14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY march 7-13, 2024 www.montereycountyweekly.com Dining Out Writing as an artist and designer with architectural background, I applaud your sketch and your comments (“So long, eclectic Pacific Grove parklets,” posted Feb. 29). I lived in Stuttgart, Germany for a couple of years and likewise enjoyed the people-oriented places along European streets. I agree that we need more, not less of these kinds of people-friendly places. Joe Aki Ouye | Pacific Grove There is nothing “quaint” about the parklets in P.G. They were always intended to be temporary and they look it. You talk about European cities. Well, they mostly don’t build structures like those. Instead they have wide sidewalks or plazas where tables are placed, often with umbrellas. But there’s an open air feel to it. Parklets don’t achieve that sense. Aside from their temporary nature, the parklets obstruct views and just look like sheds. To a lot of us they are just plain ugly. The new arrangements will be far more aesthetic than these temporary structures. I for one, can’t wait until they are gone. Paul Jacobs | Pacific Grove Nice piece about the P.G. parklets. As a retired city planner, I appreciate your comments about place-making, parking and design. And I applaud your taking on those who mischaracterize the parklets as appearing like “homeless encampments” or such. The City Council may have some valid reasons for modifying or removing parklets, but visual clutter should not be one of them. Curtis Williams | Pacific Grove You are right on. Pacific Grove has been famous for shooting itself in the foot for anything innovative, progressive and consumer-friendly. The voters chose. Jonathan Siegel | Carmel Valley I love the additional seating provided by outdoor dining, and we’ve dined often in the parklets. However, the space for walking (or pushing my husband’s wheelchair) has become very narrow, the structures are not meant to be permanent and are deteriorating, and it is somewhat dangerous to drive or walk and make a turn at some corners. We are delighted that the expanded sidewalks will preserve outdoor dining, provide more passing room for pedestrians, and help us feel safer on the corners. I look forward to what the hardworking P.G. restaurant owners come up with next. Sharon Miller | Pacific Grove Home Work Wow, this completed project is VERY impressive, and it seems to me that this could be used as a blueprint to help in dealing with our state’s homeless crisis (“Building farmworker housing was and is the right thing to do,” Feb. 29-March 6). Bravo to all those involved in this innovative approach to our local agriculture’s challenge of providing housing for their workers. Derek Dean | Monterey Last week you covered the flood recovery in Pajaro (“The floodwaters have long receded from Pajaro. But one year later residents and businesses are still struggling to stay afloat,” Feb. 29-March 6) and ran an editorial on the boom in construction for H-2A visa seasonal ag workers. Both excellent pieces, but could we please clarify H-2A housing is not housing for the 80,000 farmworkers living in Monterey County? H-2A housing satisfies local Big Ag’s labor needs but has no impact on our local housing crisis, besides maybe taking jobs from local farmworkers so people have to move. Local farmworkers are a part of our community and need their fair share of public resources and housing too—just look at the historical neglect of Pajaro. Imagine if the 4,000-plus H-2A residences built recently could be matched by low-income housing? Jason Johnston | Prunedale Balancing the Budget The problem isn’t just revenue versus spending, the problem is the city creates facilities without a proper budget for maintaining those facilities (“The City of Monterey has lavish revenue, and expenditures. The latter is coming home to roost,” Feb. 29-March 6). Any homeowner knows that without periodic maintenance, your building will fall apart. If the City fixes or replaces the fire station or library or anything else, I bet they’ll once again do it without recognizing how much money has to be set aside for proper future upkeep or modifications, and they’ll eventually just find themselves back in the same situation they are now in. Joe Snyder | Monterey Another terrific article, informative yet concise. Thank you! Glen Grossman | via email Home Base I am sure you have done your research and interviewed many of my neighbors in East Garrison but certainly not any of us on Watkins Gate Road who love our community and while we don’t always love our HOA meetings and rules, realize that there are far worse HOAs not only in America but in California as well (“For some residents of East Garrison, their dream home has become a nightmare,” Feb. 22-28). I have been part of others and they all have rules residents don’t love. Those people should not buy homes in HOA neighborhoods. For the neighbors who are complaining about their potted plants, we bought our house over seven years ago exactly because we didn’t want to garden and are thrilled that the HOA takes care of our front and back. If people ignore the planting rules, it makes it hard for the landscapers to service those yards. People will always find something to complain about but living in East Garrison has been wonderful. Hope you will print the other side. Andrea Brown | East Garrison Is Squid being sarcastic when calling anonymous commenters cowards? (“Squid Fry: Bully Pulpit,” Feb. 29-March 6.) The Squid column is anonymous. Who is Squid? What’s your real name? Squid constantly criticizes others without revealing who you are. I sometimes agree with your criticisms, but other times not. I would have a lot more respect for you if you revealed who you really are. Stanley Mellin | via email Letters • CommentsOPINION Submit letters to the editor to letters@mcweekly.com. Please keep your letter to 150 words or less; subject to editing for space. Please include your full name, contact information and city you live in.
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