Helping Our Peninsula's Environment

Peninsula Environment & Democracy News
This Page's Content Last Updated December 17, 2009

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(Dec 15, 2009) Pebble Beach Company Abandons Forest Golf Course proposal -- in exchange for support for 90 more mansions, a new 100 room hotel at Spyglass Hill, a huge new parking lot and major expansion of existing hotels and agreeing to genuinely protect 635 acres of healthy native Monterey pine forest ecosystem

June 2007, Calif. Coastal Commission rejects Pebble Beach Company attempt to destroy 17,000 trees in an imperiled forest – for yet another golf course.

Sept 4, 2007 California  Secretary A.G. Kawamura makes decision to spray powerful untested, unwanted chemicals on Monterey Peninsula Cities.

Pacific Grove Planning Commission unanimously endorses significant improvements for alerting residents to proposed development and tree removals. Sept 7, 2006 Next stop - City Council.

Pacific Grove Council adopts temporary Tree Cutting Moratorium until Tree Management Plan is in place because some 700 trees have been cut in the past year of so with ZERO environmental review, few permits and virtually no replanting. Sept 6, 2006

TAMC -Transportation Agency of Monterey County determines to force new freeways and roads on County - even though voters have rejected their massive deception three times in the past decade.

Pacific Grove Council Adopts Landmark Campaign Finance and Conflict of Financial Interest Reform Law, Sept 6, 2006

(Peninsula Supervisor Potter will vote against it to try to hide the fact that he still owns a contracting business and as he knows it will pass easily without his vote. -- If Supervisors Lindley, Smith or Armenta were smarter or gave a hoot, two of them could vote against the development and expose Potter by then making his vote count. However, no one is holding their breath.)

Pacific Grove endorses Sustainability Accord - Joins 95 other cities worldwide.

Monterey Council Reverses Approval of Civic Center - only after opponents gather 1,500 signatures.

City of Monterey approves new City Office Building over significant protests from residents and Historical Agency. July 2006

HOPE sends "Cure and Correct" letter to County Supervisors for violating our state Open Meeting Law (Brown Act) in sending letter to Coastal Commission withdrawing Measure A from Coastal Commission agenda. July 11, 2006

Monterey County Supervisors, led by Dave Potter after getting direction from Pebble Beach Company, violate Open Meeting Law (Brown Act) to send letter to Coastal Commission withdrawing Measure A from Coastal Commission agenda. June 13, 2006

PG Council Unanimously (including Ron Shenk) endorses eliminating or capping fees for Appeals. City Manager will come back with options in a month. July 5, 2006

PG Planning Commission subcommittee recommends significantly stronger Noticing requirements for both building construction and tree removals. June 2006

Carmel, Pacific Grove, and Monterey Councils all approve factually false responses to County Grand Jury. They all claim they have a process for the public to place items on the City agenda. March 2006

Michael Stamp, Gillian Taylor and Pat Bernardi win Court of Appeals CEQA decision against City of Monterey and Water District halting water credit transfer from Cannery Row development. June 26, 2006

 Huge numbers of trees (780?) are cut in PG due to lack of City ecologist. Spring 2006

PG City Manager sends out new and improved Public Records Act Guidelines to Staff. It will be in effect as of August 2006. June 30, 2006

Funding to turn all roads to Peninsula into 4-lane huighways soundly rejected by voters (Measure A) – for third time in 10 years. Mike Weaver leads winning battle. June 2006

 County Supervisors approve expanded Safeway at Mouth of Carmel Valley over huge opposition from residents.

PG Council strengthens position on Marine Protected Areas – now opposes any "take" along city waterfront. May 2006

Local Surfrider Foundation refuses to allow HOPE to present a stronger Marine Protected Area Proposal even though we gave them the idea to have a presentation on the subject. Decides to endorse a weak proposal without informing its members. Feb 16, 2006

Water Management District presents an analysis of three competing Desalination projects – specifically including the only "right-sized project" (Just big enough to legalize our water supply and not too big for growth) by the District itself. June 2006

Coastal Commission removes Pebble Beach Zoning (Measure A) from its agenda after withdrawal demand from Monterey County. June 13, 2006

County Supervisors approve Mirabito storage project a Mid-Carmel Valley over huge opposition from residents.

Coastal Commission staff report finds Pebble Beach zoning Measure A colossally illegal. 20 of 25 proposed rezoning portions would impermissibly allow destroying fully protected Environmentally Sensitive Habitat. May 2006

Pebble Beach Co. blocked from State Assembly Speaker Nunez appointing new pro-development members to the Coastal Commission just before vote on their project’s zoning.

 Supervisors Unanimously (Potter too) Approve Pebble Beach Company Forest Destruction Project. Next Stop - Coastal Commission & Court.

City of Monterey bans Smoking on Beach, 2006

Good News

Bad News

HOPE granted a weekly one hour television show on Channel 24 – Access Monterey Peninsula. It is called "Bringing You HOPE" and shows at 9pm Friday evenings and 9am Saturday mornings.

