Features
Maintaining Marina, Harbor Keeps Coast Safer, Cleaner
Role as
Beachkeepers Taken Seriously
 Access, Historic Ambiance Vital to Cannery Row
Preserving the unique quality of
Cannery Row while allowing and encouraging relevant revitalization is important for the
community. The City balances priorities and interests while working to make this a
reality.
Improving public access
Energy efficient ways of getting visitors and residents to Cannery Row without congesting
busy City streets have been developed. Pedestrians, cyclists and skaters travel to the Row
on the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail from other areas of the waterfront. In
addition this past year, the WAVE shuttle buses that serve the waterfront area were
increased and provided free of charge.
The Cannery Row Parking Structure, with more than 1,000
parking spaces, was built to accommodate the large number of cars coming into the area. New
signs around the Row provide historical information and direct individuals to points of
interest and beach access. Small parks and walkways, Cannery Row Park Plaza and Bruce Ariss
Way, have been developed on portions of Dickman and Irving avenues connecting to Cannery
Row Street.
San Carlos Beach Park offers beach access and
picnic areas
Private development is required to provide public access to
and along the waterfront. For example, the recently approved Monterey Peninsula Hotel will
develop new access to the water. As part of the project, a portion of McAbee Beach will be
dedicated to the City, producing a City beach in the heart of Cannery Row.
Maintaining the historic essence
The City reviews new construction and renovations to ensure
that each project embraces the setting and surrounding character of the neighborhood. Many
of the buildings along the Row reflect the canneries that once lined the street, e.g. the
Monterey Bay Aquarium was patterned after the former Hovden Cannery. Also, historic street
overpasses have been preserved and maintained for public use (see photo of
Aneas Bridge at top). Preservation grants help
property owners perform corrective maintenance so historic building materials are not
lost. A recently completed survey of the historic properties on the Row will enable us to
work with owners to explain incentives and determine if they would like to have historic
zoning on their buildings. For more info on historic preservation, click
here.
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Maintaining Marina, Harbor Keeps Coast Safer, Cleaner
Protecting and providing access
to the Bay are as important as preserving coastal land itself. This entails maintaining
and upgrading facilities in Monterey’s harbor area – the wharves, marina and
moorings, boat launches, breakwater and service centers – to make sure they are
accessible and safe for community members and the environment.
What does it take?
- The Monterey Marina was rebuilt with a state-of-the art
all-concrete system in 1996. The overhaul cost $5 million and was one of the largest
construction project ever conducted by the City. As part of this project, an extended dock
ramp was installed to provide wheelchair access to the marina at all tide levels.
Area improvements include a
new public hoist (for taking boats out for repair and/or moving), additional moorings east
of Wharf II and increased docking space for dive-charter boats.
- Structural upgrades to Wharf II both above and below
water were completed last year, primarily benefiting the commercial fishing industry.
- Up-to-date rules provide a much fairer allocation system
for marina berths and moorings in the outer harbor. Forty-seven marina berths and 25
moorings have now been assigned to people once on the waiting lists.
- Free pumpout devices for sewage and bilge water are now
available, reducing the chance that sewage or oil will get pumped into the Bay.
For more info about Monterey Marina and
Harbor, click here.
Role as "Beachkeepers" Taken
Seriously
Visiting our stretch of beautiful
beaches may seem like a simple act – but much effort and vision goes into preserving,
maintaining and improving this natural resource.
Preservation and Maintenance
Both Monterey Police and State Park rangers
regularly patrol the beaches east of Wharf II including Municipal Beach, part of the
Catellus Beach, Window on the Bay Waterfront Park, the Navy Beach and State Beach.
Lifeguard service is also provided during peak periods. A dune restoration plan has been
implemented for the Navy Beach and Del Monte Beach – weeds have been removed and
thousands of dune plants are now thriving.
Improvements
This chain of wonderful beaches, anchored by the
Window-on-the-Bay project at the west end, is woven together with the Sand Dunes Bikeway
and Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail. Many areas have been beautified, adding to and
protecting the fragile habitat for endangered species like the Snowy Plover and
Smith’s Blue Butterfly.
Expansion
We are working on a land-use plan for the public use of the
Catellus parcels located on either side of Wharf II. One public workshop was held to
identify concerns and opportunities, and a second workshop will be held in the near future
to examine alternatives. A new "use" plan will be developed for review by
various City commissions and the City Council. For more details, contact us.
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