The LOSS of Carmel-by-the-Sea's UNIQUENESS & INDIVIDUALITY : LOCALLY APPROVED & SANCTIONED

The gradual and incremental, but inexorable loss of Carmel-by-the-Sea’s traditionally known character and ambiance is demonstrated by the following:

• The City Council’s removal of 32 eucalyptus trees on 4th Avenue; known for their traffic calming effect, these non-diseased trees were removed rather than regularly pruned to ameliorate resident’s safety concerns.

• The City Administrator’s removal of the Post Office Bump-Out on 5th Avenue.

• A senescent, dying forest; this state of affairs is due to the City Council’s inadequate funding of the Forest, Beach & Parks Department over a long period of time.

• Closed and approved for sale historical/cultural city assets i.e. Scout House and Flanders Mansion.

• Loss of city management of Sunset Center in favor of the City Council’s installation of Sunset Cultural Center, Inc., a non-profit group.

• The City Council’s reduction of Harrison Memorial Library and Park Branch hours for patrons; thus rendering our historical/cultural/educational city asset less accessible to all.

• Live music in downtown restaurants.

• Plan for lights in Ocean Avenue medians.

Underlying these losses to Carmel-by-the-Sea’s character is the City Council’s betrayal of Carmel-by-the-Sea’s credo:

THE CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA is hereby determined to be primarily, a residential City wherein business and commerce have in the past, are now, and are proposed to be in the future subordinated to its residential character;...

Adopted by Ordinance No. 96 passed on this 5th day of June 1929


COMMENTS:

While the Bates cartoon controversy demonstrates that 1000 people can be mobilized to sign a petition calling for the return of the Bates cartoons to the Post Office, how is it that these same 1000 people are not similarly outraged and mobilized about the city’s fiscal mismanagement, out-of-control deferred maintenance and decayed infrastructure, the City Council’s vote to sell the National Register of Historic Places Flanders Mansion Property, the City Council’s decision to evict tenants and close the Scout House, the city’s non-regenerating forest, the City Administrator’s and City Council’s lack of support for Library Director Margaret Pelikan and Harrison Memorial Library and Park Branch (no, $35,000 is not enough, the city can well afford $123,000 for the restoration of 2004 operating hours if the City Council had the commitment and will to do it), etc.? Or is it simply easier to wail at the Federal government, rather than confront issues and problems of our local city government?