UNTRUE: City’s (Mayor’s) Conflict/Don't Park Edict for General Plan Workshops

General Plan Update Public Workshops
Date: 16 July 2007
Agenda Item: Public Safety & Public Facilities
Topics: Fire, flooding, earthquakes, tsunami, and how to manage and maintain our civic
buildings, streets and drainage facilities
Agenda & Duration: Introductions/ Overview 15 min, Brainstorming Session 1 hour, Group Discussion 20 min

Date: 23 July 2007
Agenda Item: Circulation & Noise
Topics: Traffic circulation, trucks, buses and bicycles and noise from construction, traffic and other sources

Workshops will be held on Monday, July 16, 2007 and Monday, July 23 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Carmel Women’s Club auditorium on the southwest corner of San Carlos Street and Ninth Avenue.

From the City:
• “We want to know what YOU think about important topics such as public safety, traffic and noise...”
(Source: Public Notice, The Carmel Pine Cone, July 13, 2007)

• “Active participation by residents, Boards, Commissions and the City Council will be needed to make this Update a success."
(Source: http://www.carmelgeneralplan.org/newsletter1.doc)

• “Who is going to do the Update?………..You Are !!!!”
(Source: http://www.carmelgeneralplan.org/newsletter1.doc)

• “A General Plan reflects the community’s vision of its future. To do this, the entire community must be involved…We need to hear your concerns, ideas and visions of what Carmel is, and should be.”
(Source: http://www.carmelgeneralplan.org/newsletter1.doc)

• “I look forward to seeing you at our meetings and hearing your ideas for Carmel’s future.”
Brian Roseth, Planning Services Manager
(Source: http://www.carmelgeneralplan.org/newsletter1.doc)

COMMENTS:
Ostensively then, the “City” wants the participation of as many Carmelites as possible in the public workshops for the General Plan Update. However, a city advertisement states, “To avoid conflicts with the Bach Festival we request that you please not park across the street at Sunset Center.”

Yet, a review of the 2007 Carmel Bach Festival web site and subsequent confirmation by Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. Executive Director Jack Globenfelt demonstrates that there is absolutely no conflict with the Bach Festival, as the only scheduled events for both Mondays are Pre-Concert Talks at 6:45 P.M. (“Flights of Fancy,” by David Gordon) and the Main Concerts commencing at 8:00 P.M.

REMEMBER: The Sunset Center is a public asset; it is not the private preserve of the Mayor or any other single individual or organization. As such, the “City” should encourage General Plan Update Workshop participants to park conveniently across the street from the Carmel Woman’s Club in the Sunset Center parking lot!