8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY october 31-november 6, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com news An effort to remember and honor the Chinese immigrants who are a part of Pacific Grove’s history is gaining steam, with approximately $100,000 raised toward the construction of a pavilion, moon gate and garden in Elmarie Dyke Open Space next to the town’s historic Chautauqua Hall, to be completed by this time next year. The group behind the fundraising efforts, the Monterey Bay Chinese Association, is determined to raise another $100,000 by Dec. 31. Organizers hope to receive a big chunk of that amount at a fundraising banquet on Nov. 9. “We not only want to remember what happened in the past but look forward to the future,” says Rachel Ma of MBCA. Leaders successfully petitioned the P.G. City Council to build the pavilion and gate in the public park using private funds. What happened in the past is a painful chapter in the town’s history. The Chinese who settled in P.G. in the 1850s and pioneered the area’s fishing industry faced enormous discrimination. Their fishing village burned under questionable circumstances in 1906 and they were blocked from rebuilding. In 2022, the P.G. City Council issued a formal apology for the fire and past discrimination. The pavilion is a way to remember, Ma says, but more importantly, to look ahead. “We will build something to beautify the city,” she says. MBCA leaders believe it’s not about dwelling on the bitterness, but building a “brighter future” for the entire community, Ma adds. The Chinese Pavilion Fundraising Banquet takes place 6-9pm Saturday, Nov. 9 at Chef Lee’s Mandarin House, 2031 N. Fremont St., Monterey. $100. ruiqi.ma@att.net, montereychineseassociation.org. Legacy Gift A group sets an ambitious goal to raise money for a Chinese pavilion in Pacific Grove. By Pam Marino On Oct. 2, about a year-anda-half after the Pajaro River levee failed, flood agencies broke ground on the long-awaited Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project. The five-year, $599 million project sets out to protect the river valley and its tributaries from 100-year storms, by constructing stronger levees and working on improvements to the area. Following the celebration, the environmental watchdog group LandWatch commissioned a report from EcoDataLab—a consortium of universities that applies data science to scale up climate and sustainability solutions—to get a better sense of whether the levee improvements would protect potential housing development within the floodplain. The resulting Pajaro River Flood Risk Report, released earlier in October, focuses on whether the project’s design sufficiently accounts for future climate impacts, assessing the area under both typical and extreme weather scenarios. The report concludes that, with proper levee maintenance, the area is suitable for housing development. It states that the Flood Risk Management Project is expected to significantly reduce annual flood risk, “providing resilience even against a 1-in-500-year flood for the entire town of Pajaro and most of Watsonville.” Could this be good news for unincorporated Monterey County, which the state determined needs to plan for 3,326 new homes by 2031? “People are still going to have to get flood insurance, and we all know what’s happening with flood insurance premiums because of places outside of California,” says Michael DeLapa, executive director of LandWatch. Floodplains are typically never a good idea for new housing developments in the long term, especially if these areas add to commute times for residents (i.e carbon emissions from driving), or are in high-risk fire areas, according to LandWatch. But the net benefits might outweigh the costs with the new levee plans, offering security for an area like Pajaro which is situated near public services like schools, hospitals and local businesses. “I think on measure, some housing there is probably a good thing,” DeLapa says. In the past year, two controversial farmworker housing projects have moved forward in Pajaro: one, owned by Rio Vista Group LLC, has already been built; the other, owned by Anthony Nicola, received approval in September. More than $1.3 million in funds have been distributed to Pajaro residents and businesses over the past six months to address impacts of the 2023 flood, according to the County of Monterey. And while some of the 3,000 residents in the rural community moved elsewhere, rent elsewhere can be much higher. In the midst of fatigue surrounding a history of poor construction coupled with deferred maintenance of the levee, the Pajaro River Flood Risk Report may temper some concerns about building in the floodplain, but not all. “We wanted to be as objective as possible about it and say, ‘OK, here’s what the models say, here’s what the climate impacts say,’” DeLapa says. “Looks pretty good. But there are these other risks that you need to always keep into account.” The Pajaro River levee broke on March 11, 2023, flooding the community of Pajaro. A new report looks at where development could make sense with levee improvements. High Water Mark A new report shows infrastructure can make the Pajaro River floodplain suitable for more housing. By Katie Rodriguez Rachel Ma stands in the Pacific Grove park where a Chinese pavilion is slated to be built, using private funds. The aging pergola would be replaced. A moon gate and garden are also planned. “Looks pretty good. But there are other risks.” Daniel Dreifuss Daniel Dreifuss
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