CRA News Oct. 2006

Selected articles from the newsletter of the Carmel Residents Association

From left: Margery Mann, Zaza Skidmore, Mary Condry and Howard Skidmore were ready for the August Fiesta with their colorful Latino garb! See below for more about the Fiesta.

CRA Meeting -- The economics of historic preservation -- why it pays to save our past
How the Mills Act can help owners of historic buildings

Why is it that up and down the state and throughout the nation cities display signs exclaiming, "Visit our historic district?" Why do homes from Alexandria to Boise boast brass plaques declaring their historicity? Are they forced to do this? Of course not. These cities have figured out that preservation pays.

Two historic preservation experts will be the featured speakers on Oct. 26. Cindy Heitzman, Executive Director of the California Preservation Foundation, will discuss the economics of preserving our past -- why historic preservation is a windfall rather than a shortfall for cities. Too often, the rationale for preserving good examples of past architecture is a well-kept secret, resulting in the irreplaceable loss of our heritage.

Dennis Weber, of the Office of Historic Preservation, will explain how the Mills Act can provide financial incentives for owners of historic structures. Named for former State Senator James Mills, the act allows local governments in California to design programs for rehabilitating single-family homes or entire neighborhoods. Property owners can receive a significant reduction in local property taxes in exchange for agreeing to preserve, maintain and restore their historic properties.

Before assuming her current position in 2004, Ms. Heitzman was the building official and fire marshal in St. Helena and the senior building inspector for the City of Napa. She has served as chair of the California Building Officials Historic Codes Committee and as a commissioner on the California Building Officials Training Institute and the Napa Cultural Heritage Commission. Past president of Napa County Landmarks, Ms. Heitzman has also served as a trustee for the California Preservation Foundation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in fine arts from California State University, Chico.

Dennis Weber is the Mills Act Coordinator for the Office of Historic Preservation, a title he has held for two years. His primary task is to be a clearinghouse of Mills Act information and trends. Serving with the Office of Historic Preservation for six years, he previously spent eight years as a legislative analyst. Mr. Weber has a Bachelor of Arts from Humboldt State University in journalism with a minor in history.

Carmel Residents Association History
A Retrospective

by Beth Wright

Retrospection is, of course, looking back, which most of us do with nostalgia, but sometimes reluctantly, at mistakes made or goals unrealized. However, in approaching this 20th anniversary year of the founding of the Carmel Residents Association, we the members can take pride in what we've done to protect the quality of life in our one-mile-square village and also to reach out to the surrounding community.

Back to the beginning --

The election of a celebrity mayor, Clint Eastwood, in April, 1986, produced overwhelming media attention which impacted our village. Immediately, many changes were afoot, starting with the firing of the Planning Commission. Because of the charisma of our new mayor, residents were unable to get into packed council meetings and so were prevented from hearing what was going on inside.

A nucleus of residents, alarmed at some of the pending proposals to change the General Plan and sell off city property, joined together and printed Blue Papers, which they distributed at the Post Office. These were simple fliers on blue paper, hand-printed in calligraphy by architect Robert Stephenson, with notices of meetings and council agendas. Fortunately, Jim Wright had been retained on the City Council and Marietta "Sandy" Swain,* former Planning Commission chair, and businessman and former City Councilman Mike Brown shared our desire to make sure the public was informed and were willing to support us, confirm our facts and edit for accuracy.

This group, Concerned Carmel Citizens, was the precursor to the Carmel Residents Association. Among those first volunteers were the late and totally-committed Jane Mayer* and Anne Woolworth,* along with June Hardy, Barbara Brooks and myself, Beth Wright. We were particularly lucky to interest Skip Lloyd in the happenings that kindled passion in those early days, who in turn asked J.S. "Jim" Holliday* to join the group along with Dr. Ben Heller* and retired Judge Gordon Campbell.* And, we were fortunate to have Jim and Skip serve in succession as CRA presidents. Our overriding goals were to preserve Carmel's village character and quality of life, develop creative solutions to the problems related to the influx of tourists and heightened commercialization and to advance the common interests of residents, the business community and property owners.

The first meeting was at Jane Mayer's house with an initial group of some 35 diverse members of the community who supported our efforts . This included the Concerned Citizens, Robert Campbell,* Charlotte Townsend, Dale Hekhuis, Howard Nieman,* Noel Mapstead, Fenn* and Joan Horton, Phil* and Janice O'Berg, Joyce Stevens, Charlotte Anderson and business community members Mike Brown, Howard Brunn and Bob Leidig. At Jane's request, Howard Nieman chaired the first meeting but subsequently resigned when appointed to the Mayor's Advisory Committee.

The group's indomitable spirit showed up clearly and loudly. A steering committee, which first met in April, 1987, was selected to draw up the bylaws, outline goals and start a membership campaign. Members were Dale Hekhuis, Ben Heller, J.S. "Jim" Holliday, Francis "Skip" Lloyd, Jane Mayer, Howard Nieman, Joyce Stevens and Richard Tourangeau. Attorneys Lloyd and Tourangeau agreed to write the bylaws pro bono.

The first step was to make ourselves and our efforts known. We turned to old friends and made new ones. Among those who stand out in my mind were Sam Farr, Steve Brooks, David Maradei, Peggy Purchase, Marjorie Montelius,* Lani Fremier, Bill Bates and Dorothy Lillard.

Our original membership list was based upon supporters of Councilman Jim Wright, who either by letters or phone calls had assured him that he was expressing their views at the City Council. Old Carmel disbanded and their members joined CRA and donated the balance of their account to us through the efforts of Harriet Shanner, acting chair of their organization.

