Writer for Monterey County Coast Now Weekly David Schmalz, following in the footsteps of Eric Cushman. Fine journalism there David. But very poor judgment.
The state’s award:
The Weakly Is Celebrating State Recognition – David Schmalz Popped For DUI
Category Archives: Coast Weakly
Coast Weakly Changes Name AGAIN
601 Lighthouse Avenue Gets Remodel
Into high rent storefronts and million-dollar condos
An eclectic building in the heart of New Monterey that once housed the Paper Wing Theatre (moved to Cannery Row) and the Cat’s Meow vintage clothing store (moved to Santa Cruz), is now under a major remodel to become a three-story mixed-use building with retail on the ground level and five condominium units on top, complete with a rooftop retreat for residents with views of Monterey Bay.
Includes cutting down the street trees and removing the stoplights.
Ben Harvey Takes Job In Ojai
Sounds like a demotion but hey, it’s closer to Long Beach.
Young & Sick
Harvey’s base salary will be $250,000 a year. If Harvey moves to Ojai or within a 10- mile radius, the city will reimburse his moving and relocation expenses. If he requires temporary rental housing before purchasing a home, he will receive a housing allowance of up to $5,000 per month for up to six months beginning Feb. 1.
P.G. Planting A Pagoda
First cancel the Feast Of Lanterns over made up history, then plant a pagoda honoring those lost their rickety shoreline encampment in the park named for the wonderful person that was the creator of the Feast as we knew it. Bleah!
MBCA leaders first requested a joint project with the city along Monterey Bay near the village site, but it didn’t make it into the budget. MBCA leaders came back asking to locate the pavilion in a city park financed by their own fundraising. Working with city staff and the P.G. Recreation Board, Elmarie Dyke Park next to Chautauqua Hall was chosen. A moon wall at the entrance to the park was added to the proposal. The estimated cost of construction for both is $120,000-$150,000.
The Weakly Gangs Up On Coletti
Luke is doing the job no one else would do – hold others accountable.
That Coletti and Harvey were pitted against each other was unsurprising to anyone observing Pacific Grove city government. But there’s a pattern: At least three other similar claims of workplace harassment have been filed by city staff members against Coletti. Two remain under active investigation.
Beyond that, multiple staff members have departed from City Hall. Former housing manager Anastacia Wyatt left for the City of Monterey; former community development director Alyson Hunter left for Marina. In a resignation letter in 2022, Hunter cited “aggressive questioning” as a reason for her departure.
Tough questioning is one thing. Workplace bullying is another. And Coletti seems intent on continuing to cross that line.
Need For Speed – Rec Trail
Racers whiz by, tourists block the paved portion. Admin here was nearly run over by two E-Bikes on the sidewalk downtown.
Pacific Grove took a different approach when e-bikes started appearing on the scene, and in 2020 set a unilateral 12mph speed limit on its portion of the Rec Trail. I am not a fast biker, but on flat ground, I can tell you that you don’t even have to break a sweat to exceed 12mph on a regular old human-powered bike. Five minutes of observation in P.G. is all it takes to see this bizarrely low speed limit violated, and the same old premise that predated the speed limit comes into play: Pay attention and be courteous.
Unfortunately, for busy stretches of multi-use resources like the Rec Trail, “pay attention and be courteous” may not be enough clarity. The potential for widening the Rec Trail is low, Garcia tells me, based on right-of-way. Look for more on potential signage and speed limits to come in the coming years as the data gathering process ramps up.
Coast Weakly Calls Lighthouse Ave A Struggle
Comparing it to Alvarado. Apples and oranges. Avlarados and Lighthouses. And no one wants the homeless bums sleeping in doorways or acting strange on Lighthouse.
It’s been a balancing act for Monterey officials over the decades, figuring out how to serve the needs of motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists while managing the demands and expectations of residents and business owners. A vision for Alvarado Street forged a decade ago in the city’s Downtown Specific Plan has led to what is now a flourishing destination. The vision for Lighthouse Avenue, laid out in the Lighthouse Specific Plan adopted in 2016, has been clouded by its geography and competing opinions on how to make it work as best it can for all involved.
Losers Keep On Losin’
Wachs has not lived in P.G. long enough to contribute anything of substance. And Tina Rau was an embarrassment.
Pacific Grove Mayor Bill Peake’s appointments to the city’s boards and commissions raised some eyebrows when the list was released in an agenda report for the P.G. City Council meeting taking place tonight, Jan. 18. In one case, it appears he snubbed his political opponent in the Nov. 7 election, Mike Wachs.
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The chair of the DEI Task Force, Tina Rau, was also rejected in her bid to remain on the task force, in a surprising move by Peake who rejected two other members who wanted to retain their seats. He did appoint one woman, Marie Hunter, who in her application called into question DEI principles.
Tear Down The Parklets
Some are empty more than they are used. Some have unsafe conditions.
Prompting those letters was an 86-page report by a P.G. Planning Commission subcommittee that recommended 14 rules for parklets. Those rules would have meant all existing parklets would have to be torn down; some could have and rebuilt much smaller, and at least five of the current 13 parklets would have been eliminated entirely.
Despite pleas from restaurant owners who said the new rules would hurt their businesses in a time of inflation and other challenges, the Planning Commission voted 4-1 on Dec. 8 to send the recommendations to the City Council.
Some of the commission’s recommendations went beyond what was required by existing codes, said John Kuehl, the city’s chief building official. While the planning commissioners were concerned about safety, Kuehl suggested that some people’s perception of what’s safe may not correlate with laws already in place.