www.montereycountynow.com DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 9 After seven years of operating Del Rey Gardens on cityowned land in Del Rey Oaks, Mitsugu Mori must leave the property by Dec. 31, after officials discovered he had capped the nursery center’s California American water line and instead tapped into a city line carrying non-potable well water. It was not the first time Mori had performed work without notifying the city. In 2019, city officials discovered he had pushed the boundaries of the nursery located on Rosita Road off of Canyon Del Rey Boulevard beyond what was allowed on the lease, as well as extended a dirt road between the back of the nursery to the Safeway for hauling materials, among other changes. “When I got here four years ago, the city was already in the process of moving to evict the garden center for breaches in the lease and violations of the conditional use permit,” City Manager John Guertin told the Del Rey Oaks City Council on Dec. 16. He said they “got to a point where we still weren’t in love with everything that was happening down there, but we got to sort of an equilibrium where we could co-exist and it was working.” As Mori’s $3,000-a-month lease was coming up for renewal at the end of December, Guertin said they were negotiating with Mori, until the inspection when they discovered the capped Cal Am line. Under the lease agreement, Mori had permission to use city well water to irrigate plants only. City workers also found that there was no signage inside the building alerting people to the non-potable water, as required by the County of Monterey Environmental Health Department. It’s not known if anyone became sick as a result, according to a report by city staff. “That, and a few other things, really became a bridge too far in seeing any way going forward,” Guertin said. Since the lease was up within about a month, the city chose to let it end, rather than pursue immediate eviction. In a Dec. 2 letter to Mori, City Attorney Alex Lorca outlined seven material violations of the lease, including using the property in a manner that causes a nuisance or isn’t maintained in a sanitary manner, using well water beyond irrigating plants, making alterations to city property without permission and failing to comply with all laws. Lorca said the city expects the property to be returned to its original state, including removal of an unpermitted truck scale and other unpermitted items like fences and storage buildings. Mori could not be reached for comment. On Dec. 23, a manager overseeing the move-out says operations are moving to the Seaside Garden Center, which Mori also owns, along with Lakeside Nursery in Salinas. Earlier this year Mori purchased property in Monterey on Perry Lane, behind El Estero Car Wash, from the Monterey Museum of Art for $2.3 million. The site was the location of another nursery that closed several years ago. It’s currently under construction and is expected to open this summer. Cut Off Del Rey Oaks tells nursery owner to leave after crossing a ‘bridge too far’ with lease violations. By Pam Marino The garden center in Del Rey Oaks permanently closed recently, after the city declined to renew the lease. Operations are moving to a Seaside location. A Monterey location opens next summer. NEWS “The city was already moving to evict the garden center.” DANIEL DREIFUSS Two Portola Plaza | Monterey, CA 93940 (831) 649-4511 | Portolahotel.com For more information and hotel accommodations, visit portolahotel.com Open Bar Buffet Dinner Live Music Photo Booths Yacht Rock NEW YEAR’S EVE 2026 Active military with a valid ID | $220 per person General Admission and at the door | $250 per person *Pricing is inclusive of taxes, gratuity and Eventbrite fees. Purchase Tickets Now On Eventbrite
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