CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
PLANNING COMMISSION
Regular Meeting July
11, 2012
City Hall Wednesday
East side of Monte
Verde Street Tour
– 2:45 p.m.
Between Ocean & Seventh Avenues Meeting – 4:00 p.m.
Commissioners: Don Goodhue
Steve Dallas
Michael LePage
Keith Hillyard, Vice-chair
Janet Reimers, Chair
II. TOUR OF INSPECTION
Shortly after 2:45 p.m. the Commission will leave the Council Chambers for an onsiteTour of Inspection of all properties listed on this agenda (including those on the Consent Agenda). The Tour may also include projects previously approved by the City and not on this agenda. Prior to the beginning of the Tour of Inspection, the Commission may eliminate one or more on-site visits. The public is welcome to follow the Commission on its tour of the determined sites. The Commission will return to the Council Chambers at 4:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible.
III. ROLL CALL
IX. PUBLIC HEARINGS
If you challenge the nature of the proposed action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing.
6. Flanders Mansion
City of Carmel
25800 Hatton Road
Public hearing for receiving comments on the re-circulated draft environmental impact report prepared for the sale of the Flanders Mansion Project.
Staff Report
2 comments:
Planning Commissioners Don Goodhue, Steve Dallas, Michael LePage, Keith Hillyard and Janet Reimers would be well advised to look at a previous Planning Commission's decision on the fate of Flanders Mansion. In 2005, the Planning Commission voted to recommend to the City Council three items:
1. Leasing the Flanders Mansion property was preferable to selling it, by 3-2 vote.
2. The Mansion and property surrounding the Mansion is parkland, by 5-0.
3. If the Council voted to sell, the parcel should be reduced from 1.252 acres to 0.87 acres.
The City Council rejected the recommendations and voted 5-0 to sell the Flanders Mansion.
In 2007, Superior Court Judge Robert O'Farrell overturned the City's vote to sell Flanders Mansion. O'Farrell ruled the parcel was parkland and therefore a public vote to sell was required, something the former mayor and her rubberstamp council spent taxpayer money on to hire an attorney to argue against a vote of the public. And the judge ruled that the City had to follow its own municipal code and maintain the Mansion to avoid further deterioration of the Mansion.
The 2005 Planning Commission voted without political pressure and voted according to planning principles. The 2012 Planning Commission is to only listen to public comment on Wednesday, but they should also remember the reasons and actions of the 2005 Planning Commission and not allow their body to be politicized by the current mayor or city council members.
Under CEQA, the Project to sell the Flanders Mansion has an unavodiable, unmitigatable significant environmental impact, and that is, the loss of parkland.
As Planning Commissioners, they should be concerned that the project conflicts and violates many of the city's General Plan and Coastal Land Use Plan goals, policies, and objectives. These goals, policies and objectives are to avoid impacts to parkland and ensure that park benefits are preserved and enhanced; to protect, preserve and acquire parks and open spaces; to protect and preserve park views and view sheds; to preserve park access, the passive enjoyment of the park and optimize the use of the parks; preserve and enhance our forest, protect, conserve adn enhance the unique natural beauty and irreplaceable natural resources of Carmel; preserve and protect areas within Carmel which due to their outstanding aesthetic quality, historic value, wildlife habitats or scenic view sheds should be maintained in permanent open space to enhance the quality of life.
Conflicts include: P5-46, P5-107, P5-139; P6-8; P7-3; O5-21, O5-32, O5-41; G5-3, G5-4, G5-6, G5-8, G5-13.
Everyone take the opportunity to visit the Flanders Mansion and see for yourselves. We should uphold the ideals of Carmel by upholding the General Plan and get a council which will make the comittment to keep Flanders and have a public process for determining a suitable use for it and preserve Mission Trail Nature Preserve. It can be done with the right attitude and good faith effort.
Post a Comment