CRA News October 2002

Selected articles from the newsletter of the Carmel Residents Association

CRA Meeting -- Coastal Commission's Charles Lester

Thursday, Oct. 24 -- CRA Meeting
	4:45 p.m. -- Charles Lester Vista Lobos Meeting Room, Torres between 3rd & 4th Following the meeting, delicious hot and cold hors d'oeuvres

If you haven't seen Charles Lester's excellent presentation on Carmel and its importance as a special coastal village, you have a treat in store. Through use of the Power Point program, excellent graphics and photos of Carmel, he captures the uniqueness of Carmel and the threats it faces.

Mr. Lester is the Acting Deputy Director of the Central Coast District of the California Coastal Commission. He has also served as District Manager of the Central Coast, which includes the coastal zones of Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties as well as the incorporated coastal cities in these counties.

Charles Lester's background makes him one of the most qualified people available to help the Coastal Commission work through its complicated mission. His areas of expertise are environmental policy, law and politics; governance and public law; coastal zone management; and environmental sustainability.

He received his Bachelor's degree in geochemistry from Columbia College in New York City and attended the University of California at Berkeley, receiving a J.D. from Boalt Hall School of Law in 1989 and a Ph.D. in Jurisprudence and Social Policy in 1992. His doctoral dissertation evaluated the implementation of the Federal Offshore Oil and Gas Program. Prior to taking his current position with the California Coastal Commission, our speaker was a professor of environmental policy and law at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

EDITORIAL

The 2016 Report -- Does the city share its vision?

As we observe Carmel's 86th birthday this month, we are 14 years away from 2016--the city's centennial, counting from its incorporation in 1916. In 1991, aware of the importance of a vision for the future, Mayor Jean Grace appointed a group of 15 thoughtful individuals, representing all Carmel viewpoints, and charged them to create a vision for Carmel in its hundredth year--2016. The fruit of those labors is the 2016 Report.

Under the masterful leadership of designer Neal Owen Kruse, this diverse group agreed upon a remarkably coherent and sensitive understanding of the difficult trends Carmel faced in 1991 and a vision for how they hoped our village would end its first 100 years. The report's introduction warns, "The members are seriously concerned that if the changes which have occurred over the last twenty-five years continue for the next twenty-five years, Carmel tomorrow, with no dreams--either expressed or sought--may well emerge as a nightmare instead."

A National Trust for Historic Preservation team of professionals also studied Carmel for one week in 1993 and echoed the above concerns. One of their findings was that the city lacked a vision for the future. They were very impressed with the 2016 Report and felt that leadership was needed to incorporate it into the General Plan.

Ironically, some of the 2016 Report's "guiding visions" (in italic below), touched areas which are of great concern today to the California Coastal Commission staff as it evaluates Carmel's Local Coastal Plan (LCP). City planner Brian Roseth outlined these issues in a Sept. 17 report for the City Council.

... preserving and replacing upper-canopy trees and providing enough room to grow the next generation of such trees. -- Roseth wrote that returning to homes built a few years ago and finding some or all of the required replacement trees missing caused "the Coastal staff to doubt the willingness of the city to protect coastal resources."
Building footprint should be reduced to allow enough room for upper-canopy trees. Houses should maintain the scale of their neighborhoods. -- Coastal staff, Roseth said, is greatly concerned that city code allows buildings "50% larger than the average size of Carmel's existing housing stock." The Coastal staff is worried about the effect of this on the forest and open space and recommends severely reducing building footprints.
Preservation of 1) the unique architectural style of Carmel houses and businesses; 2) structures built by Carmel's master builders; and 3) historic or significant resources. -- This is a thorny issue between the Coastal Commission and the City Council, one that kept an earlier Carmel LCP from being approved in the 80s.
A vital business community with unique stores serving both residents and visitors. -- Resident-serving businesses continue to close, usually being replaced by art galleries or chain stores.

