News
Monterey
Peninsula Hotel Proposed for Cannery Row
Resources
for Local Businesses Abound | Innovative
Pump Helps Keep Bay Clean
City
Welcomes New Fire Chief
Monterey Peninsula Hotel
Proposed for Cannery Row
A new hotel may soon make a long-time Cannery Row eyesore a thing
of the past. Revised plans propose to bring a high-quality hotel to the
construction site located on both sides of Cannery Row between Prescott
Street and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Hotel, retail and parking uses
were previously approved for this site, but construction was delayed for
years due to financing issues.
The submitted Monterey Peninsula Hotel
design proposes to reduce the number of sleeping rooms and restaurant
seating while increasing meeting room and retail space.
In addition,
the developer proposes to provide additional public access including
1) a public access way with visual access to the Bay and historic Ed
Ricketts’ Lab;
2) a redesigned plaza on the Bayside to include the
area in front of Bubba Gumps; and
3) making available to the public a
currently fenced-off section of McAbee Beach adjacent to the Spindrift
Inn.
Completing the buildout on this site and ensuring that it meets
land-use guidelines and community needs is a City priority. As as result,
future property tax revenues will likely be deferred for a limited period
to help ensure that financing issues do not stop this project once again,
and that this substantial new revenue source becomes a reality. All of the
deferred revenues will be paid back to the City.
The revised design
has been reviewed by various City commissions, which made recommendations
to the Planning Commission. As part of the process, the Planning
Commission makes a recommendation to the City Council, which will make
final decisions regarding the project.
As of City Focus deadline, we
anticipate the City Council will consider the project in June.
For
more info, call the City’s Planning Division at 646-3885 or email fell@ci.monterey.ca.us
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Resources for Local
Businesses Abound
Public, private programs meet community needs Monterey business
owners have a number of resources available to them at City Hall and in
the business community.
- The City has established a partnership with businesses and property
owners to revitalize the Downtown and Lighthouse Avenue commercial
areas.
A similar effort has been initiated in the North Fremont
area.
- Business Area Plans have been established for several commercial
districts. In each plan, business owners define area goals and outline
policies and programs for achieving those goals. Plans have been
approved and implemented for Downtown, Lighthouse Avenue, Cannery Row,
East Del Monte Avenue and Fisherman’s Wharf. A Business Area Plan is
currently being prepared for the North Fremont business area.
- Tools including Business Improvement Districts (BID) and Maintenance
Districts, which property owners fund to improve their business areas,
are established as a result of Area Plans. A BID has been established
for Lighthouse Avenue and a Maintenance District exists on Alvarado
Street.
- Facade improvement grants, available through the City, enable
business owners to spruce up the exterior appearance of their building.
This can range from a new paint job to a face lift of the entire facade.
This fiscal year, some $42,000 was budgeted for individual businesses to
improve their buildings.
- The business community also provides resources to business owners.
The Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce along with the individual
business associations of Monterey assist individual owners with specific
needs. For more info, call the City’s Planning Division at
646-3885 or email fell@ci.monterey.ca.us
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Innovative Pump Helps Keep
Bay Clean
New technology is aiding the City in our efforts to minimize
pollution in the Bay.
What is it? The Oily Bilge Water Pumpout and
Recycling Device installed in Monterey Harbor now keeps oily water from a
boat’s bilge (the boat’s lowest point) from polluting the Bay.
Why is
it needed? Boats can leak oil and/or fuel into their bilge that then
mingle with the sea/rain water often found in the bilge. When enough fluid
accumulates in the bilge, the boat’s automatic bilge pump will activate,
dumping it overboard. This is a major reason why small oil spills are so
common in harbors and have been since engines were first installed in
boats.
Keeping a bilge clean is difficult and up until now, there was
no place to recycle or pump out the oily water.
How does it work? The
system allows boats to go to the Monterey Bay Boatworks fuel pier, where
the device has been installed, and have the contents of the bilge pumped
out while they get fuel. Oily fluid from the bilge is pumped out, and the
oil is separated from the water. The oil goes to a recycling tank while
the water is finely filtered and then pumped back into the Harbor under
the conditions of a Waste Discharge Permit.
For more info, call the
Harbor Office at 646-3950 (scheibla@ci.monterey.ca.us).
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City Welcomes New Fire
Chief
As the new Fire Chief in Monterey, Chief Greg Glass plans to build
on Monterey’s already excellent reputation.
“My No. 1 goal is to make
Monterey the premiere fire department in this area of the state,” says
Chief Glass.
“I plan to be very visible as a fire chief and active in
the community.”
Chief Glass comes to us from Pacific Grove and began
his new position in April. Although new to Monterey, he is not a stranger
to fire service or the Monterey Peninsula. Chief Glass began his fire
service career in 1973 when he was hired as a firefighter at the Pacific
Grove Fire Department. Chief Glass served as Fire Chief in Pacific Grove
for six years.
cutline - “The Fire Depart-ment’s No. 1 job is to
protect the community and provide life-saving services,” says Fire Chief
Greg Glass.
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