10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAy 23-29, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com Time is ticking for those who want to provide feedback on Marina’s downtown specific plan. The last day for public review is Friday, May 24. The goal of the plan is turning a portion of old Marina, near the intersection of Del Monte Boulevard and Reservation Road, into a more walkable, higher-density downtown. Under the current plan, an unknown number of properties would become nonconforming, a fact that has caught the attention and concern of several property owners. “It would prohibit us from renovating or remodeling,” says Bob Garrison of Sierra Properties, which owns Seacrest Plaza Shopping Center on Reservation Road. One factor is drive-thrus. Existing establishments, such as the Starbucks on Del Monte, would become nonconforming; Garrison says pharmacies also increasingly rely on drive-thrus. Anne Russell Rudolph of Marina Self Storage and the Reindollar Crest Commercial Center on Reindollar Avenue says she has been involved for years in the downtown specific plan update process. “I don’t consider where we are downtown,” she says. Her concern is that the plan as proposed would have the effect of pushing out many existing, low-density businesses that would become nonconforming uses. “You can’t make anything bigger. The ultimate goal is for all of us to be gone,” Rudolph says. Marina City Councilmember Brian McCarthy says the focus remains on the big picture. “What we’re trying to do is bring businesses along with us, and there’s going to be some growing pains in doing that,” he says. “Marina absolutely deserves a downtown that is enjoyable to spend time in.” Exactly where the boundaries of that area are and how it is defined in terms of factors like density, setbacks and drive-thrus are the details that business and property owners like Garrison and Rudolph are worried about. “We’re hoping the city will work with us,” Garrison says. “We’ve proposed the idea of an overlay district, so we wouldn’t have to conform to the plan until we were ready.” According to the current version of the plan, legal nonconforming buildings would have a five-year grace period to come into compliance with design guidelines, if 25 percent or more of a structure is modified. Comments can be submitted until 5pm on May 24 by emailing gpersicone@cityofmarina.org. View the plan at City Hall or online at cityofmarina. org/201/downtown-vitalization. Soon, Monterey One Water customers will no longer receive a bill in the mail every other month. Beginning July 1, wastewater fees will show up on a parcel’s annual property tax bill for the year, eliminating the bimonthly bill. M1W spokesperson Mike McCullough says once the transition is fully implemented, the agency estimates it will save about $400,000 annually. “The bulk of the savings will be reinvested back into replacing and renewing many of the agency’s aging infrastructure assets,” he says. Monterey One Water operates the regional treatment plant in Marina, where wastewater transported from 30 miles of underground pipes connected to Salinas, parts of North County and the Monterey Peninsula is cleaned. Some of that is used to replenish local drinking water basins, via Pure Water Monterey. Nonpotable recycled water is distributed to irrigate agricultural fields. M1W estimates about 17 million gallons of wastewater is pumped into the facility every day, with more than 250,000 residents and nearly 7,000 businesses comprising its service area. The agency’s five-year rate schedule, approved in 2021, predates the switch in billing. Starting July 1, a single-family home will see an annual charge of $611.40 on its property tax bill, in addition to other fees for wastewater collection set by cities. Property tax bills can be paid monthly via a third-party vendor authorized by the Monterey County Treasurer-Tax Collector. Monterey One Water also offers a low-income assistance program to help customers pay the fees. “This change is possible because we are a public entity with public approval procedures,” McCullough says. “Other private utilities will not ‘be next’ to convert their billing to the tax rolls. Wastewater is also a mandated service that can never be turned off, even with nonpayment, unlike water or power.” McCullough recommends customers visit montereyonewater.org/ billing-change for more information. To Town As Marina crafts a downtown plan, property owners worry it will be bad for business. By Celia Jiménez news Human Beings A symposium featuring expert speakers, panel discussions and interactive sessions aims to raise awareness about human trafficking in Monterey County. This day-long event brings local leaders together to seek solutions. 9am-3:30pm Thursday, May 23. Monterey Peninsula College, 980 Fremont St., Monterey. Free; registration required. 784-4227, communications@montereycoe.org. Of the People Hear from Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo and County Housing and Community Development Director Craig Spencer at a town hall meeting focused on the county budget and housing. Community members are encouraged to give feedback. 6-7:30pm Thursday, May 23. El Gabilan Library, 1400 North Main St., Salinas. Free. 755-5011, district1@co.monterey.ca.us. Come Together Gather in the name of healing and community at the 3rd Annual George Floyd Community Engagement and Building Bridges Symposium. Hear presentations by educators, law enforcement and community leaders, then participate in a hands-on art activity facilitated by transformational leader and author Glodean Champion. Presentations happen from noon3:30pm, followed by the art activity from 3:45-5pm on Saturday, May 25. Oldemeyer Center, 986 Hilby Ave., Seaside. Free; lunch provided; registration required. 375-4731, bit.ly/georgefloydsymposium. Green Fields Help kids compete in a clean and fun environment at Blue Zones Project’s first Salinas Regional Soccer Complex cleanup event. Volunteers should meet at the concession stand and bring comfortable clothes, shoes, a hat, sunscreen, a trash-picker (if you have one), gloves and water. 5-6:30pm Tuesday, May 28. Salinas Regional Soccer Complex, 1440 Constitution Blvd., Salinas. Free; registration required. 800-7355, montereycounty.bluezonesproject.com. Energy Level Central Coast Community Energy seeks volunteers to fill a vacancy seat to represent Monterey County on its volunteer Community Advisory Council. The CAC is an advisory body to 3CE’s Policy and Operations Boards and members serve as connections to the communities the utility serves. Friday, May 31 deadline to apply. Send questions to boardclerk@3ce.org. Roll Out Monterey One Water is changing how it bills customers. By Erik Chalhoub A map of the area flagged as Marina’s downtown. Community Development Director Guido Persicone says nonconforming businesses can remain operational in perpetuity. e-mail: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX “I don’t consider where we are downtown.” courtesy of City of Marina
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==