10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY december 28, 2023-january 3, 2024 www.montereycountyweekly.com Before every plan, there must first come an idea. On Dec. 19, Zane Mortensen from EMC Planning Group, Sand City’s contract planning firm, presented to City Council an idea that’s kicked around for years, but that is now finally getting some legs under it: connecting the approximately 1.5-mile gap of the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail between Canyon Del Rey in Seaside and Playa Avenue in Sand City. As is, those on foot or wheels must navigate that gap by going to Sand Dunes Drive, west of Highway 1, and pass along a path that’s often partially covered in sand. And on Dec. 11, the Monterey Bay Air Resources District awarded Sand City a $250,000 state grant to pay for planning a multiuse trail that would close that gap by running largely along the railroad tracks that are now owned by the Transportation Agency for Monterey County. On Jan. 8, Mortensen will present that plan to the TAMC Rail Policy Committee, the first time it will have come before the agency. There, the committee will potentially give direction to TAMC staff regarding the project going forward. In his report to the committee regarding the plan, TAMC Executive Director Todd Muck summed up the state of affairs to date, after meeting with various Sand City officials over the years. “The consistent message provided to the city is the TAMC board of directors would likely support a multi-use trail…as long as it doesn’t limit future mass transit uses,” he wrote. That’s critically important for the project to be viable: TAMC acquired the rail corridor strip of land through a state grant that restricts the use of the land—TAMC can lease some or all of its land, but it must remain viable as a mass transit corridor, i.e., if a 12-footwide paved trail passes through it, the trail must co-exist with the possibility of the rail tracks once again having trains run along them. Respecting those constraints is central in a report Mortensen will present to the committee on Monday, Jan. 8. In addition to ensuring it doesn’t interfere with any future TAMC rail projects, the potential route will also veer from a portion of the corridor that is currently leased by Graniterock Construction. As initially conceived, going northbound, the trail would leave the rail corridor at Holly Street where riders would enter a bike lane, then hook right onto California Avenue before reconnecting with the corridor south of Tioga Avenue. Almost two years ago Pacific Grove officially said goodbye to the Feast of Lanterns, the town’s troubled faux Chinese pageant, beloved by some residents but deemed racist by others. After members of the Chinese American community and allies came forward to publicly voice their objections to the P.G. City Council in 2022, the FOL board voted to end the pageant once and for all. Now the Monterey Bay Chinese Association wants to build a traditional pavilion and a moon wall in a park to honor the history of Chinese Americans in P.G. It was Chinese immigrants who founded a fishing village in the town in the 1850s, and contributed to the local economy. The village was destroyed by fire in 1906—how it began is disputed, but there is evidence that efforts to save it were sabotaged. Afterward, white officials blocked its rebuilding. MBCA leaders first requested a joint project with the city along Monterey Bay near the village site, but it didn’t make it into the budget. MBCA leaders came back asking to locate the pavilion in a city park financed by their own fundraising. Working with city staff and the P.G. Recreation Board, Elmarie Dyke Park next to Chautauqua Hall was chosen. A moon wall at the entrance to the park was added to the proposal. The estimated cost of construction for both is $120,000- $150,000. The park’s lineage makes the choice potentially awkward, as noted by former mayor Carmelita Garcia at a P.G. City Council meeting on Dec. 20. “We have to keep in mind Elmarie Dyke is associated with the Feast of Lanterns,” Garcia said, referencing Dyke’s revival of the event in 1958. Garcia said she was in favor of the project, but against the proposed location: “It would be somewhat contradictory to put a Chinese pavilion there.” She favored an outdoor space behind the P.G. Museum of Natural History. Councilmembers voiced their overall support for the pavilion and wall, but asked city staff to assess other locations and come back with alternatives. Rail Trail A gap in the Rec Trail might finally get closed—as long as it keeps room for trains. By David Schmalz news Peace of Mind Start the year off with a moment of calm. Learn mindful meditation basics in this virtual program designed to help participants reduce stress. Noon-1pm Friday, Dec. 29 and 4:305:30pm Wednesday, Jan. 3. Via Zoom; register online for log-in information. Free. 759-1890, healthpromotion@ svmh.com, salinasvalleyhealth.com/ events-classes. Bloom and Grow Every Saturday, the Friends of Seaside Parks Association (FOSPA) invites you to volunteer in a Seaside park to clean up, plant, water and improve local parks on a rotating schedule. 10am-noon Saturday, Dec. 30. Beta Park, between Vallejo, Luzern and St. Elmo streets, Seaside. Free. fospa. info@gmail.com, friendsofseasideparks.org. Get Outside Salinas city officials want to hear from the public with ideas for the future of Williams Ranch Park, including what amenities and designs you would like to see in picnic and play areas. Visit tinyurl.com/wrparksurvey to complete the survey. For more information, call 758-7381. Leadership Role The Pacific Grove City Council is in the process of selecting a new city manager. The public is invited to weigh in via a survey on what attributes they would like to see in finalists selected for this position— as well as give their thoughts on the biggest priorities for the city. Survey available online at surveymonkey.com/r/GYB9GCS. Free. More information available at cityofpacificgrove. org. Give to Gives Learn about the missions of 206 local nonprofits, and donate to support their efforts to make Monterey County a place where everyone can thrive. Midnight on Sunday, Dec. 31 is the deadline to donate. $5 minimum donation. 375-9712, montereycountygives. com. Donate online, or send checks to Community Foundation for Monterey County, Attn: MCGives!, 2354 Garden Road, Monterey, 93940. home team About 200 volunteers are needed to help conduct the 2023 point-intime homeless census for Monterey and San Benito counties. The count, coordinated by the Coalition of Homeless Service Providers, takes place from 5-10am on Wednesday, Jan. 31. For more information, email info@chsp. org. Must be at least 18 years old to participate. 883-3080, chsp.org. It’s Complicated Pacific Grove mulls a request to build a pavilion to honor the history of Chinese Americans. By Pam Marino Sand City is floating the idea of a multi-use trail along the rail corridor in that city and neighboring Seaside. Above, the route as it would travel southeast of Home Depot. e-mail: publiccitizen@mcweekly.com TOOLBOX “The TAMC board would likely support a multi-use trail.” Courtesy of Sand City
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