Some of the specific "recommendations" in the 2016 Report and the action--or inaction--which has followed:

Post Office Plaza -- Recognizing that the Post Office is central to Carmel life, the committee hoped to make it more hospitable for locals and visitors by closing a portion of 5th Avenue in front of the facility. Although an attractive plan was developed, it did not gain the support of decision makers and was dropped.
Installation of rest room facilities at the south end of Carmel Beach. Done! Burned! Re-done!
Implement traffic calming using narrowed traffic lanes, decreased speed limit, more trees and landscaping on San Carlos, Junipero, Carpenter and Rio Road. -- Although some planting has been done to narrow streets, for the most part the wide, fast and efficient mentality has prevailed. Plans to improve Carpenter Street were dropped and a $165,000 grant to beautify and narrow San Carlos will soon be lost because a majority of the City Council has declined to act on it.
Upgrade Sunset Center into a contemporary performing arts facility--Underway now!
Underground utilities in the residential district -- A committee produced an excellent report, but funding is a major drawback and no action has been taken.

Retention of the Scout House as "an attractive, cozy community meeting area" and an upgrade of the Forest Theater are recommended. Master plans for both are complete, but neither has been funded. Some council members have indicated they might favor disposing of the Scout House rather than restoring it.

Instead of relegating the 2016 Report to the heap of forgotten city studies, we feel it should be used as a road map to lead Carmel into the future.

Some committee members remain active in the community-- designer Neal Kruse, Friar Tuck owner Greg Cellitti, Forest and Beach Commission chair Steve Brooks, author/lecturer J.S. Holliday, and former Preservation Committee member Wendy Banks. Two members, Noel Van Bibber and city planner Bruce Kibby, have moved to Monterey, and, sadly, former Planning Commissioner Ed Jordan, Councilwoman Paula Hazdovac's father, Paul, Vance Frasier and Will Gahagan have passed away.

A copy of the 2016 Report has been left at Copies by the Sea, S.W. corner Dolores at 5th, so that interested persons may purchase a copy of this visionary document.

COUNCIL WATCH

City and Coastal Staff far from agreement on Local Coastal Plan

In a marathon meeting with California Coastal Commission Acting Director Charles Lester, the City Council began trying to resolve differences on issues where the Commission staff and the city disagree. Lester pointed out that the Coastal Commission is mandated to certify a Land Use Plan (LUP) and Local Coastal Plan (LCP) consistent with the goals of the Coastal Act. Carmel is considered a "special community" under the Coastal Act with its statewide, national and international importance. "There needs to be a partnership," Lester said. In his opinion, "community character" issues present the greatest struggle.

In recent years the Coastal Commission has become increasingly concerned with the number of demolitions in Carmel. According to city Planner Brian Roseth, the Coastal staff feels that "the replacement of Carmel's older, smaller cottages with newer, larger homes will have a long-term, cumulative impact on community character both in terms of building scale as well as forest resources and open space. Both the size of the building footprint and the visual bulk of the new construction are at issue." In addition, the Coastal staff is very concerned with the city's definition of "demolition," which, as revised by the City Council in 1999, is loose enough to allow virtual demolition of a building while calling it a "remodel."

Councilman Gerard Rose, somewhat belligerently, challenged Mr. Lester, asking if he really thought that all those "crappy little cottages" should not be torn down. The rest of the council, however, seemed to understand the importance of seeking mutual ground. For example, although the commission will probably not allow a parking ban on Scenic Road from 30 minutes after sundown until 5 a.m., Lester felt that a compromise of midnight to 5 a.m. might work. Other Peninsula communities use that rule.

The Coastal staff feels that motel rooms are a part of coastal access and would like to see more in Carmel. However, this cannot legally be done without a vote. As a compromise, Lester recommended adoption of a "no net loss of existing motel rooms" policy, but the issue was not settled.

The Coastal staff recommended that the city prohibit all new subdivisions to ensure large lots and diverse house size. City staff suggested that at least condominium subdivisions in the commercial and R-4 districts be allowed. However, the council majority was not willing to limit any subdivisions.

An Oct. 8 meeting will cover community character, historic preservation and language changes in the LUP suggested by Coastal staff and another meeting on November 12 at 5 p.m. has tentatively been scheduled. (Check with City Hall to be sure.) Any major differences between the city and the Coastal staff will have to be resolved by the Coastal Commission, possibly in December.