Flood Maps of Lower Carmel Valley to Exclude Mission Fields

Hundreds turn out for all day (13 hour) Coastal Commission hearing on Pebble Beach Company Forest destruction Plan. At end Commissioners tell Pebble Beach Company that at least part of their Plan is a "non-starter. And that Monterey pine forest is ESHA (and is fully protected by our Coastal Act). March 9, 2006

 Water District Directors David Potter, Michelle Knight, Larry Foy and David Pendergrass Vote Against paying final $140,000 to finish Environmental Impact report for District’s Right-sized Desalination plant. First time in District’s history no water project is in Budget. Directors Judi Lehman and Kristi Markey vote to approve funding.

HOPE Executive Director, David Dilworth appointed to PG Council created Campaign Finance Reform Ordinance committee. Feb 2006

HOPE organizes a successful rally against Clint and PBC’s plan to destroy 17,000 trees. 17 people and 2 dogs show up to hold signs to hundreds of ATT spectators from 7 am to 11 this morning. Feb 11, 2006

PG Council (respectfully) rejects Transportation Agency Spokeswoman Debbie Hale who asked for their support of a huge freeway building program. Council insists that TAMC use current transportation knowledge (e.g. "You can’t pave your way out of congestion.") and not 1950’s mindset.

PG Council votes 6-1 to form a committee to create a Campaign Finance Reform Ordinance. Jan 2006

Carmel becomes first city in Monterey County to ban Smoking on Beach, Mike Cunningham Votes against it in 3-1 vote. 2006

League of Women Voters approves Model Campaign Finance Reform / Conflict of Financial Interest Ordinance. (HOPE Executive Director, David Dilworth is member of the League CFR ordinance creation committee) January 26, 2006

HOPE warns of property rights effort (Michael Caplan, Alan Permutter & Lisa Kleissner) to eliminate selling any Big Sur property for parks. Effort is rebuffed at next Big Sur Vision meeting.

HOPE files suit against Monterey County for approving the admittedly illegal Pebble Beach Forest destruction Project. April 2005

Good News

Bad News

Jan 2005 - Coastal Commission Halts Pebble Beach Company Train Wreck. Insists County Send Measure A to the Commission first - before the County considers the project itself.

HOPE’s Marine Life Protected Area Proposal & Maps for Central Coast Region (called Proposal B) is one of only 7 sent to Scientific Review Team.

Jan 2005 Is Cal-Am Abandoning the Gigantic Moss Landing Water Project?

Pacific Grove Council Hires Jim Colangelo as City Manager, June? 2005

Pacific Grove Council Hires David Laredo as City Attorney, June? 2005

 May 15th the Air District approved the Smoke Management Plan allowing as much as a ten fold increase in smoke!

647-9411 

Air Pollution District

See HOPE's comments on the Smoke Quadrupling Plan

Pacific Grove's hostile City Manager (Ross Hubbard) and City Attorney (David Fleischman) are both leaving. Spring 2005

 Water District Directors Potter, Cheshire, Edwards and Pendergrass Vote Against Water for Affordable Housing

Farr demands Congressional Hearings on Ft Ord Out Of Control Burning.

Fort Ord Burn goes out of control and Fumigates entire Peninsula all the way to Carmel and Carmel Valley. Oct 2003

Kristi Markey elected Water District Vice Chair. 

Good News

Bad News

Rancho San Juan Initiative led by Julie Engell and Jan Mitchell get enough Signatures to go on ballot.

 Landwatch Advocates for Huge Growth (25% in next 15 years)

May 9, 2002 The spectacular 10,000 acre Fish Ranch was purchased for a Regional Park - for $37 million with State & Regional Park money.

PG Mayor Sandy Koffman Pushes through another Illegal Water Transfer

PG Planning Commission votes unanimously to request the PG Council rescind their approval of Forest Hill Manor. (May 16th)

Farr Hides Local Congressional Hearing on Ft. Ord Burning from no-burning advocates.

IRS Grants HOPE's Tax-Exempt and Tax-Deductable Status!!! Now you can write off your contributions to HOPE on your taxes. HOPE is an official 501(c)3 as of January 28, 2002

Farr Fiercely Supports Burning Fort Ord.

New Water Board Rescinds all Water Transfers.

Two Navy Top-Gun Instructors Break Big Sur 12 thousand volt Power Line with Military Jet.

Bush Agrees to List 29 of our most Imperiled Species.

PG Mayor Koffman and Council Again Approve an Illegal Water Transfer Contract for Nader Agha Sept 19.

Monterey County Planning Commission Rejects Two Tony Lombardo Projects in One Day - Sept 26

Deadly Ocean Algae Bloom

 Monterey County Supervisors approves destroying Fairy Woods - (Investmark project between David Ave in PG and Congress in Pebble Beach) Aug 14, 2002 in spite of their illegal logging and all the houses directly destroying the canopy - which even the Supervisors wanted protected!

HOPE in / Making News

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