February 19, 2003

Scott Hennessy
Planning Director
P.O. Box 1208
Salinas, CA 93902

SUBJECT: FISKDALE/COYOTE RANCH

Dear Mr. Hennessy:

The League of Women Voters of the Monterey Peninsula would like to take this opportunity to comment on the Fiskdale/Coyote Ranch project which has resulted in a development that significantly deviates from the viewshed policies of the Carmel Valley Master Plan.

It is our understanding that project roads may be inconsistent with the approved grading permit. We urge the County to investigate the project for violations of the location and cubic yards of cut and fill that were approved by the Planning Commission. If violations are determined, enforcement action consistent with the Zoning Ordinance should be undertaken, i.e., finding future project applications incomplete until the violations have been corrected.

The way in which the project has been processed exemplifies the numerous problems and pitfalls related to segmenting project review. As required by the California Environmental Quality Act, projects should be reviewed in totality, not brought forward one segment at a time as has occurred with Coyote Ranch, so that the overall project impacts can be identified and mitigated.

The scarring of the hillside can be viewed from both Carmel Valley Road and Laureles Grade. It is difficult to understand how the project's significant deviation from the Carmel Valley Master Plan policy on development in the viewshed could have occurred.

The League urges you to review the entire application process for this project and make necessary adjustments to assure that these problems do not occur in the future.

Sincerely,

Beverly G. Bean, VMD
President, League of Women Voters of the Monterey Peninsula

cc: John Brennan
       Martha Diehl