Category Archives: Pacific Grove

Forest Hill Too Good, Let’s Ruin It

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Traffic Calming
Coming soon to Forest Hill. Roundabouts, bumpouts, unused bike lanes, and other “traffic calming improvements” to bring the war on cars to another Pacific Grove roadway much like Central Avenue. Just the thought is costing taxpayers $150,000.

Some of the design solutions on the table include extending sidewalks and slowing down vehicle traffic with narrower turn lanes.

Leaders charged with making Highway 68 a safer place for everyone in Pacific Grove took to the streets Wednesday to identify key problems.

Recently a $150,000 Cal Trans grant was allocated to study ways to improve all modes of transportation along Highway 68 within Pacific Grove city limits.

“We are looking at the physical corridor to see where the issues really lie and where the problems are,” Ariana Green with TAMC said.

“It’s really sad all of the accidents, all of the fatalities. Just in the last year there have been three fatalities and seven accidents with pedestrians getting hurt, so it’s pretty bad,” Moe Ammar with the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce said.

Forest Hill Too Good, Let’s Ruin It

Shared Police Chief Quits P.G.

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Was it too quiet for Vicki in Pacific Grove?

PGPD Help Wanted

After three years as police chief for both Pacific Grove and Seaside, Chief Vicki Myers is stepping down as top cop in Pacific Grove so that she can devote her full attention to Seaside.

Myers made this decision about a month after both city’s police officer associations voted that they have no confidence in her.

When we asked Myers about the votes of no confidence, she said it was one of the many reasons she is switching to solely focus on Seaside.

Shared Police Chief Quits P.G.

Police Chief Sharing Is Over

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It is too bad that there’s no local candidates for police chief and we need to resort to part time with Seaside.

Since Myers took over both police departments, under a cost-saving contract with the city of Seaside, police union leadership in both cities have denounced her leadership style, adding that her “intimidation tactics” have crippled morale in both departments.

“Given our second vote of ‘no-confidence’ we feel like this is a good direction for our police department and the city to take,” Renfro said.

There have also been calls to investigate what some say is a hostile work environment, including a complaint last year involving seven of her employees in Seaside alleging “inappropriate physical contact” in separate occasions, one employee claiming she was punched by Myers, according to Frank Martin of the Seaside Police Officers Association.

Police Chief Sharing Is Over

Graveyard Decor Rules – No Solar, No Prohibited Memorabilia

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But cell phone towers are OK. Dan Miller was the no vote, saying that efforts could be better put toward the brown grass and gopher holes.

Dead Zone Cell Tower 2

On Wednesday, the P.G. City Council voted 6-1 to ban those things and other “prohibited objects” from being left at burial sites, niches and crypts, including “solar lights, whirling lawn ornaments” and unapproved vases. “The placement on any burial site of objects other than real or artificial flowers of a reasonable size or flags exceeding 8 inches in length and 12 inches in height is prohibited,” according to the P.G. Municipal Code, “and, if so placed, the city may remove and dispose of them at its discretion.”

Graveyard Decor Rules – No Solar, No Prohibited Memorabilia

ATC Hotel Project Has Big Hopes

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Would be better as residential studios but greed is the driver here.ATC

When the press release arrived in email inboxes yesterday, announcing there were firm plans to replace Pacific Grove’s American Tin Cannery with a luxury hotel, it only hinted at the grand ambitions of developers Domaine Hospitality Partners, LLC.
The statement read that “Project Bella”—the working title for the development—“aims to be the leading luxury hotel in the United States.”

ATC Hotel Project Has Big Hopes

Developers Want To Transform ATC To A Luxury Hotel

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This
Parking Meters Ocean View

To this
Project Bella Overhead View

Built in 1927 for use in the sardine heyday, the Tin Cannery has been home to outlet shopping since 1988 and never seemed to take off, despite the thousands of visitors exiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium across the street.

When the outlet mall had stores it was pretty good. One could get a variety of things without having to deal with the traffic. Ardan’s, Rebock, Corning and more.

If this deal fizzels, remember these names people.

“Project Bella aims to be the leading luxury hotel in the United States,” said a news release.

The project is a partnership between Domaine Hospitality Partners and the Cannery Row Co., which owns the cannery building.

Wednesday’s press conference will include Julie Packard, executive director of the aquarium, developer Ted Balestreri, Pacific Grove mayor Bill Kampe and Domaine CEO Ronald Meer.

Developers Want To Transform ATC To A Luxury Hotel

Homemade Bombs Found On Ruth Ct

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Bringing a little terrorism to P.G.

Officers and firefighters responded to a report of an explosion in Pacific Grove Sunday morning.
When officers arrived at the 900 block of Ruth Court at about 11 a.m., they found a homemade incendiary device, police said.
Monterey County Bomb Squad along with the County Hazardous Materials team also responded. Officials said preliminary tests indicated it was an “acid filled bottle.”

Homemade Bombs Found On Ruth Ct

Central Coast Juicery Parks Delivery Truck In Disabled Parking

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Mark Kaltenbacher

Noon on Saturday I come across an unattended commercial vehicle parked in the disabled parking place. Look around and see none of P.G.’s finest so I take a few pictures and consider call them or at least the 831-747-7085 number and reporting them. Then head off to go to the bank.

Juice Locally Central Coast Juicery

The driver shows up and shouted at me asking if I had some concern and after a debate on what the definition of parking is I go into the bank. Driver of said Central Coast Juicery truck moved it to a legal parking spot and goes to the same bank as I, where he continues to deny any wrongdoing. Give it up Mark, you ended up on Facebook in addition to LighthouseAvenue.com.

Central Coast Juicery Parks Delivery Truck In Disabled Parking

Highway 68 Tour By A Hack Frisco Writer

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Awful whiny story. Calls El Camino Real “The 101” like some sort of LA type. And the pesticides that get into schools – well who builds schools next to a toxic vegetable field?

CA SR 68

I started my own journey at the head of 68, Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds, where rooms were running almost $300 a night. The highway took me first through Pacific Grove, a prosperous village (low unemployment, a median house price north of $700,000, little poverty). I had to turn right to stay on 68 near the gate to 17 Mile Drive, which takes you to world-renowned resorts.

Then I turned northeast, as 68 joined up with Highway 1 for 2 miles, before splitting again near Seaside, not far from where Tesla Motors plans to open a new sales center

On my own drive, I reached Salinas and followed Highway 68 past Salinas High and through downtown to where it ended at the 101.

In Salinas, there is resentment toward the other end of Highway 68. Some ask why Monterey environmentalists don’t fight as hard against pesticides that get into Salinas schools as they do against coastal development. Others complain that Monterey is a magnet for jobs, which relegates Salinas to serving as a place for people who can’t afford to live near their work on the peninsula.

Highway 68 Tour By A Hack Frisco Writer

Short Term Rental Permit Freeze

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What started as a casual room rental idea is turning into entire homes being rented out, with no permanent residents on site. So much for rental homes in P.G. for families to live in.

The vote was 6-1, with Councilman Ken Cuneo dissenting.

After listening to about a dozen people speak both for and against the moratorium during a long public comment period, the council debated the merits.

“The City Council needs to take the lead,” said Mayor Bill Kampe. “It’s our job to wrestle with this.”

There was an almost even split between supporters and detractors of the vacation rental practice. Comments in support ranged from reports of good experiences with renters to enjoying the exchange between cultures. Detractors spoke of unruly, noisy and uncaring guests who sometimes exceeded maximum occupancy, exacerbated parking problems and even trespassed.

Short Term Rental Permit Freeze