Helping Our Peninsula's Environment

 

Sneaky Forest Hill Manor Approval without Public Notice

 

  • Forest Hill Manor applied to double in size, make new four story buildings, and destroy over 60 trees.
  • This is Pacific Grove's largest project in over 40 years at $18 million dollars and 4 stories.
  • It was fast-tracked through the city so the public didn't even get an optical whiff of the project before it was approved.
  • It had an original approval in 1989 (and amended in 1991) that was about half the size of the one just approved which was never acted upon.
  • This project, newly doubled in size and now killing 62 trees, only had a single hearing in front of the City Council. It did not go before the Planning Commission.
  • Pacific Grove's own law (23.72.040) requires all projects to go to the Planning Commission.
  • The public notification, was at the least, grossly deficient. Though the city claimed it notified all people it legally needed to, until PGAC found two property owners who were not notified when the city was legally required to notify them.
  • None of the neighboring non-property owning residents or business owners were notified.
  • Of the 7 telephone poles where notice was claimed to have been posted - two poles do not exist!
  • The story poles were disguised with green paint and hidden inside a thicket of trees.
  • Orange netting was not placed to show the proposal.
  • Former Pacific Grove Mayor Robert ("If we're not careful people will be running this town") Quinn is coordinating political strategy for this proposal with former PG City Manager Gary Bales who is on the Forest Hill Manor Owners Board (as opposed to a Forest Hill Manor Residents Association.)
  • Over 500 people have signed a petition to rescind the approval. Some 197 signed within a week of first learning about the silent approval.
  • Pacific Grove Action Committee Founder Susan Nilmeier said "The city spent more money publicizing the Spelling Bee than on the largest project in Pacific Grove in 40 years."

June 19, 2002 Mayor Koffman tried to cut off a speaker at the Council meeting saying "We've heard enough about Forest Hill Manor."

 

Since the Pacific Grove Action Committee (PGAC) was formed at least three unprecedented events have occurred -

  • The Planning Commission voted unanimously to ask the PG Council to rescind their vote on Forest Hill Manor. (May 16th)
  • The Monterey Herald wrote a strong editorial telling the Council to rescind their vote on Forest Hill Manor. (May 12th)
  • The Pacific Grove Council held a special meeting to just answer questions about this highly controversial already approved project. (May 13th)

For more information contact -

Pacific Grove Action Committee (PGAC)

P.O. Box 850, Pacific Grove, CA 93950

831-372-6410, [email protected]

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This Page Last Updated 9/13/02

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