Category Archives: Pacific Grove

Like Sharks Following Sea Lions, Monterey Criminals Follow The Money

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Noticing a pattern in the arrests – drugs.

The Monterey Police Department has seen an increase in property crimes in recent months, specifically automobile and residential burglaries,” police said.

Police believe there are two categories of thieves targeting Monterey: 1. a roving group that travels to Monterey, and 2. local criminals.

The roving groups “target areas that they know have financial means,” police said.

There were some arrests, among them:

May 21: Monterey Police Officers, with the assistance of the Seaside Police Department, arrested Zachary Thomas, 31, of Pacific Grove, in the 1100 block of Fremont, Seaside, for commercial burglary, possession of stolen property, and possession of a controlled substance.

May 23: Officers arrested Julia Natale, 51, of Monterey, in the 800 block of Archer, Monterey, for possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of a controlled substance, being under the influence of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and smuggling drugs into the jail.

Officers also arrested Ashley Beck, 30 of Pacific Grove, in the 800 block of Archer, for possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Monterey Police Officers, with the assistance of the Peninsula Regional Violence and Narcotics Team, Pacific Grove PD, Marina PD, Carmel PD, and the Drug Enforcement Agency served a search warrant in the 900 block of McClellan, Monterey. Officers arrested John Spataro, 47, of Monterey, for possession of heroin and possession of methamphetamine. Officers also arrested Gary Russo, 43, of Monterey, for possession of methamphetamine.

Like Sharks Following Sea Lions, Monterey Criminals Follow The Money

Mayor Kampe Not Running For Re-Election

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Grumpycat Good

Better find a decent pick for mayor before P.G. starts to look like Stockton.

He won in a landslide, and the four-year adventure turned into a 10-year journey, after winning the mayor’s seat two more times in 2014 and 2016.

The journey is now officially coming to an end, Kampe announced Tuesday, May 29, in an emailed statement.

He and his wife, Cheryl, are ready to do new things together, which they have postponed during this stint on the council.

Oh, and one steps up in favor turning P.G. into Stockton

Councilmember Rudy Fischer announced later the same day that he is running for mayor.
He said as mayor he would “pretty much continue the council’s current policies and direction.”

Mayor Kampe Not Running For Re-Election

Police Crack Down On Thefts

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And they make arrests. Imagine that, police doing policing,

Mcgruff

In response to an increase of vehicle and residential burglaries, the Monterey Police Department has created the Burglary and Theft Team and made 17 arrests in the past two months in connection to those crimes.

According to Hober, officers on the Burglary and Theft Team volunteer to work overtime on their days off.

“They’ll just go out and proactively try to develop information and find people who might be committing these property crimes,” he said. “A majority of those 17 arrests came from officers on the (Burglary and Theft Team) going out.”

Police Crack Down On Thefts

Planning Commission Loves Durell Hotel

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Give them 100% reclaimed toilet-to-tap water. Call it a substainable hotel.
Durell Hotel

Since its official approval last week, residents had 10 days to appeal the decision, which would then put the project into the hands of the P.G. City Council. Even if the council approved it, the project currently has no water credits. Those would have to come from the city’s Local Water Project.

“The council first has to decide what (water) will be allotted to commercial use and residential use from the reclamation site,” said Aeschliman. “Then it becomes first come first serve.”

Planning Commission Loves Durell Hotel

Initiative to Restrict Air BnBs Gets OK

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Collected 17 percent of registered voters signatures. Webmaster here left PG 7 years ago when the vacation home investment bubble took away our affordable funky P.G. rental house, so you know where I stand on absentee owners that do nothing for the neighborhood.

Yes On M

The certified initiative would restore the city’s zoning rules and prohibit short-term vacation rentals in residential areas outside the coastal zone, which is overseen by the California Coastal Commission. Specifically, it would aim to provide an 18-month phase-out period for existing permitted short-term rentals that become nonconforming uses under the measure and to require voter approval of any changes to the measure. The initiative would not affect short-term rentals in commercial districts or the area governed by the coastal zone and wouldn’t change the city’s existing rules allowing room rentals in resident-occupied single-family homes.

Initiative to Restrict Air BnBs Gets OK

Short Term Rental Owners’ Crocodile Tears

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Retired teachers from north unable to pay for their vacation home in P.G. without renting it out to different tourists every weekend, oh the agony.

“I’m devastated – we have one house that was considered a duplex and we lost both of those,” said Beverlee Taylor, who along with her husband Richard is a retired teacher who lives in Pleasanton but comes down to Pacific Grove often. The two discovered their love for P.G. 49 years ago when they honeymooned here.

“We don’t make much on it but we like to come down here with our family,” said Taylor, noting the $2,665 mortgage and close to $9,000 in taxes they paid. The proceeds they made on it as a short-term rental “met expenses … it paid expenses,” Taylor said.

Short Term Rental Owners’ Crocodile Tears

Holman Condos: $1,400,000 And Up

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What? No Bowling Alley?

Holmans Bowling

Currently, the building’s 3,000 square-foot lobby, which will include a weight room, media center, bar, stage and lounge for private uses and special community events is having all of its electrical work finalized, according to Daniel Crnkovic, superintendent of construction. Eventually, it’s set to include marble floors and a grand fireplace.

Gash has ties to the community through his great-great-grandparents who came to the Monterey Peninsula from Oklahoma to work in the canneries. He said that opening up the space for community use is the company’s way of saying “thank you” to both the city and local residents who have supported the project

Holman Condos: $1,400,000 And Up

P.G. Pays Consultant $274K To Say “Fence Off The Shoreline”

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Shoreline Management Plan = shoreline access restriction rules.

Remember when you could park on both sides of Ocean View at Asilomar and take your sweetie and a blanket to the dunes? Now it’s all going the don’t touch just look from over the fence rule.

closed for plants

The initiative, which is aimed at looking at ways to protect future public access along the shoreline while enhancing the area’s natural and cultural resources, will examine both challenges and opportunities involved in that endeavor moving forward.

The City hired Bay Area urban planning consultant Eisen/Letunic, which specializes in healthy and sustainable communities, for the preparation and development of the plan at a cost of $274,400.

P.G. Pays Consultant To Say “Fence Off The Shoreline”

P.G. Hiring Process

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Family to police chief, not from the area and no HR experience.

City Hall Help Wanted

Elizabeth Schalau, a recent transplant from Myers’ home state of Michigan, is acting as Pacific Grove’s sole human resources analyst under a $25,000, 12-week, no-bid contract. Schalau is Myers’ sister-in-law, despite contract language barring awards to “immediate family” of city employees.

Schalau resigned from her job in Michigan to take the position in Pacific Grove, and the city gave her $5,000 to help find housing here. The total value of the contract is below the level that would trigger City Council review.

Schalau has no direct human resources experience, though she said she has management expertise.

P.G. Hiring Process

STR Businesses Challenge Lottery For Permits

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Yes On M

STRONGpg includes Joy Colon-Jello who’d rather rent her house out as hotel rooms.

At the time, Mayor Bill Kampe explained the system was meant to reduce density in 52 blocks in the city, noting that out of the 475 blocks in the city, 175 have STRs present and 52 of those are over-dense by a 15 percent criteria.

In response, STRONGpg filed a lawsuit in April seeking a motion for preliminary injunction that would stop the lottery from occurring in the near future while the complaint filed against the city in regards to the revised STR ordinance is being investigated.

STR Businesses Challenge Lottery For Permits