Monterey County Herald Guest Commentary

The Monterey Bay Shores Resort - Take Two!

The Monterey Bay Shores Resort is back again. This 341 unit complex would be located on 32 acres of Sand City’s dunes on the Monterey Bay. The project has been going through the permitting process for 14 years. The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was issued by Sand City in 1997. The project has since been redesigned. Sand City issued an addendum to the EIR in 2008 and again approved the project.

There are several problems:

1. The original EIR is 11 years old. Recent environmental information and new issues have not been addressed.
2. An addendum is intended for minor technical and non-substantive changes.
3. An addendum is not required to be circulated for public review and was not.
4. Therefore, and unfortunately, the public has had few opportunities to review and comment on the project and to consider recent relevant information.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that a Subsequent EIR be prepared when a project is changed substantially, when circumstances have changed or when new environmental information is available. The project clearly meets all of these conditions. The following new issues should be considered.

Sand Dunes. The redesign places structures into the sand dunes to conceal the project and protect views from Highway 1. However, the shifting sand dunes and the potential for revealing portions of the structure have not been evaluated. Also, government agencies and the public have not had an opportunity to review the studies and reports on sand dune stabilization.

Water Supply. In 2006 the Seaside Groundwater Basin was adjudicated and found to be over-drafted. The addendum finds the project’s impact on groundwater would be less than the original project. However, CEQA requires that impacts be assessed in relationship to the existing environment, not by comparison to another project. Additional withdrawals from this depleted basin must be evaluated. Also, use of the Sand City desalination plant should be considered as a feasible alternative to the use of groundwater.

Water Restrictions.State Water Resources Control Board Order 95-10 required reduced pumping from the Carmel River. Because there have not been any significant reduction of unlawful diversions from the Carmel River since 1998, the State has issued a Draft Cease and Desist Order with a final order expected later this year. The potential impact of this new order must be evaluated.

Air Quality. Since the original EIR was approved, the California Air Resources Board identified particulate matter from diesel-fueled engines as a toxic air contaminant. Diesel exhaust emissions from over 10,000 truck trips needed to haul 420,000 yards of sand off-site must be addressed.

Traffic. Levels of service on roads affected by the project have declined since original project approval. While the Addendum finds the project would have significant impacts on roadways, the public has not had a chance to comments on an issue affecting so many residents.

Climate Change. Since the project was approved new information on climate change and its impacts on coastal resources have become available. While the addendum finds that the revised project has been setback further than the original project based on estimates of sea level rise, the public has not had an opportunity to review or evaluate the adequacy of this new finding.

Erosion. The Association of Monterey Bay Governments issued a report in 2008 on Bay coastal erosion and sediment management, describing problems of rapid erosion. This new report and information have not been considered.

Addition environmental review is clearly required before there are further agency considerations.

     Janet Brennan, President, LWV of the Monterey Peninsula