[See Editorial for further details of Coastal staff concerns.]

President's Message
by Larry Rodocker

Beach Scars

Saturday ten to noon by the clock
Bottom Ocean     one by one flock.
Young of age, young of heart --
Event scheduled -- soon to start.
Smiles around match the sun
Work ahead seen    still fun.
Orange-vested, color of the day
Friends gather    come what may.
Coffee, pastries    light talk.
Enjoy.    Soon litter to stalk.
Issue bag, scoop and glove.
Why?    Amidst all this beauty and love.
Pelicans glide overhead,
Dolphins    dive surface well-fed.
Sea otter    moves lazily on back,
Food in hand -- ready for snack.
Winds from the north, then west shift.
Waves rise and break -- spindrift
Nature's beauty as far as one can see.
Bag, scoop, glove -- why can it be?
The treasures of nature abound --
What answer, what to be found.

Natural beauty    marred by scars,
Caused by man who comes in cars --
Descends beach awestruck by beauty around,
As he drops paper on ground.
Points to birds on wing,
Plastic bottle hits sand -- one more thing.
Eyes Point Lobos to the south
As cigarette drops from his mouth.
Now we know    uncaring man
Lazy -- doesn't give a damn.

Special group, orange-clad,
Start their work, happy but sad --
To remove litter    beach scars
Caused by man who comes in cars.
Carmel point to the south, Pebble Beach to the north
Carmel Beach trekked back and forth.
Healing process soon complete -- beach pristine
Nature's beauty fills the scene.
Garbage bag, litter-filled, badge of honor worn
Hearts happy, hearts torn.
Removing man-made waste    beach scars
Caused by man who comes in cars.

Murphy Cottage Tour

Here is your chance to peek into eight of M.J. Murphy's charming cottages. The Carmel Preservation Foundation is sponsoring a walking tour of these delightful homes on Sunday, Oct. 27, from 1 to 4 p.m. The $25 ticket includes a "garden gala" from 4 to 5 p.m. at the final house on the tour--the historically-designated "stone ship," hand built in 1939 by Allen Knight, former mayor and father of CRA member Lani Fremier. For information, call 625-0566.

Beach Cleanup

A mountain of trash

CRA coordinators for the Carmel Beach portion of the Coastal Cleanup, Kay and Harvey Kuffner, reported that 80 volunteers accumulated 127 pounds of recyclable trash and 104 pounds of garbage on Sept. 21. This included 1,666 cigarette butts, 98 glass beverage bottles, 96 beverage cans and a multitude of food wrappers, plastic silverware, toys, clothing, fishing line and diapers plus a few unmentionable items. Our beach is noticeably cleaner after that major effort!

Carmel Beach in top five!

Did you know that Carmel Beach was named one of the five best walking beaches in the United States by National Geographic's Traveler Magazine's July-August issue? This gives our volunteers an even greater incentive to keep this jewel in tip-top condition!

Between cleanups, many people carry an extra plastic bag while on their daily walks and pick up trash along the way. We hope you will try it!

CRA will march in Halloween parade

Once again, Beach Cleanup volunteers and all other interested CRA members will march in the city's annual parade on Saturday, Oct. 26, with their familiar chant:

	In this town of pride and beauty
	To clean the beach is our first duty.
	Join us in our monthly quest
	And keep our beach the very best!

Please meet at the Vista Lobos parking lot, Torres between 3rd and 4th, at 10:15 a.m. The parade begins at 11 a.m. If you can march, call Clayton Anderson at 624-3208.

The marching takes the place of the October Beach Cleanup. The next will be held on November 23.

Tickets for the Devendorf Park barbecue celebrating the city's 86th birthday at noon on the 26th are available at City Hall and Nielsen Bros. Market. Adult tickets are $12 each; children 12 and under, $3 each. On the day of the event, adult tickets will be $15.

If you can volunteer an hour of your time, please call Barbara Livingston at 626-1610. CRA members Bob Condry and Wayne Kelly also serve on the Carmel Celebrates Community Committee.

Sudden Oak Death Syndrome is hitting the headlines

While this virulent disease, detailed in the Jan. 2001 CRA News, has not reached the Monterey Peninsula, our Forest and Beach Department remains vigilant and up on the latest research.

