10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY OCTOBER 2-8, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS Merritt Street is the main thoroughfare in Castroville, connecting commuters from Salinas to Santa Cruz County. It backs up often— further exacerbated by a major project now under construction to make the roadway more pedestrian-friendly—so drivers look to side roads to save minutes or seconds. Those roads include Geil and Seymour streets through neighborhoods where children walk to Castroville Elementary School. Many intersections leading up to the school are wide and not controlled by a four-way stop, which can make it challenging for pedestrians to cross. A demonstration project is underway along those roads, between Cooper and Salinas streets, featuring curb extensions, traffic circles and crosswalks, with the goal to assist pedestrians and slow down traffic. The North Monterey County Safe Routes to School Plan was developed by the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, Ecology Action and the County of Monterey, to recommend infrastructure improvements and other projects that aid students walking and biking to North County schools. It was funded by a $665,000 Caltrans grant as well as $127,000 from Measure X. This year, the public voted on which projects they would like implemented, divvying $1 million allocated to the program. Planner Amelia Conlen says TAMC will seek sign-off from the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 14, and later determine a funding source. The North Monterey County Unified School District board OK’d the plan in August. For the temporary Castroville project, TAMC is gathering public input before the demonstration concludes on Oct. 8. So far, Conlen says, neighbors have offered some positive feedback about speeding reduction. “We have also heard concerns about parking.” Curbing Traffic A pilot project in Castroville shows how roads can be safer for North County students. By Erik Chalhoub After several years in the making, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District is now a few months away from housing its first tenants in workforce housing. The project moved quickly, thanks to a $340 million school bond voters approved in 2024. “What made this possible was including teacher staff housing in Measure A as an allowable expense,” Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh says. MPUSD purchased a $35.2 million apartment complex, developed by Brad Slama, located at 2300 Garden Road in Monterey, near the airport. The building previously served as an office space. The building has 64 units, primarily studios and one-bedroom apartments. “It’s not going to meet every employee’s needs right in terms of their family set-up,” Diffenbaugh acknowledges, adding that he hopes in the future they can offer more options with two- and three-bedroom units geared more for families. Below-market-rate rents will range from $1,265/month for studios to $1,628/month for two-bedroom units. (According to Zillow, the average rent price for a one-bedroom apartment in Monterey is currently $2,275/month.) Tenants will be able to reside for up to five years, with a one-time option for a two-year extension. The district followed Salinas Union High School District’s model and purchased existing apartments instead of building its own. Two factors fueled this approach: time and money. “It allows us to move in much quicker and reduces cost,” Diffenbaugh says. The MPUSD board approved guidelines for the application process on Sept. 23, including setting aside 13 units for employees who live outside the district and five units for new hires. Most of the units, 70 percent, will be for certified staff, including teachers, counselors and librarians, while 30 percent are for classified staff, such as bus drivers, custodians and clerks. “The vast majority will be for current employees to focus on retention,” Diffenbaugh adds. Lack of housing, high rent prices and low starting salaries are some factors that make it difficult for young professionals to establish or start a family in the area. It also contributes to high turnover rates in school districts. Andrea Gonzales, 30, is a firstgrade teacher who’s been in the district for eight years. She commutes from Hollister to Crumpton Elementary in Marina. On a good day, Gonzales says her commute takes about 45 minutes, but other times it can take twice as long. “I worry about being late a lot, just in case there’s traffic or an accident,” Gonzales says. Gonzales plans to apply for the lottery process and says that getting a unit would be a game-changer, saving time and money and improving her quality of life. “I would go from driving two-plus hours a day to only 30 minutes a day,” she says. Eligible staff members can apply to be selected in a lottery process that will take place in November. Employees at different income levels, except those who work in management, are eligible to apply, with priority given to low-income individuals. The first tenants will be able to move in starting this December. MPUSD is putting the final touches on its workforce housing units in Monterey, and will add security cameras before the first tenants move in December. School House MPUSD sets guidelines and prepares to hold a lottery for staff housing in November. By Celia Jiménez A temporary traffic circle was installed at the intersection of Geil and Speegle streets in Castroville, part of a demonstration project in the area to make it safer for pedestrians. “I would go from driving two hours a day to 30 minutes.” CELIA JIMÉNEZ ERIK CHALHOUB
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