Monterey and Pacific Grove act to restrict visitor access at Fisherman's Wharf and Lovers Point.

Two of the most popular tourist destinations on the Monterey Peninsula—Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey and Lovers Point in Pacific Grove—will limit access to visitors in the coming weeks until the end of Labor Day weekend.

The Monterey City Council directed its city staff to begin limiting the number of visitors on Fisherman's Wharf on weekends. The city called last night's special meeting after a photo of a crowded wharf with no social distancing was posted to Reddit and widely circulated on social media.

The council heard different possible solutions from staff and from residents who spoke during the online meeting. Setting a specific number of people was discussed but rejected as problematic, Monterey City Manager Hans Uslar said in a press briefing on Thursday. Some people only pass through the wharf to board boats for fishing or whale watching, plus there are workers, diners and others who would not be contributing to the crowding issue.

An access point to the wharf will be created, staffed by someone who will keep an eye on whether visitors are able to maintain a safe distance from one another. If it gets too crowded, access will be blocked until enough people exit. The staff person will also make sure everyone who enters is wearing a face covering, per the city's and county's executive orders.

The city will begin monitoring the crowd at the wharf this weekend, Aug. 22-23 and continue on weekends until Labor Day. Monterey officials will also limit parking to 50-percent capacity, a move that seemed to work well last weekend during the heatwave.

In Pacific Grove, City Manager Ben Harvey used his emergency authority to close down smaller beaches around Lovers Point as well as the park and parking lot and limit access to its main beach for water sports only beginning this weekend, the city announced today. He also closed the parking turnouts along Ocean View Boulevard. The closures are in effect from Saturday, Aug. 22 through Tuesday, Sept. 8. 

The move comes at the same time as a joint announcement by cities and other jurisdictions lining the Monterey Bay to limit beach access over Labor Day weekend.