The Sept. 6 New York Times ran a front-page story on this disease, which is spreading through California. The emphasis of the article was not oak trees, but the fact that it has now been found in Douglas fir in Sonoma County. Douglas fir, of course, is one of the nation's most important commercial timber species. For obvious reasons, plant pathogens which have an economic impact are the ones which attract the most research dollars and the most attention. Gov. Gray Davis has asked President Bush for $10 million in federal funds to fight this disease.

Alex Noneck and his quiz show a hit--educational, too

Alex Noneck, a.k.a. CRA President Larry Rodocker, dazzling in a curly mop, presided over a quiz show for CRA members--Home Town. The teams of six were asked to write answers for questions dealing with some facet of Carmel's history. Noneck set the stage for each question with extensive background about early Carmelites and their activities. The goal of the meeting, said Rodocker, was "to get to know newer members and to remind ourselves about Carmel's history and what has made it such a special community." At the end, each team reported their consensus on what it is they like best about our village. Comments ranged from "Carmel's natural beauty--the towering forest and white sand beach" to "the warm, friendly, involved people" to "what Carmel doesn't have--sidewalks, street lights, addresses, mail boxes or paid parking."

The Questions (a shortened version)
1. Carmel is known as a village-in-a-forest. What is its largest and most dominant tree?
2. What Spanish explorer sailed into Monterey Bay in 1602, and, after climbing over a hill, named the river he saw El Rio Carmelo?
3. What is the name of the Spanish padre who, in August of 1771, began construction of the Carmel Mission?
4. Who is the land developer, known as "the father of Carmel," who has a park named for him with a bust sculpted by his daughter?
5. What is the name of the poet who moved to Carmel in 1905, with his wife Carrie, and became known as the "King of Bohemia?"
6. a) What renowned poet is so identified with Carmel that his work personifies the spirit of this place?
b) What is the name of his house?
7. a) On July 9, 1910, Carmel residents attended the first play at what outdoor site?
b) What is the name of the play presented?
8. Where has the Carmel Art Association been located since 1933?
9. Who said, "If you truly want Carmel to become a bustling, wide-awake, lively metropolis, don't vote for me."?
10. What well-known contractor built his first cottage in 1901-02? For whom was this house built?
11. What is the name of Robert Louis Stevenson's book reputedly based upon the secluded coves of our coast?
12. What city councilman and mayor started the Arts Commission and the Forestry Commission and fought against commercialism?
13. What is the significance of the arch, located at Ocean Ave. and San Carlos, designed by architect Charles Sumner Greene?
14. a) In what year was Carmel's Magna Carta written by City Attorney Argyll Campbell?
b) What is the ordinance number?
15. For what invention is Carl Cherry famous?

Answers: 1. Monterey Pine; 2. Sebastian Vizcaíno; 3. Junipero Serra; 4. Frank Devendorf; 5. George Sterling; 6. a) Robinson Jeffers, b) Tor House; 7. a) Forest Theater, b) David 8. West side of Dolores between 5th & 6th; 9. Perry Newberry; 10. a) M.J. Murphy, b) his mother; 11. Treasure Island; 12. Gunnar Norberg; 13. Commemorates WW I veterans; 14. a) 1929, b) Ordinance 96; 15. (Tiebreaker) -- "blind rivet" used in aircraft construction

Fire Safety Watch

Carmel Fire Department Captain Mitch Kastros has agreed to provide CRA News each month with tips on safety, fire prevention and other related topics. We appreciate his efforts and hope that you find his comments helpful.

The Carmel Fire Department recently completed its annual fire hydrant maintenance, which included making sure the hydrants remain accessible for firefighting. We've noticed that many residents like to landscape around the hydrants in front of their homes, with which we have no problem. We understand and appreciate the motivation. However, it is very important that the landscaping does not create problems for firefighters who may need to use that hydrant to help fight a fire in your neighborhood. Not only do plants, trees and rocks that are being used make it more difficult to connect fire hoses to hydrants, they make the whole operation more dangerous for firefighters, especially at night when conditions are already more dangerous than usual.

