveyed buildings, an incentive program to help maintain historic buildings, a two-tier historic designation process, revised standards for historic designation and the possible creation of historic districts.
  
• Historic Lower Presidio Park and Museum to Link with Downtown
  New footpath markers will soon link Monterey and the Lower Presidio, where work is underway to breathe new life into the base’s former U.S. Army Museum.
  As part of our overall plan to connect downtown history with that of the Lower Presidio Historic Park and Museum, the Path of History will be revised to include the park and museum, whose master plan for development is underway.
  Circular, gold ceramic tiles embedded in the path’s pavement route will point the way to various historic sites.
  We finalized our lease of the lower 26 acres of the Presidio of Monterey from the Army this year; and renovations to the 1,800-square-foot museum building should allow for an opening date in late 1998 or early 2000.
  The museum exhibit, developed in conjunction with the Monterey State Historic Park and the Presidio, will explore the historic park’s military history from the late 18th century to present. Additionally, an oral history project focusing on life at the Presidio between 1914 and 1945 will be developed.
  

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