As our voices were heard at town meetings and via letters, we attracted more dedicated volunteers and none more so than Linda and Clayton Anderson, who joined about a year later after they had led a dramatic effort to stop major construction at Vista Lobos and organized the Northeast Neighbors.

And to all the others who have aligned themselves with this endeavor throughout the years -- my congratulations. What a great job we have all done to make CRA an organization of stature in Carmel with projects such as the Beach Cleanup, the Citizen of the Year Celebration, a major contribution of over $26,000 to the library, public forums, timely monthly meetings and a web site.

In many ways our organization embodies Margaret Mead's famous quote: "Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Most importantly the CRA is ongoing and strongly aware that it requires constant vigilance to maintain our way of life and the very culture and natural beauty that have made it possible.

[Beth Wright is a founding member, former president and current board member of the Carmel Residents Association. She currently serves on the committee planning CRA's 20th anniversary celebration.]

*Deceased

President's Message
Thinking together about our future

by Roberta Miller

I love a good quote to wrap my thoughts around, evoking ideas and introspection. Alice Walker wrote, "Keep in mind always the present you are constructing. It should be the future you want." Your Carmel Residents Association board has been spending a good deal of time thinking about the future of our organization as it relates to the future of our city. We recognize that we are all essential parts of the whole fabric of our unique village. This includes the residential and commercial districts, community groups and our city government. We all need to work toward a shared vision to preserve and reinforce the features which give the village its unique character. For your consideration and welcomed input, let me share with you some of our board's vision as it seeks to find more common ground and effective ways to relate to each of these sectors.

Residential -- We want the Carmel Residents Association to have a positive presence, resulting in new residents desiring to become members. To achieve this goal, we are instituting new- member coffees, encouraging new members to get involved in our social outings, monthly meetings, dining out at local restaurants, August barbecue, Cherry Center Festival of Artists, Writers and Musicians, holiday gala dinner, volunteering opportunities, periodic telephone or e-mail reminders of upcoming events and recognizing outstanding members. We are continuing our educational goals by mailing a monthly informative newsletter to our members. We have programs at our monthly meetings that cover timely topics affecting our city and residents. We sponsor impartial public forums for local elections and have an informational web site found at www.carmelresidents.org

Commercial District -- Lead toward respect for each other. We do this by finding commonalties (We all want a healthy economy!), participating monthly as a member of the Chamber of Commerce's Economic Development Committee, offering business-class memberships in our Association, featuring articles in our newsletter on individual businesses, encouraging members to support our local economy and supporting mutual causes and values whenever the opportunity arises.

Community -- Learn to work with all local groups for the betterment of Carmel. This can be accomplished through generating positive community projects, co-sponsoring joint events and programs with other non-profit community groups, coordinating events to minimize conflicts and encourage mutual understanding and support between groups. For example, we hope to support the Friends of Carmel Forest in their efforts to improve the care and health of our urban forest through co-sponsoring a public forum to increase public awareness and knowledge about our valuable natural assets.

City Government -- To influence the City Council in making decisions to protect and enhance Carmel. We want the Carmel Residents Association to be perceived as preserving and maintaining the cultural, artistic, forest and village environment. To this end, we attend City Council meetings and express CRA board views and solutions when applicable. We also attend commission meetings, listening, speaking on issues and thanking commissioners and staff for their hard work and dedication. We will continue to promote CRA as a positive presence through our monthly Beach Cleanup, sponsoring civic events and participating in city-sponsored activities.

John Galsworthy suggested, "If you do not think about the future, you cannot have one." Are we up for the challenge?

All aboard!

Understanding City Council meetings

Beach Cleanup

14th Year- 10,907 hours of service!

Saturday, Oct. 21
10 a.m. - noon
(3rd Sat. because of City Birthday)

* Volunteers meet at foot of Ocean Avenue
* Please bring gloves
* Coffee and cookies served courtesy of Caffe Cardinale and Safeway, Carmel

Statistics for September 16 Coastal Cleanup on Carmel Beach: 66 volunteers picked up 220 pounds of trash and logged in 1177 cigarette butts.

Remembering three of CRA's founders
Bob Campbell, Jane Mayer and Jim Holliday

Winner of the coveted Edgar Award for mysteries, distinguished writer Robert W. Campbell was a founding member of the Carmel Residents Association. The prolific author penned 27 novels, 14 screenplays, four stage plays and scripts for 10 television series, but was always available to help craft articles and editorials on the importance of preserving our village character. When he moved to Carmel in the 80's, he immediately joined in the battle to save the Village Corner Restaurant. Bob started the Common Ground Theater and was the spirit and force behind the revitalization in the 1990s of the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts. He died in September, 2000.

The Carmel Residents Association was founded in Jane Mayer's living room! (See Retrospective above.) She was a member of the General Plan Committee under Mayor Townsend, the Historic Preservation Committee and served on the board of the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts. A familiar face at the podium at city meetings, Jane was consistent in reminding public officials of the importance of protecting this beautiful village with her always-prepared, intelligent and reasoned testimony. Widow of noted scholar Milton Mayer, Jane oversaw publication of his biography of University of Chicago President Robert Maynard Hutchins. She died in October, 2001.

J.S. "Jim" Holliday's abundant energy and vision helped sustain the CRA in its earliest days. With his fervent emphasis on the protection and preservation of Carmel's quality of life and natural beauty, Jim left his mark on Carmel. He served on the Forest and Beach Commission, the Jeffers Tor House Foundation and the 2016 Committee. Through his two definitive books on the Gold Rush and his association with the California Historical Society, the Bancroft Library, the Oakland Museum and Ken Burns' and other television series on the West, Jim brought California's rich history to life and was the recipient of many prestigious awards. He died in August, 2006.

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