8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY november 2-8, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com news Compact Disco opened in July, with a steady stream of dancers coming to downtown Monterey’s only house music venue, located on Tyler Street. But it was only three months later, on Oct. 24, that the venue was granted a corrected permit from the Monterey Planning Commission to continue operations as a nightclub, after the city’s planning department realized the need to reconcile the terms of a previous permit issued for the venue back in September of 2020. Back then, under different ownership, the space— part of the same parcel as Golden State Theatre, in a zone of historic significance—was about to become a tapas bar. Its previous commercial land use designation was modified with several conditions, one of them being a 12-month trial period to make sure the venue complied with certain requirements (such as modification to the entrance door, noise standards, etc.). A public hearing on compliance for the previously existing business should have taken place in September 2021, but never happened. In the meantime, the venue changed ownership. Upon checking on operating hours, sound control conditions, a security plan and a safety review from fire and police officials, the commission held the public hearing after a two-year delay, explained associate planner Matthew Buggert. Commissioners voted unanimously to grant the permit, allowing Compact Disco to operate as a nightclub with no further restrictions. “The proposed project will not be detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare,” Buggert said, while providing “entertainment opportunities for residents and visitors.” Disco Forever In a delayed hearing, Monterey Planning Commission greenlights Compact Disco permit. By Agata Pop˛eda Just a week before the first guests step over the threshold, crews are busy putting the finishing touches on the Shuman HeartHouse, Monterey’s first shelter for women and families experiencing homelessness. The kitchen is being assembled on Monday, Oct. 30, and lights installed in the computer room. The rooms for single women are almost ready, each with a bed, nightstand, basket of toiletries and a cheerful, handmade quilt by members of the Monterey Peninsula Quilters Guild. The shelter, owned and operated by nonprofit Community Human Services, will hold up to 35 people at a time—16 single women and four families. As much as that’s good news for those guests, the sobering news is that as of Oct. 30, there are 145 families and 67 women on the waiting list. Guests will be able to stay for up to 90 days, possibly more depending on circumstances like if they are actively searching for permanent housing, says Evangelina Ochoa, CHS senior program officer for homeless services. Case workers will meet with guests to assist with job and housing searches and connecting to services. The grand opening of the shelter marks the culmination of four years of work by Mark Shuman and his family and CHS. Standing in what will be the dining room as workers buzz about, Shuman says he searched for two years looking for just the right spot. It had to be within the city’s shelter zoning overlay and it had to have water credits. In 2021 the historic Union Ice Factory building on Franklin Street, at the time serving as a dance studio, became available and ticked all the boxes. The Shumans donated $3 million to CHS for the purchase. “This has been a dream for such a long time. For it to come to fruition and to see it, it has exceeded my expectations,” Shuman says. “My heart is full of love and gratitude [to everyone who made the shelter a reality].” The Shumans’ $3 million—plus contributions from the state, County of Monterey, cities of Monterey and Pacific Grove, and donations from individuals, foundations and other organizations—brought the total raised to $7.8 million to launch and cover two years of operating expenses, according to CHS CEO Robin McCrae. The fundraising continues for operating expenses. In addition to money, groups like the quilters, Junior League, churches and others donated time and materials, including Sudz Cyber Laundry in Pacific Grove, which washed 300 pounds of new linens. Much of the character of the 1930 Spanish-style building has been maintained, like the arched windows and wood beams in the dining room. Mirrors from the building’s last life as a dance studio were repurposed. One wing of the building contains 16 small bedrooms for single women, a large bathroom and lockers. Another wing has four large bedrooms for the families and bathrooms. A separate building on the property will be home to an activity room, computer room and office. The property also has a large parking lot, and McCrae says micro homes and pet kennels “are on the table…it’s quite a bit of land, so we’ll be dreaming.” Shuman HeartHouse open house and ribbon cutting takes place 2-4pm, Saturday, Nov. 4. 600 E. Franklin St., Monterey. Free. 658-3811, chservices.org. Philanthropist Mark Shuman (left) with Community Human Services CEO Robin McCrae inside the new Monterey homeless shelter named for the Shuman family. From the Heart Monterey’s first homeless shelter for women and families is ready to welcome guests. By Pam Marino Business owner Kenneth Lesiak, aka Kenny Summit, invited planning commissioners to “check out the disco” during an Oct. 24 hearing. “I look forward to doing business with the city.” “This has been a dream for such a long time.” Daniel Dreifuss Daniel Dreifuss
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==