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Helping Our Peninsula's Environment |
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Pebble Beach Company Abandons Forest Golf Course proposal !!! (With A Big Catch) |
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Pebble Beach Company Abandons Forest Golf Course proposal and agrees to protect 635 acres of healthy native Monterey pine forest ecosystem -- 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. by David Dilworth for HOPE San Francisco: (Dec 15, 2009) Coastal Commission staff (not the Commission itself) and Pebble Beach Company signed a mutual support agreement for a Development and Protection proposal. The proposal, called a Local Coastal Plan amendment, would take some 2 years to get approval by Monterey County - after Environmental Review. This is a compromise by Coastal Commission Staff. The proposal's principles have pros and cons. And it is far from approved and could change for the better or ... The language of the proposal must be completed and an application submitted. Then an EIR must be prepared. It is important to keep in context - this does not bind the Coastal Commission as a body - only the Commission staff. Good news first -- Pro: No Golf Course ! Pro: 635 acres of native Monterey pine forest are supposed to be permanently and genuinely protected Environmentally Sensitive habitat (ESHA). These areas include Jeffers' Forest, Huckleberry Hill and the ESHA surrounding Cypress Point where the most recent golf course was proposed. Opinion: This is the first serious sign of good will by Pebble Beach Company since they began this development drive in 1992. This is a major sea-state change from when these same owners pushed their bogus "Save the Forest for Clint" "Bait and Switch" Development and "Protection" proposal in 1999. (Getting hammered at the Coastal Commission might have been a wake up call. Then again we might have done PBC a favor - imagine if they were in the middle of a $250 million construction project in this economy. . .) Then the harmful -- Con: Pebble Beach Company gets to subdivide and develop 90 mansions that would destroy beautiful native Monterey pine forest. At most Pebble Beach Company claims they have 85 lots of record, when the Coastal Commission last investigated they only had 41 lots. So that number has "magically" doubled. Con: Pebble Beach Company gets to build a parking lot at Spanish Bay Lodge that would destroy beautiful native Monterey pine forest. Thanks to Mark Massara for suggesting the lots should be eliminated by putting parking underground at the Spanish Bay Lodge. Con: Pebble Beach Company gets to build a new 100 room hotel at Spyglass Hill. Con: Pebble Beach Company gets to build 80 more hotel rooms at Pebble Beach Lodge Con: Pebble Beach Company gets to build 60 more hotel rooms at Spanish Bay Lodge Con: It indefinitely extends the time the Pebble Beach Company can sue the Coastal Commission over its 2007 decision to reject the company's zoning and project. Con: Removes a serious B-8 Zoning restriction (technical but vital) for water supply problems - even though no Physical Water exists, and even though our community is enduring a decade long water supply emergency, massive water rate increases and even though Pebble Beach Company has no rights to the water they claim to own - the Water Management District had no authority to give them the water. Con: Removes a serious B-8 Zoning restriction for traffic problems. Con: Removes a serious B-8 Zoning restriction for sewage. Neutral: Driving Range to move across street to Collins Field Polo field Neutral: This leaves the Equestrian Center alone - the center is not moving to Sawmill Gulch. As you might imagine there are parts that HOPE strongly supports and parts we strongly oppose. This is kind of like getting a present of socks - with fish hooks in them. You want the socks, but not with the fish hooks. HOPE will be closely involved as this unfolds and will keep you informed. |
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For more info please see -- 1hope.org/pbc.htm Agreement signed by Pebble Beach Company and Coastal Commission Staff |
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Feedback - Info(at)1hope.org 831 / 624-6500 P.O. Box 1495, Carmel, CA 93921
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This Page Last Updated December 17, 2009 |
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