12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY october 5-11, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com If a housing plan exists on paper, it doesn’t mean it will put a single roof over someone’s head, unless, perhaps, a visionary architect took all the paper that cities have generated for their state-required housing plans—which are intended to be updated every eight years, this year being one of them—and built a home out of paper maché. But then one would have to worry about water. And likewise, just because a water right exists on paper, it doesn’t mean the actual water exists. And perhaps nowhere is the nexus of these two regional challenges—the lack of adequate housing and water supplies—more acutely evident than in the draft housing elements for the cities of Monterey and Del Rey Oaks, plans that both include building housing in open space, filled with flora (some species of which are federally protected), in the former Fort Ord. In the 30 years since the former Army base closed, the gauntlet of regulatory hurdles and resource constraints have made developing the land increasingly difficult, and expensive. But the housing plans are required by the state Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD), which also dictates to cities and counties how many units they must zone for residential use that could theoretically be built before the next housing plan update in 2031. Those requirements are called Regional Housing Needs Allocation, a portion of which must include units zoned for low- and very-low income residents, which adds another constraint—no developer is going to build, or even try, unless there’s a possibility for profit, and no nonprofit is going to develop housing unless it believes it can at least break even. Nonetheless, Del Rey Oaks’ draft housing element has identified 312 residential units on its former Fort Ord land, while Monterey has identified 2,089 units. Neither city’s land on the former Army base is currently zoned for residential—Del Rey Oaks’ 310 acres are zoned for commercial use with a visitor overlay (i.e., hotels), while Monterey’s 130 acres are zoned for light industrial use. Rezoning those lands is doable, but hurdles make both city’s housing plans on the former Fort Ord start to look like nothing more than a mirage. Primary among the constraints is water, and with respect to former Fort Ord land, the designated water utility is the Marina Coast Water District, which currently depends entirely on groundwater to serve residences in its service area. That groundwater is pumped from three sources: the 180-, 400- and 900-foot aquifers, named for their depths. Due to seawater intrusion created by decades of agricultural over-pumping near the coast, Marina’s 180/400foot aquifers comprise one of 21 water basins statewide that the state has deemed “critically overdrafted.” Meanwhile, more than half of MCWD’s residential supply currently comes from the 900-foot aquifer, aka the “deep aquifer,” an ancient, finite water source of unknown quantity that only recharges through leakage from overlying aquifers. And as seawater intrusion has compromised the overlying aquifers near the coast, growers, over the last decade, have increasingly been tapping the deep aquifer—county data shows that in 2013, less than 1,000 acre-feet of water from the deep aquifer was used for agriculture; by 2021, that number shot up to above 8,000 acre-feet annually. (Marina Coast’s total groundwater production, which includes all its aquifers, is about 3,300 acre-feet annually.) There is also a cap, first established by the now-defunct Fort Ord Reuse Authority and which remains in effect through a legal settlement between MCWD and activist group Keep Fort Ord Wild and nonprofit Landwatch, on how many new units on the former Fort Ord can be served by groundwater. Per the final environmental impact report for Seaside’s Campus Town development, the completion of that project would bring the total of such units to 6,150, meaning there would only be 10 remaining under the cap. So how could Del Rey Oaks or Monterey possibly have water for housing on Fort Ord land? Rem Scherzinger, MCWD’s general manager, says there remain just under 2,900 units still available under the cap. Scherzinger says that determination is made by counting how many water meters have been set. In other words, regardless of whether a project has been approved and millions of dollars have been spent on planning it, a developer would have no promise of a water supply if another developer—perhaps building a smaller project, say—were able to get a request for meters in first. It’s first-come, first-serve, Scherzinger says. But what developer would invest in a project without knowing if it would ultimately have water? Not to mention, neither Del Rey Oaks’ nor Monterey’s Fort Ord lands are within MCWD’s service area—they would have to be annexed into the district’s boundaries—but Scherzinger says Marina Coast can send water outside the district if it’s “surplus” water, which he defines as having more water in the system than there is demand. On Sept. 19, Seaside City Attorney Sheri Damon sent a letter to Marina Coast, opposing the transfer of water outside the district “until MCWD is able to fulfill its obligations to serve all properties within its existing service area. This letter further will serve as notice that Seaside intends to protect its rights,” it reads, like a drop of blood in the water. Drip Drop Despite obstacles, Monterey and Del Rey Oaks plan to use Fort Ord land for housing. By David Schmalz news ’Tis the season Getting ready for natural disasters and emergencies isn’t easy when you are in a rush. That’s why Monterey County officials are holding this virtual community meeting now. Get updates on winter flood management and preparations at the Carmel Lagoon. Officials also present an environmental impact report on long-term projects including the Scenic Road protective barrier. 5-6pm Thursday, Oct. 5. Virtual meeting; attend via Zoom at bit.ly/46CQg4D, or by phone (dial 669-219-2599) and use meeting ID 941 6268 9990. Free. 755-5643, carrolls@co.monterey. ca.us. Fired Up The climate crisis is here and wildfires are changing our lives. This panel discussion from the California Arts and Science Institute invites attendees to learn about wildfire prevention and actions they can take at their homes and neighborhoods that may reduce their risk and their homeowners’ insurance costs. 6-8pm Friday, Oct. 6. Wave Street Studios, 774 Wave St., Monterey. Free. 655-2010, casicalifornia.org. safety first The Marina Fire Department hosts an open house with information and tips on fire safety in your home. Learn (and ask) about how to check smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, monitor buildings for safety and more. 4-7pm Tuesday, Oct. 10. Marina Fire Department, 208 Palm Ave., Marina. Free. 275-1700, cityofmarina.org/227/ Fire-Safety. Public or Private The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District hosts a public hearing on whether to pursue eminent domain to take over Cal Am’s local water system (see more, p. 19). The public is invited to participate in person or online. 5:30pm Tuesday, Oct. 10. Irvine Auditorium, 499 Pierce St., Monterey. Free. 658-5650, mpwmd.net. Flu Season It’s that time of year again—to get your annual flu shot. Palma School, the Monterey County Health Department and Salinas Valley Health team up to host a community flu shot clinic to make it easy. 4-7pm Wednesday, Oct. 11. Palma School, 919 Iverson St., Salinas. Free; for people ages 6 months or older; children under 18 need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. No appointment needed. 422-6391, co.monterey. ca.us/government/departments-a-h/ health. Demolition was finally completed earlier this year on a portion of former Fort Ord buildings at The Dunes in Marina. The project was approved in 2005, 18 years ago. e-mail: publiccitizen@mcweekly.com TOOLBOX Primary among the constraints is water. Daniel Dreifuss
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