8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAy 23-29, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com news On Tuesday, May 21, Salinas City Clerk Patricia Barajas announced the rules by which 11 candidates would make their pitch to be appointed to a vacancy on council. They would be in a conference room with no devices, then in a randomly selected order, each would be escorted into the council chamber, where they have 10 minutes to answer questions. Each of the 11 were seeking to represent District 3, vacated by Steve McShane, who resigned May 10 after 14 years on council. The applicants included people with a range of professional and volunteer credentials. Among them were Cary Swensen, an educator and small business owner who ran unsuccessfully against McShane in 2022; Joel Panzer, a land-use planner and vice president of the Oldtown Salinas Foundation, who also ran previously for District 3; Jesus Valenzuela, who works as community engagement manager for the City of Soledad; Angela McNulty, a Rotarian who recently retired from a 37-year career as a prosecutor; and financial adviser Albert Fong, who’s served for 10 years on the city’s Library and Community Services Commission. Current councilmembers expressed thanks to all of the applicants for stepping up. “I commend all of you,” Councilmember Tony Barrera said. Anthony Rocha made a motion to appoint Swensen, which failed 2-4. Andrew Sandoval followed with a motion to appoint McNulty; it was Rocha’s next motion, to appoint Valenzuela, that passed 5-1. Valenzuela has experience as a community organizer, with the UFW Foundation and Building Healthy Communities. Staff retention and community engagement are his priorities. Seat Swap After considering 11 applicants to a vacancy, Salinas City Council appoints Jesus Valenzuela. By Celia Jiménez The City of Seaside has long wrestled with questions about how best to grow, which is something that, to some extent, it must do: Back in the 1990s, when Fort Ord shut down, local municipalities accepted thousands of acres from the U.S. Army, for free. Seaside was primary among them, but the catch is the land in many cases needed to be cleaned up, whether of munitions, or lead paint- and asbestos-laden buildings. And even back in the 1990s, there were questions about the former Fort Ord’s water supply. But if the cities—Seaside included—can’t develop the land, it becomes an albatross, an added expense in things like police and fire patrol, and maintenance. One of Seaside’s boldest attempts to develop its former Fort Ord land, Monterey Downs, was planned as a sprawling single-family home development with a horse track. It was initially approved by the City Council in 2016. But that approval was rescinded when the developer, Brian Boudreau, wouldn’t agree to sign an agreement that would indemnify the city from any future liability associated with it—at the time, two lawsuits over the approval had just been filed. The city has since been courting other developers, and while there’s been some progress with infill development in the city—the Ascent housing project on Broadway is going up right now—it’s a struggle. Developing on the former Fort Ord is expensive. The latest salvo on that topic is that the Seaside City Council, in closed session on May 16, approved paying Sacramento-based developer Paul Petrovich $850,000 in a settlement to make a lawsuit he filed against the city in 2021 go away. Broadly speaking, Petrovich alleged that the City misrepresented itself, and the available water supply, when he entered into an exclusive negotiating agreement with Seaside in 2017 to acquire and develop the approximately 60-acre Main Gate property. (The City Council approved an environmental impact report for a specific plan to develop the property in 2010.) There might be more lawsuits coming. Also on May 16, Seaside City Council approved a new general plan, called Seaside 2040. Jon Farrow, an attorney for Landwatch Monterey County, wrote to the council, calling into question a multitude of things. Farrow asked that Seaside East—a 635-acre slice of land east of Gen. Jim Moore Boulevard—be excluded from the plan, and argued the general plan’s environmental impact report is fundamentally flawed. So too did Sofia Prado-Irwin, a scientist with nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity. She closed by writing, “Given the possibility that the Center will be required to pursue legal remedies,” all documents must be preserved. During the May 16 meeting, Mayor Ian Oglesby said that there were no immediate plans to develop the Seaside East land, but that the general plan is a city-wide document and he doesn’t want to hinder future city councils. “I’m not supportive of all of a sudden making it open space,” he said. Sheri Damon, Seaside’s city attorney, says that any proposed development on the site, which harbors numerous protected plant species and is currently open space, will need to have a separate plan approved. The Main Gate property is located north of Lightfighter Drive, and between Highway 1 to the west and Second Avenue to the east. Trip and Settle As Seaside stumbles through trying to develop its Fort Ord property, liability keeps cropping up. By David Schmalz Jesus Valenzuela will be sworn in on June 11 to serve in a temporary appointment. The District 3 seat will be up for election in November for the remainder of the term, through 2026. “I’m not supportive of all of a sudden making it open space.” JOel Angel Juárez celia jiménez
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