Please show common sense and courtesy when being creative with the area around a fire hydrant. We ask for a minimum of three feet of clearance in all directions, which is less than the law requires. And, please, no cactus or other thorny plants such as we have recently found.

If you happen to see a fire hydrant in your neighborhood that you think needs attention as far as clearance and accessibility, please call us at 620-2030. We will come and respectfully remove and haul enough growth for practical purposes while at the same time attempting to maintain the decor.

Do you have a fire extinguisher and do you know how to use it? The fire department offers training in the use of fire extinguishers, with practical applications that include live fire. Once you have experienced this, you will have the knowledge and confidence to fight a small fire. The training only takes 30 minutes, so call us to arrange a session. Oct. 27 marks the end of Daylight Savings Time and the turning back of the clock by one hour. Each time we change the time, we should also change the batteries in our smoke detectors. This is also a good time to review our home fire escape plan. If you need assistance with changing your batteries or have questions about your escape plan, please call us.

Have a happy and safe Halloween.

Pay and Display Parking -- The debate continues

We hope that you were able to take a good look at the paid parking demonstration downtown Sept. 9 - 13. Before this issue of CRA News arrives, a city meeting on the parking program will have been held on Oct. 10.

The proposed plan envisions the installation of 135 Pay and Display Stations in a 37-block area of the commercial district. Although it is subject to revision, the current plan is to charge residents a $60 per year fee which would entitle them to park and not bother with the machines. More neighborhoods near the business district will be marked "residential-only" to ensure that employees park in the "employee-only" spaces. Employees will have more than 400 parking spaces available for their exclusive use in convenient locations such as the center island of Junipero between 3rd and 6th Avenues, the north lot of Sunset Center and all but 30 spaces at Vista Lobos. They would also pay $5 per month or $60/year fee for this parking. Residents could also purchase a "Carmel Value Card" for use with the machines or a special in-car meter, likened to a real-time stop watch, rather than the permit.

Your CRA board will not discuss or take a position on the paid parking proposal until after all of the public, educational meetings. The final meeting on finances is very important. We will hear how much revenue the city would earn and, a discussion must take place about how it would be spent.

Other cities which are using this system are Aspen, CO, Park City, Utah, Telluride, CO, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Larimer Square in Denver, CO, Portland, OR, Chicago and New York City. These stations are widely used in Europe.

City officials have already received many comments, both pro and con. They are very interested in how city residents and those in the sphere of influence, members of the business community and visitors feel about this proposal.

Watch Channel 26 on Sunday morning, Oct. 13th, if you missed the meeting on the 10th and plan to attend a future meeting, as yet unannounced, which will discuss the financial aspects of the parking program.

OLD CARMEL
by Connie Wright

Mary Hunter Austin: Maverick and Mystic

Every aspect of Mary Austin's life was at odds with the societal norms of her period: a divorcee, an ecologist opposed to the rampant and unbridled development of the West, an ardent advocate of Native American rights, a preservationist, a Western writer struggling with the Eastern establishment, a suffragette and feminist, a mystic and, worst of all, not pretty.

She was born in the small town of Carlinville, Illinois, in 1868 of an impoverished middle-class family. At the age of six, she had a mystical experience: "the earth and sky and tree and wind-blown grass and child came together," not unlike the experiences of John Muir. Her experiences were to become more powerful. At seven, she decided that she wanted to be a writer. In 1888, the family moved to the Tejon, the desolate southernmost part of the San Joaquin Valley. She married Wallace Austin in 1891, largely to escape her family. A daughter born in 1892 was retarded. They moved to the Owens Valley in 1892, located between the Sierra Nevada and Death Valley. Here she walked the desert and the mountains and talked with shepherds, miners, the Paiute Indians and the townspeople of Independence. After seven years of writing and publishing, she produced in 1903 The Land of Little Rain, essays on her observations of her surroundings. Here is an excerpt:

"There is no special preponderance of self-fertilized or wind-fertilized plants, but everywhere the demand and evidence of insect life. Now where there are seeds and insects there will be birds and small mammals, and where these are, will come the slinking, sharp toothed kind that prey on them. Go as far as you dare in the heart of a lonely land you cannot go so far that life and death are not before you. Painted lizards slip in and out of the rock crevices, and pant on white hot sands. Birds, hummingbirds even, nest in the cactus scrub; woodpeckers befriend the demoniac yuccas; out of the stark treeless waste rings the music of the night-singing mockingbird. If it be summer and the sun well down, there will be a burrowing owl to call. Strange, furry, tricksy things dart across the open places, or sit motionless in the conning towers of the creosote."

