In the News
Traffic Calming Solutions
| City Welcomes Police Chief | For Residential Property Owners
Parking Tips for Residents | Revisions to General Plan Continue
Focus on Trees - Protect Urban Forests
| Groundwater Contamination |
Safe Skate
Residents Help Design Traffic Calming Solutions
Creating an equitable and effective solution is
the goal of the City’s new Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program. The program sets
consistent, Citywide policies that target neighborhood traffic management. Neighborhood
traffic concerns span a wide range of issues, including cut-through traffic that speeds
through residential streets.
Some objectives of the program include:
- Enhancing traffic safety in residential areas.
- Evaluating neighborhood traffic problems and adopting plans
for each neighborhood.
- Improving neighborhood livability by encouraging adherence
to the speed limit.
- Encouraging citizen involvement through neighborhood
workshops to identify concerns and calming devices.
- Maintaining public safety, emergency response times by
restricting the use of vertical devices (e.g., speed bumps).
Copies of the Traffic Calming Program are available at the
Public Works Department at City Hall and will soon be available on the City’s Web
site.
For more info, call City Transportation Planner Doug Bilse at 646.3920 (bilse@ci.monterey.ca.us).
City Welcomes
Police Chief
Monterey has a new police chief – Carlo Cudio, a 33-year veteran of law enforcement
and former head of the Glen Ellyn, Ill., police department. Chief Cudio was sworn in Nov.
13.
A strong proponent of community policing, Cudio says community involvement, including
volunteer assistance, is essential to augment the efforts of the public safety team.
“I am looking forward to serving with the men and women of this department,”
Cudio said. “It is an honor to join an organization such as Monterey and to be a
member of this community.”
Chief Cudio began his law enforcement career in 1968 as a police officer in Chicago. From
1970 to 2000, he served in the Los Angeles Police Department rising to the rank of Deputy
Chief.
For
Residential Property Owners
The City encourages ownership housing in areas
that are zoned for multi-family housing – apartment areas.
Here are some of the incentives to know about:
1) Zoning guidelines allow the floor area of a
single-family residence to be larger than traditional size when an apartment unit (such as
a unit over a garage) is attached to the house.
2) In order to convert an apartment into a for-sale condo, property owners no longer need
to perform an apartment vacancy survey before submitting the change for approval. A
vacancy survey is an analysis of the number
of vacant apartments in the City at any given time.
The 2000 Census shows that there are 39% owners and 61%
renters in Monterey. Statewide numbers are about 50% owner and 50% renter.
Parking Tips for
Residents
Free Parking Permits
Residents of Monterey can purchase permits to get two hours of free parking (per stay) in
the
following parking areas:
- West Custom House Garage
- The Waterfront attendant lot
- Cannery Row Garage
- Cannery Row Lot #7, located on David Avenue between Foam and
Wave streets.
There is an annual registration fee of $10 for each parking
permit, which is valid from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 each year.
Smart Parkcards Work in Local Parking Meters
A $10 Smart Parkcard for use at any parking meter located within the City is now
available.
The Parkcard, which resembles a phone card, allows you to purchase a set amount of
parking.
Get 10% off Parkcards in the following denominations: $10, $25, $50 and $100.
For more info on smart parking in the City, call 646.3953 or visit www.monterey.org/parking.
Legal Beagle...
Community Support Needed for Safe Skate Environs
The skate park at Lake El Estero has been a big hit, but it continues to present
challenges when users refuse to wear proper safety equipment as required by law. Even the
$100 fine set for violations has not convinced many users to wear their helmets while
skating. This is a serious issue; an issue that needs to be solved with community support
and assistance. Skating at the park can be dangerous. Skaters perform tricks and stunts,
as is the nature of the sport. To help prevent serious injuries, users must wear helmets.
You can help make the skate park a safer place. We ask parents to assist in gaining the
cooperation of their children who use the facility. Make sure they have a helmet and that
they use it whenever they are inside the park.
Extent of Groundwater Contamination Stemming from
Airport Property Determined
The contamination plume found in the groundwater under part of
the Casanova Oak Knoll neighborhood extends to the Safeway supermarket on Fremont Street,
according to the analysis completed by the Army Corps of Engineers this fall. For about a
year, the community has been aware of environmental contamination found some 30 feet under
the Monterey Airport.TCE (trichloroethylene – used to degrease metals) was found in
the groundwater, and the contamination extends from the airport down into the neighborhood
between Ramona and Casanova avenues.
The contamination does not affect water provided by the California-American Water Company
(CAL-AM). The contamination occurred while the U.S. Navy had an active air base (from
1942-1989) on land leased from the airport. The Corps of Engineers and the Regional Water
Control Board are the agencies responsible for determining the extent of the
contamination, then initiating cleanup efforts.They continue to work with affected
neighborhood members to answer questions and ensure public safety.
The City’s role in this cleanup process is to ensure that information is available
and that the interests and concerns of the neighborhood are addressed by the responsible
public agencies. Monitoring and cleanup efforts are ongoing. Data that is compiled is
scheduled to be released on a quarterly basis. For more
info, call the Army Corps hotline
at 1.800.227.0951 or call the City’s Public Works Department at 646.3920.
FOCUS ON TREES
Help Protect, Preserve and Enhance our
Urban Forest
The City cares for more than 20,000
street trees and thousands of other trees in greenbelt areas. We also assist community
members with their trees. This City Focus series looks to answer some of the questions we
frequently encounter.
Tips for healthy and safe trees:
- Most serious tree problems usually begin in the root system.
Protect roots from construction damage, soil compaction and over-watering.
- Prevention of disease is the best strategy. Trees are
complex living organisms, and we have a limited ability to cure their diseases.
- Every tree species has different needs for space, soil type,
nutrients, water, pruning and disease and pest management. Know what is best for the type
of tree you have.
- For pruning and maintenance of private trees, use licensed
contractors. They can provide quality work in a safe manner and can reduce your personal
liability exposure.
Professional certified arborists can also help solve tree
care problems. The City has a list of local professionals. For more info, call the
City’s Urban Forestry Division at 646.3860 (suggest@ci.monterey.ca.us).
Revisions to General Plan
Continue
More than 100 community members voiced their
opinions on the update of the City’s General Plan at a recent town hall meeting. The
General Plan shapes the look and feel of the community and a comprehensive update of the
plan is currently underway. Comments were solicited on the following topics:
- Traffic
- Housing
- Natural Resources
- Parks and Recreation
- Historic Preservation
- Urban Design
- Parking
- the Economy
- Social Issues
The City’s General Plan Committee will use these
suggestions and ideas as they prepare a draft General Plan in the coming months. The
Committee meets from 4 to 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month in the Council
Chamber. They plan to begin by updating the various sections in the following order:
natural resources; housing and social issues; traffic and parking; and land-use issues.
Meetings are open to the public, and community members are encouraged to attend. Comments
and suggestions can be submitted to Senior Planner Bruce Kibby at 646.3759 (kibby@ci.monterey.ca.us).
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