“MINUTES”
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
City Hall
East side of Monte Verde Street between Ocean and Seventh Avenues
V. Announcements from Closed Session, from City Council Members and the City Administrator
C. Announcements from City Administrator
3. Receive update on San Antonio Walkway.
City Administrator Rich Guillen presented the update.
The San Antonio Walkway project will be constructed from the Pebble Beach/Carmel Gate to 4th Avenue, along the 4th Avenue pathway over the dunes and stairway to the Carmel Beach. The California Coastal Commission approved the coastal permit on March 11, 2010; the Commission required a boardwalk across the sand dunes despite the City's objections. The modified plans need to be updated by the Pebble Beach Company and once the revised plans are completed, the permit will be transmitted to City. It is anticipated that pathway construction between the Gate and 4th Avenue will be completed prior to the U.S. Open (completed by the end of May 2010).
Note: CENTRAL COAST DISTRICT
Application No. 3-10-003 (Pebble Beach Co., Monterey Co.) Application of Pebble Beach Co. to construct new pedestrian trail segment and improve existing trails to connect Del Monte Forest trail system to Carmel Beach as part of the California Coastal Trail (includes trail and new stairway improvements in the Forest, and decomposed granite walkway along North San Antonio Ave., new boardwalk, and new stairway access in City of Carmel) near the Carmel gate into the Del Monte Forest, Carmel, Monterey County. (KM-SC) [APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS]
(Source: California Coastal Commission, March 2010 Agenda)
VII. Consent Calendar
These matters include routine financial and administrative actions, which are usually approved by a single majority vote. Individual items may be removed from Consent by a member of the Council or the public for discussion and action.
G. Consideration of a Resolution expressing opposition to the Villas de Carmelo project proposed at 24945 Valley Way in the City’s Sphere of Influence.
H. Consideration of a Resolution authorizing repairs to the Forest Theater stage floor by KNA Construction in an amount not to exceed $12,400.
K. Consideration of a Resolution to lend two Mary DeNeale Morgan paintings to Hearst Art Gallery, Saint Mary’s College of California, from July 15 through September 30, 2010.
A Widewaters representative read a letter from Kevin Kane, the development manager of the Widewaters Group, requesting the City Council postpone any formal action on the proposed Villas de Carmelo project until after the revised Draft EIR is completed in April 2010.
Mayor McCloud opened the meeting to public comment.
Carmel-by-the-Sea resident Monte Miller expressed support for item G, namely a Resolution expressing opposition to the proposed Villas de Carmelo project. He asked if the Resolution will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors and/or County Planning Commission. City Administrator Rich Guillen stated it would be sent to the Board of Supervisors.
Carmel resident Mark Bayne expressed support for item G and against postponing a vote on the Resolution because the fundamental nature of the project is unchanged and only minor administrative changes to the revised DEIR are expected.
Mayor McCloud closed the meeting to public comment.
Council Member TALMAGE moved to approve Consent Agenda Items A-K, seconded by Council Member HAZDOVAC and carried by the following roll call vote:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: HAZDOVAC; ROSE; SHARP; TALMAGE & McCLOUD
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
IX. Ordinances
B. Consideration of an Ordinance amending the Mills Act program found in the Historic Preservation Ordinance (First reading).
Planning and Building Services Manager Sean Conroy presented a powerpoint presentation of slides on The Mills Act, Flexibility (Act allows each city to customize program to suit local needs), State Requirements, City Ordinance (part of LCP) and HRB & Planning Commission Review. The Historic Resources Board (HRB) and Planning Commission were unanimous in that Mills Act Contracts “should be prioritized for properties with substantial rehabilitation need.” Mills Act Contracts are offered for qualified residential properties and only commercial properties with affordable housing.
To questions from Council Member Paula Hazdovac, Planning and Building Manager Sean Conroy stated that there are approximately 290 properties on the Carmel Historic Inventory, of which 40-50 are commercial properties, and 15 properties (all residential) are currently on the Carmel Register. The decrease in tax revenue to the City is estimated at $1,000-$3,000 per property per year. ($1,000 based on $800,000 assessed value)
Mayor McCloud opened the meeting to public comment.
Carmel-by-the-Sea resident Monte Miller recommended approval of the Ordinance.
Erik Dyar, HRB Chair and architect, expressed support for the Ordinance and the HBR’s unanimous support for the contract for properties with substantial rehabilitation needs.
Mayor McCloud closed the meeting to public comment.
Council Member Talmage expressed a need for a financial analysis of properties. He expressed a concern of a potential loss of revenue to the City of more than $1 million based on 20 year contracts and 75 properties with Mills Act Contracts. He expressed interest in a Mills Act Contract for commercial properties and possibly include hotels based on increased TOT revenues from remodeled hotels.
Council Member Rose also expressed support for a financial analysis, Mills Act Contracts for historic buildings and hotels and the development of a mechanism for selecting the mix of properties to be given Mills Act Contracts.
Erl Lagerholm, Erik Dyar and Mark Bayne addressed the Council.
Planning and Building Services Manager Sean Conroy stated that the City of Monterey has less than 10 Mills Act Contracts offered to both residential and commercial property owners. It is an “underutilized tool” in most communities offering Mills Act Contracts.
Council Member TALMAGE moved to continue an Ordinance amending the Mills Act program found in the Historic Preservation Ordinance for the purpose of receiving financial information and ramifications for a mix of residential, commercial and hotel properties with a report next month, seconded by Council Member ROSE, and carried by the following roll call:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: ROSE; SHARP; TALMAGE & McCLOUD
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: HAZDOVAC
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
3 comments:
On historic preservation the city wants it both ways. The city has an excess of buildings on the Carmel Historic Inventory which would not qualify if the DPRs had been reviewed by another architectural historian prior to the city submitting the LCP to the Coastal Commission for certification at the same time the city is refusing to accept the reality that few historic property owners would take advantage of a Mills Act Contract and of those few it would not bankrupt the city to generously extend a contract to anyone who requests it.
The Carmel resident submitting information to the city on this issue is right about how the city
should follow the general outline of the state law and not add onerous restrictions and conditions and the city is wrong to use finances as the excuse for denying historic property owners their due, in my opinion.
On the villas de carmelo proposed project by Widewaters, I think as a public policy body the city council should have waited until the revised DEIR was recirculated and the Final EIR with comments/answers to the public's questions, etc. was completed. It is never good policy to act on a resolution when all the facts are not considered, whether or not the additional information is considered major or minor. Why did the city need to put this on an April 2010 agenda anyway? Now, this resolution will be in time far away from the deliberations of the county planning commission and board of supervisors, when a vote closer to those bodies deliberations and votes would have had more impact, in my opinion.
I was amused to learn that the mayor's appeal to the coastal commission to eliminate the boardwalk across the north dunes was not O.K. with the coastal commission. So much for the mayor's clout with the coastal commission. I must say the coastal commission was right in this instance and the mayor wrong. If nothing else a boardwalk will help preserve the dunes and the native vegetation there. The mayor's complaints about maintenance and cost of maintenance were extremely weak agruments with no merit whatsoever; wasn't she just reelected on a platform of $10 million in reserve funds, most of it discretionary or just city policy which can be changed.
There are a lot of inprovements which should be done for Carmel Beach and many LCP goals, objectives and policies are just not getting done.
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