Tag Archives: Moe Ammar

Unwelcome Downtown Businesses

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Moe hates the resale shops that proliferate the city. As the town struggles to attract businesses to downtown, there is a moratorium of certain types of commerce.

Art galleries that are open maybe 14 hours a week are welcome. All the rest of you stay in New Monterey:

The Community Development Department received a letter from the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce (Attachment 3) requesting a moratorium on the allowance of future benefit/consignment and resale shops. This is but one example of incompatible (but currently allowed) uses allowed in the Commercial Downtown (C-D) Zoning District

    • Pawn Shops
    • Electronic Cigarette (Vapor/Vape) Shops
    • Check Cashing Stores
    • Bail Bonds
    • Storefront Churches (religious assembly)
    • Gold and Silver Exchange Stores
    • Auction Houses (existing may remain)
    • Automobile Rental
    • Recreational Vehicle Sales (including boats)
    • Tire Sales and Repair
    • Blood, Plasma Sale Centers
    • Kennels or Pet Boarding (when not associated with an animal hospital)
    • Body Piercing and Tattoo Shops (on Ground Floor, only)

Unwelcome Downtown Businesses

Pacific Grove Offers Alternates To Starbucks

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LHA Starbucks

The closed KFC on Lighthouse Avenue in New Monterey has been transformed into Starbucks and Pacific Grove’s MoeAmmar sent out a message that there are P.G. coffee sellers that are superior to the mega coffee chain.

Shirt-for-hire wants us all to know that P.G. offers up coffee that costs more, is less convenient and has fewer choices than Starbucks.

The new Starbucks has a drive through, coffee that is cheaper, open for business when people want it and stands a less chance of being pooped on by gulls. No wonder P.G. fails to attract tourist dollars.

In reaction to a new multi-million dollar Monterey Starbucks opening less than 400 feet from its border, the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce took an advertisement in Wednesday’s Herald declaring its “preferred coffee shops.”

Starbucks is not on the list and Thursday the chamber will launch a marketing campaign to highlight its smaller, independent coffee shops.

“My mission is to educate and remind our residents and our businesses there are, at least, nine, 10 places where you can have coffee that, to me, is better than Starbucks,” chamber president Moe Ammar said.

Pacific Grove Offers Alternates To Starbucks

City Modifies Trash Cans To Stop Gull Gluttons

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From this:
Old Downtown Trash Can

To This:
New Downtown Trash Can
Still got some human modifications to do there, like empty the cans more often.

“Those cans are working to perfection,” said Moe Ammar, president of the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce. One can is on the corner across from his office at Central and Forest avenues. Ammar said he hasn’t seen a gull diving into it.

Residents and employees in the area also notice fewer gull contributions to their windshields and tops of their vehicles, he said.

It’s not a complete solution, Ammar said. There are still private dumpsters where hungry gulls forage, and, “We still have people who think it’s cute to feed the sea gulls.”

The custom-lid cans, so far, have been placed on Central Avenue near the city entrance, along the Recreation Trail, and by the library, museum and post office.

City Modifies Trash Cans To Stop Gull Gluttons

City Takes A Step Back Toward Gull Poo Problem

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Check the KSBW video – the news reporter is at the same place I was recently. Add that to the shocking turn from trying to shoo the gulls away to cutting off the attraction by covering the trash around town, something that lighthouseavenue.com has been preaching for years.

Was Moe heard describing the trash can covers as “the best thing ever to happen in P.G.”?

The city’s public works department is experimenting with a new type of trash can to see if it can perturb the influx of gulls.

“Without a doubt, it is working. The seagulls cannot penetrate it and go down and pick up the food,” said Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce president Moe Ammar.

The city is looking to retrofit all trash cans on the recreational trail with the new can style to get rid of gulls, but officials said residents also need to stop feeding the birds.

City officials said without an active food source, the gulls will hopefully go elsewhere.

The city is planning to power-wash the sidewalks the first two weeks of June. The runoff water will be collected and sent to the local pollution control agency.

City Takes A Step Back Toward Gull Poo Problem

Tinnertudes Sold, Will Be A “High End Sushi” Restaurant

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And what was Moammar’s reaction?

  • A. This is a disgrace to the town!
  • B. I have eaten sushi from Fresno.
  • C. This is the best thing that could happen to Pacific Grove!

lattitudes oob

The former Lattitudes restaurant at Lover’s Point in Pacific Grove has been purchased by foreign investors for $2.5 million in cash.

Vacant for 4 1/2 years, the new owners plan to turn it into a high-end sushi restaurant, said Moe Ammar, the president of the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce.

“This is the best thing that could happen to Pacific Grove,” he said, noting that The Beach House across the street opened last summer.

Lattitudes, the last restaurant in the 6,683 square foot building, closed in 2010. Before that it housed The Tinnery.

Tinnertudes Sold, Will Be A “High End Sushi” Restaurant

Moe Holds Seagull Summit

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Is the Mercedes getting dirty from bird poo these days?
Chamber Of Poop

Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce President Moe Ammar said there is no immediate solution to the stinky situation, but in response, a Seagull Summit is being held at 8:30 a.m. Friday in Jewel Park. The summit will include a panel of experts.

Business owners said the city needs to roll up its sleeves and clean up the sea birds’ mess because pedestrians’ shoes are tracking gull droppings into local restaurants and creating a potential health hazard.

Hey business owners, you are required to clean the sidewalks outside your store.

Moe Holds Seagull Summit

Le Normandie Ihors de l’entreprise

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Kick ’em while they are down.

Normandie

Le Normandie in Pacific Grove abruptly shut down two weeks ago, leaving many in the community confused as to why.

The Lighthouse Avenue restaurant in the Holman Building was owned by Christine and Francis Richard — previous owners of now- shuttered Chez Christine in Carmel and Bistro Christine in Monterey — and family friend Nancy Lewis.

“We’re done opening restaurants,” Christine Richard said Thursday. “… I’ve had it.”

Landlord Nadir Agha (who knows a thing or two about lies)

Agha said he made the decision to kick out the owners after he said he found out Christine Richard was lying about the sale of her mother’s home in France — money she allegedly told him she would use to buy the restaurant.

“She still owes us the $40,000,

Here’s a Moe Quote to add to the list of Stupid Things Moe Says:

Ammar believes the Richards are unethical and said in his 20 years with the chamber he has not witnessed “such bad business dealings” as he has with the pair.

Le Normandie Ihors de l’entreprise

Downtown Struggles While It’s Crossroads Undergo “Beautification”

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Pavels, Grove Market, PG Florist all are losing customers and Moe Ammar says “This is the best thing that’s happened since I’ve been here, period!”.

Baghdad Moe

The main intersection of downtown Pacific Grove, Forest and Lighthouse, is blocked because of a safety and beautification project and will be closed until April 8, causing significant business losses for even very popular stores near the intersection as shoppers avoid the area because they’re worried they won’t be able to get through or find a place to park.

Sidewalk Reconstruction Road Closed

My question is how will this bit of concrete mix with the five different sidewalk styles that exist at the intersection?

 

You have exposed aggregate
Sidewalk Exposed Aggregate

There’s a diamond pattern (my personal favorite)
Sidewalk Diamond Pattern

A five squares from store to curb pattern
Sidewalk Five Squares

Another side has three squares from store to curb.
Sidewalk Reconstruction Three Squares

And a real brick veneer
Sidewalk Brick Veneer

Downtown Struggles While It’s Crossroads Undergo “Beautification”