Monterey Pine Trees At Sunset, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA.
General Plan/Coastal Land Use Plan Open Space, Conservation & Scenic Highways Element
Supporting Information
Open Space
Existing City Owned Open Space. Several areas and blocks are reserved for park and open space purposes. Table 5.1 lists the existing publicly designated open space in Carmel. Nearly all the parks in Carmel are presently developed to serve the purpose of passive recreation. Figure 7.1 illustrates the location of existing open space areas in Carmel. These open spaces generally fall within the two City zoning designations, P-1 and P-2. These zoning designations regulate uses and protect their status as City open space.
Carmel's Urban Forest. Table 7.2 summarizes the increase in the overall urban forest on both private and publicly owned property as of 1987.
Forestry Management Plan. This Plan establishes criteria for the preservation of the health of all of the City owned trees and foliage within Carmel and specifies techniques for cutting, planting and other aspects of a proper maintenance schedule. Part of this plan inventory illustrates that despite the development which has occurred in Carmel over this past decade (1976-86) the supply of trees has not been adversely affected, but has been improved with younger, more vigorous members of the same species. As noted in the Forestry Management Plan, the City Forestry Department plants on an average of over five hundred trees per year.
Table 7.1: Carmel-by-the-Sea Recreation Facilities/Open Space
Facility--------Acreage-------Facilities/Use------------------ZoningDesignation
1. Carmel Beach 21.5 Swimming, picnicking, other beach related activities P-1
2. Mission Trail Park/Arboretum 35.0 Nature walks, jogging, picnicking, bicycling P-1
3. Devendorf Park .6 Picnic P-2
4. Forest Hill Park 2.4 Natural area, shuffleboard, clubhouse, horseshoe pits, par course physical fitness trail, children’s playground, tennis courts, restrooms P-2
5. Forest Theatre Theatre and park P-2
6. Piccadilly Park .09 Open space, benches CC
7. Landscaping and Mini Parks 66.9 33% of all streets All Zones
8. Vista Lobos 1.24 Meeting room, observation deck, mini park, public parking R-4
9. Rio Park 6.24 Open space, trails, ball field MDR (County Zoning)
Table 7.2: Number of Public and Private Trees in Carmel’s Urban Forest
Class----------Pine----------------Oak-------------Other------------Total----------
Year-------76-79--83-86----76-79--83-86----76-79--83-86----76-79--83-86
Diameter
2-6"-------1323--1833------2924---4412------6749---7377-----11006--13622
7-12"------1193--1366------3990---4474------1745---1272------6928---7112
13-18"-----1611--1882------2168---2108------531----236-------4310---4226
19-24"-----1639--1419-------461----367-------313-----75--------2413---1861
25-30"-----1160---948--------60-----58---------204-----45-------1424---1051
31-36"------627---462---------4-----11---------140-----19---------771----492
37-42"------242---187---------3------1----------65-----12---------310----200
43"+--------121---107---------0------2---------130-----20---------251----129
TOTAL----7916--8204------9620--11433-----9877---9056----27413--28693
% Change--------288------------+1813-------------821-----------+1280
Source: “A Guide to Management of Carmel’s Forests, Parks and Beaches”, 1981; City Forestry Department, 1987
NOTE: Table 7.2 Correction: “% Change” should read Number Change and Pine 83-86 % Change should read +288, not -288.
General Plan/Coastal Land Use Plan Coastal Resource Management Element
Carmel-by-the-Sea Page 5-23
Urban Forests, Parks and Open Spaces
G5-4 Preserve and enhance the City's legacy of an urbanized forest of predominantly Monterey pine, coast live oak and Monterey Cypress. (LUP)
O5-10 Maintain a Citywide map and database of trees and landscaped areas to support tree planting and maintenance programs. (LUP)
P5-53 Complete a Citywide survey and database update every four years. Compile the data by size of tree and species in an electronic format. Also survey replacement trees required by permit conditions of approval. Report survey information and the status of replacement trees to the Forest and Beach Commission and Planning Commission at the conclusion of each yearly survey. Continue to monitor replacement trees for at least one survey cycle (i.e., 4 years). (LUP)
COMMENTS & QUESTIONS:
• The City’s Local Coastal Program was certified in late 2004. Yet the figures in Table 7.2: Number of Public and Private Trees in Carmel’s Urban Forest date from 1976-1979 and 1983-1986. Why are the latest figures i.e., 1983-1986, 2 decades old? Do these 2 decades old figures accurately reflect the number of public and private trees in Carmel-by-the-Sea today?
• Given that the City’s Land Use Plan states that a report to the Forest and Beach Commission and the Planning Commission on tree survey information and the status of replacement trees is required “at the conclusion of each yearly survey,” why did a review of the Forest and Beach Commission and Planning Commission agendas for 2005 and 2006 yield no agenda items for this required LUP topic?
• The total number of acres designated as Carmel-by-the-Sea Recreation Facilities/Open Space is approximately 140 acres. Since 1 square mile, the approximate landmass of Carmel-by-the-Sea, is 640 acres, and the amount for streets is approximately 203 acres, then the amount of privately owned land is approximately 297 acres. Yet, the City removes approximately 125 trees on 140 public acres per year, while private owners remove approximately 20-40 trees on 297 acres per year.
(Reference: Table 7.1: Carmel-by-the-Sea Recreation Facilities/Open Space)
Note: Figure for street acreage estimate derived from Table 7.1, 66.9 acres represent 33% of all streets.)
• The City’s land Use Plan states, “As noted in the Forestry Management Plan, the City Forestry Department plants on an average of over five hundred trees per year;” within the last 10 years, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea DOES NOT have a record of planting “over 500 trees per year!”
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