This lyrical, arresting, highly-charged and polished prose attracted the attention of George Sterling, who introduced her to Carmel. She purchased a lot from Frank Devendorf in 1906 at Lincoln between 3rd and 4th. Unable to afford a house, she built a "wick-i-up," (Paiute for sacred shelter), a platform in an oak tree. Here she wrote. Although she joined the Carmel bunch, she was not totally accepted. They criticized her hair, her face, her figure, her clothes, her mystical experiences, and most of all, her assertive manner. She was not properly deferential to men; but they knew she was extremely talented and hard working. M.J. Murphy built a house for her in 1907, but she left Carmel to live in New York and travel in Europe and England. She returned to Carmel in 1913 to direct her play Fire, on Indian legends, and she directed her Arrowmaker in 1914.

In 1925, Mary Austin returned to the desert when she moved to Santa Fe, where she became a commanding presence in Southwestern arts and culture. She died there in 1934.

Our Favorite Places

Landmark Carmel restaurant purchased by CRA member

Former CRA Board member Midge Frick, along with her daughter and son-in-law Leslee and Herb Beckett, also Mylene and Bernard Moises, has purchased Toots Lagoon Restaurant. Opening some time in October, the new establishment will be called Lucy's, named after the adorable little girl Leslee and Herb recently adopted in China.

Midge is the "silent partner," which she laughingly admits is an oxymoron. Leslee and Herb are also the owners of the Cubby Hole, next door to the new restaurant, and were partners with Leslee's parents, Admiral Joe Frick and Midge, from 1958 to 1992, at Carmel Cafe. Bernard Moises started his food-service career there as a 16-year-old dishwasher, learning all he could from Midge, and worked his way up to the post of sous chef at Spanish Bay. His wife, Mylene, is the dining room supervisor at Carmel Valley Manor.

According to the new owners, the menu at Lucy's will be diverse--"traditional comfort food using family recipes and the finest, freshest ingredients possible." They will also offer "trendy, contemporary cuisine" with the emphasis still on simple and fresh. They promise to treat all customers like family!

Have you found Findings?

Bobbie Jungnick writes that "Carmel residents Lucy Owens and her daughter Nancy King-Monk, have opened Findings, a sewing emporium at Carmel Square, east side of San Carlos just south of Wells Fargo Bank. This resident-serving business sells notions such as ribbons, trims, buttons, patterns, thread, needles, imported and domestic fabrics, with the added plus of delightful handmade, upscale accessories by local artisans. We have been hoping for a shop such as this, and now we have it! Stop by to wish Lucy and Nancy good luck in their new business. And, while you are at Carmel Square, take a look at their next-door neighbor, Barbara de Jounge's Le Petit Atelier. Here you will find unique hand-crafted and avant-garde accessory clothing to punch up your wardrobe or to give as gifts."

Another resident business goes

We are disappointed that Carmel's last full-service bookstore, Books, Inc., has closed its doors in Carmel Plaza, to be replaced by J.Jill, a chain women's catalogue/retail store very similar to another new shop next door, Coldwater Creek. Now only Pilgrim's Way, which specializes in religion and philosophy books, remains. Don't forget the Thunderbird Bookshop in the Barnyard, which provides wonderful service and has or can order almost any book you would want. It has become very difficult for independent bookstores to compete with huge operations such as Borders or the on-line bookseller Amazon.com.

Remember that your City Council is on T.V.

City Council meetings are taped and re-broadcast
Sundays, 8 a.m. - 12 noon on
KMST Channel 26

Carmel Residents Association
P.O. Box 13
Carmel, CA 93921
Phone: 831-620-0532