12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 17-23, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com From the outside, the building at 456 Lighthouse Ave. in New Monterey is nondescript, a light gray, two-story structure with its sidewalk-facing windows whited out. There is no sign, just the number 456. Meanwhile, the parking lot next to it—which has a rolling gate and is fenced off from the sidewalk—is usually empty. Those things will remain true indefinitely, but the property has taken on a new form of life, one that will soon become visible during Car Week. Formerly a party and event rental storage space, the 8,057-square-foot building was bought by an out-of-town owner in 2020 and renovations by local architect Samuel Pitnick began in 2021. Concurrently, Steve Kittrell, sales director at Mohr Imports, was looking to find a location for his new business, Veloce Valuations, an automotive consulting firm. So Kittrell connected with the owner—who he says is from Silicon Valley, but won’t name—and they agreed that Kittrell’s business would take over the space, which was given a slick remodel by Pitnick. (The property is owned by 456 Properties LLC.) The building features a large open space ideal for events but by the time Kittrell moved in three years ago, it was too late to get permits to do any events for Car Week. He subsequently learned that in order to do the type of events he envisioned, it would require new permits from the city—the maximum allowed occupancy was 30 under the previous permit. Kittrell finally got all his permits last month. The Monterey Planning Commission on June 10 approved up to six events a year, with amplified music allowed and with a maximum of 250 people at three events and a 175 max for the rest. Kittrell doesn’t have any events lined up yet—he’s still seeing what may materialize for Car Week—but he hopes to open the space to auto enthusiasts on a year-round basis, a community he sees as “evergreen” locally. Walking through the space on a recent weekday—as vintage Porsches, BMWs and Ferraris glint on the warehouse floor—Kittrell says the building’s owner encouraged him to “explore the many opportunities this building can produce.” For Kittrell, it’s just going to be about picking his spots to make each event count, and to hopefully bring art and music into the mix. “It’s not to make a lot of money—I want to build that year-long car community here so that it’s healthy,” Kittrell says. “We have a wonderful space. Let’s bring people together.” On the morning of Oct. 25, 2024, James Marshall, 27, was reportedly carrying an AK-style rifle on Monte Verde Street in Carmel. One of the multiple calls to the Carmel Police Department that morning was from his mother, Ellen Barrett, who said her son was experiencing a mental breakdown, threatening “suicide by cop” and armed. Officers attempted to subdue Marshall but eventually shot and killed him. On July 11, 2025, Barrett filed a federal lawsuit against the City, Carmel Police Chief Paul Tomasi, Sgt. Gerald Maldonado and Officer Rene Guevara, alleging they used unjustified deadly force in response to a mental health crisis, despite having knowledge of Marshall’s history of mental illness. According to a statement from attorney Dale Galipo, who is representing Barrett, she believed she was doing the right thing by calling the police for assistance. Carmel police logs show officers responded to a call three weeks earlier at the same home reporting a mental health episode. The police log entry reads: “Subject did not meet criteria and refused help with resources. Family member stated they had the situation under control.” The lawsuit alleges that even with this knowledge, no crisis intervention team was dispatched. Instead, officers placed roadblocks around the area and waited for approximately one hour before engaging. Maldonado allegedly fired a bean bag shotgun round in the front yard of Barrett’s home, then followed Marshall into the backyard where he was fatally shot. “We believe the use of deadly force was in violation of James Marshall’s constitutional rights and that the officers’ poor tactics and training played a part in this unjustifiable use of deadly force,” Galipo said. “Police departments must take action to improve officer training.” Carmel officials declined to comment, adding they have not yet been served with a complaint. According to the Carmel Residents Association, Tomasi has announced his second retirement, effective Aug. 4. Open Space An event venue in Monterey is ready for Car Week with a new permit. By David Schmalz NEWS POT SHOP Sand City will hold an orientation meeting for businesses interested in applying for one of two retail cannabis storefronts in the city. 3:30-4:30pm Thursday, July 17. City Hall, 1 Pendergrass Way, Sand City. Also via Zoom at bit.ly/ SandCityCannabisJuly17. Free. 3946700, planning@sandcityca.org. SERVING WHO SERVED The U.S. Army Garrison, Presidio of Monterey hosts its annual Retiree Appreciation Day. The event provides retired service members and their families information on retirement benefits. Vendors and local service agencies will also be on hand. 9am-1:30pm Saturday, July 19. General Stilwell Community Center, 4260 Gigling Road, Seaside. Free. 242-4986, home.army.mil/monterey/index.php. DISCUSS DOWNTOWN The City of Greenfield invites the public to share feedback about the future of downtown at a workshop. 1-3pm Tuesday, July 22. City Hall Council Chambers, 599 El Camino Real, Greenfield. Free. RSVP at bit.ly/ GreenfieldWorkshopJuly22. 674-5591, ci.greenfield.ca.us. PUBLIC PROCESS Monterey City Council meets and accepts public comment. Tell your elected officials what they are doing well and what they can do better. 4pm Wednesday, July 23. Colton Hall, 580 Pacific St., Monterey. Free. 6463799, monterey.gov. MAKE AN IMPACT The Monterey County Workforce Development Board’s Green Cadre program is accepting applications. The program provides adults ages 18-30 with paid job training, work experience and involvement with community service projects in Monterey County. Deadline to apply is July 25. montereycountyworks.com/Cal4AllGreenCadre. 796-3331, MCWDB-greencadre@countyofmonterey.gov. HOUSING REVIEW The County of Monterey Housing and Community Development Department submitted the second draft of the Sixth Cycle Housing Element (2023-2031) to the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Public review is underway. Review period ends Aug. 25. 796-6414, countyofmonterey.gov/generalplanupdates. WHO’S THE BEST? Nominations are now accepted for the 2025 Best Of Monterey County®. Put forward your favorites across 275 categories. Nominations are due Sunday, July 20. montereycountynow.com/bestof. Crisis Intervention The mother of James Marshall sues the City of Carmel over police shooting of her son. By Katie Rodriguez The Lighthouse Avenue property owner encouraged Steve Kittrell to pursue more uses of the venue, including events. “It doesn’t get any better than that,” he says. E-MAIL: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX He hopes to open the space to auto enthusiasts year-round. DANIEL DREIFUSS
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