Land use deal brings Sand City one step closer to construction of multi-use trail.

The completion of the multi-use bike trail through Sand City is one major step closer to completion with a new land use agreement. 

Sand City has long struggled to build the path connecting the trail along the coast of Monterey to Seaside because the proposed project crosses into land belonging to different entities. In particular, the Transportation Agency for Monterey County owns the 100-foot-long stretch of an inactive railroad between Contra Costa Street and La Playa Avenue. 

Now, under a new agreement approved by the TAMC board on Oct. 28 and by the Sand City City Council on Nov. 2, Sand City will obtain site control of that land for 30 years, meaning it has the right to construct on it. 

“It feels great,” says Vibeke Norgaard, city manager of Sand City, of the agreement. “When I started as city manager, this had been in plans for 20 years.” 

The 30 years of site control starting Jan. 1, 2027 means that Sand City will also qualify to receive and apply for grants that could be used to construct the trail, which would include bike and pedestrian paths. According to a city staff report, construction will likely cost about $9.9 million. Sand City has already received almost $2.3 million in state and local grants, and is applying for more. 

In a win for Sand City, it will not have to pay rent on the land except for the part it plans to use for 101 parking spaces, according to Norgaard, who presented during the city council meeting Nov. 2. 

TAMC will charge Sand City approximately $10,000 per month for use of the parking spaces, and has allowed the city to charge for parking, which Norgaard said may or may not recoup the full cost of rent. 

The agreement also requires Sand City to give TAMC a one-year construction notice in order to allow TAMC to change or end leases with the existing tenants on the space. There are 11 current lessees, such as auto dealerships and businesses. 

The task remains to reach an agreement with Seaside to build on its southernmost slice of land from Canyon Del Rey Boulevard to Contra Costa Street, and to obtain funding to kickstart construction. Norgaard says that talks with Seaside have gone well, and she didn't anticipate major hurdles to reaching an agreement.