12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY june 8-14, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com This month, Imjin Parkway will begin to undergo a major transformation. A 1.7-mile segment in Marina, from Imjin to Reservation roads, will be widened from one lane each way to two, and four roundabouts will be added to what are now signalized intersections. It’s going to take two years to complete. The long-contemplated project will without question create periodic inconveniences to commuters—20,000 to 30,000 commuters drive on the corridor everyday—and for that reason, there’s been a yearslong effort to apprise the public of those impacts. Since 2014, Marina’s senior engineer Edrie De Los Santos says, there have been two to three public meetings about it every year, approaching 30 in total. Construction is expected to begin in July and last until the fall of 2025. Per De Los Santos, “This is the biggest project Marina has ever done.” It’s also the trickiest: The first phase of construction will be building a onelane road—separate from the existing Imjin Parkway, just to the north, that will ensure there will be two lanes for travel for the majority of the project. Construction will be timed to avoid peak commute hours, and much of it will happen at night. The project will also create twolane roundabouts. Todd Muck, Transportation Agency for Monterey County’s executive director, says signage will direct drivers in the right lane to either turn right at the intersection or continue straight, and those in the left can go straight or turn left. While it may take some getting used to, the roundabouts are expected to slow down traffic on the road overall, but speed up travel times, and Muck says there’s about a 90-percent less chance of fatal accidents in roundabouts as opposed to signalized intersections. The project was initially federally funded in the environmental review stage, and got all of its approvals in 2019. Going forward it will be funded by state and local dollars: $18.25 million from Measure X—a 30-year countywide sales tax to fund local transportation infrastructure projects—and $20.25 million from the state through Senate Bill 1, and another $2 million from local impact fees. The project will also add a protected, off-road bike lane. Mike Zeller of TAMC says, “It’s all part of a bigger picture of how we get people to move around the county. This is just a piece of the puzzle.” It’s a big piece: This is the first Measure X road project that will break ground since the ballot measure was passed. The 128-year-old LaPorte Mansion in Pacific Grove sits at the top of its nearly twoacre lot, its white walls charred on at least three sides, the roof mostly gone. Almost two weeks after a fire gutted the historic home that once housed a P.G. mayor and was the location for the 1959 film A Summer Place, it’s encircled by a temporary fence, with “Keep Out” signs tacked to trees around the property. The day after the fire on May 26, so many onlookers were approaching the home that P.G. Police Department issued a warning that trespassers could be cited. The cause of the fire is “undetermined, accidental,” according to Monterey Fire Chief Gaudenz Panholzer. The damage is extensive enough they may never find the actual cause and the structure is so unsafe he doesn’t want to send investigators inside. “I don’t want to take the risk when we may not get anything from it,” he says. The home was built using balloon-framed construction which left a gap between the exterior and interior walls allowing the fire to quickly spread up the walls and into the attic. What’s next for the eight-bedroom, six-bathroom, 6,000-square-foot home is still being sorted out. Owner William Turrentine declined to be interviewed. P.G. City Manager Ben Harvey says a city building official is currently working with Turrentine as he determines if the Victorian home can be rebuilt. If a structural engineer can come up with a plan there may be hope, but if not the city will red-tag the structure, meaning it’s not safe for habitation. P.G. Realtor Molly McGee estimates that before the fire, the property might have sold for roughly just shy of $3 million. If the house cannot be saved, the family could rebuild another home, or, based on the lot’s high-density residential zoning, consider building other housing units, a hotel, motel or senior living community—but nothing above two stories. Key Artery The widening of Imjin Parkway is a good thing, but it will hurt for a few years. By David Schmalz news Get Rid of It Dispose of your trash for free. The city of Salinas and Republic Services invite the public to bring large items like old appliances, mattresses and furniture to discard. Hazardous materials like gasoline, batteries and ceramic appliances like bathtubs will not be accepted. 9am-noon Saturday, June 10. Salinas Municipal Airport, 30 Mortensen Ave., Salinas. Free. 758-7381, cityofsalinas. org. Mental Exercises Ohana, a new center for adolescent and child mental health, has launched a new website and online classes. These resources were designed for Monterey County youth and families to help improve mental health while promoting social, emotional and cognitive well-being. Try out part one of Raising Resilient Children. Ohana programs are meant to help participants develop the ability to encourage children to understand self-regulation and how to create a growth mindset. 3pm Monday, June 12. Free. 622-2756, montagehealth.org/ohanaclasses. Park Power Seaside continues to seek the public’s opinion on local parks. At a virtual town hall, learn about the combined master plan for Lincoln Cunningham and Havana Soliz parks. Hear the latest news from city officials, and give your feedback on what you’d like to see change. 6pm Tuesday, June 13. Attend on Zoom at bit.ly/parkstownhall. Free. 8996700, ci.seaside.ca.us. In the Know Join Monterey City Manager Hans Uslar for a monthly, virtual chat about goings-on and policies in the city. Learn about the budget process that is currently underway and ask questions about city business. 9:30-10am Wednesday, June 14. Attend virtually at youtube.com/cityofmonterey. Free. 646-3799, monterey.org. Fresh Foods The grand opening of the revived Seaside Farmers Market is almost here. There’s still time for vendors to get involved, including local farmers, community groups and entertainers. In partnership with the city of Seaside, Everyone’s Harvest will start opening the market every Thursday afternoon, and that’s when the general public is invited to come shopping and get involved as well. 3pm Thursday, June 15. Laguna Grande Park, 1185 Canyon del Rey Blvd., Seaside. 384-6961, everyonesharvest. org. Burned Out The fate of the historic P.G. mansion that burned is yet to be determined. By Pam Marino Widening Imjin Parkway, which along with Highway 68 is a primary route connecting Salinas to the Peninsula, is the first road project that will be built out of Measure X. e-mail: publiccitizen@mcweekly.com TOOLBOX “This is the biggest project Marina has ever done.” courtesy city of marina
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