Letters to the Editor 02.03.22

Rocky Road

When I first arrived in Monterey in 1964 as an NPS student, one of the first things I noted on Cannery Row was that big empty blight (“A prime waterfront property on Cannery Row has been vacant for decades, and today it’s not even clear who owns it. What went wrong?” Jan. 27-Feb. 2). Thirty-six years later, when I bought my vacation townhouse on Del Monte Beach, that blight was still there. And now, 58 years later, it’s still there.

Thanks for your story. I hope movers and shakers in the area take note and take care of that blight. But then I’ve been hoping that for 58 years. S. Duane Stratton | Monterey

I hope the Cannery Row lot stays as is forever. The current state of that lot is a clear reflection of the depravity and degradation of the characters involved.

This article was extremely disturbing. How corrupt is our court system?! How is it that a man who embezzles millions is able to negotiate a very short jail sentence? And worse, a convicted sex offender with loads of evidence of grievous offenses roams free? I applaud your thorough journalism. Jessica Avila | Seaside

Such an extraordinary, beautiful waterfront strip of land deserves to be enjoyed by the public. The previous course of this project is nearly impossible to comprehend unless one dedicates months, if not years, to reading all the permits, legal briefs, court documents, etc.

Had Ruby Falls not stepped in when it did and deployed millions in permitting, legal fees and mortgage payments, the project would have failed long ago – leaving the land vacant and disheveled for another 30 years.

All parties are awaiting the California Court of Appeal’s final ruling as to whether the foreclosure against Aqualegacy was proper. In the end Ruby Falls Fund is on title. Strangely, Aqualegacy now controls the property and collects parking revenues, even though it never paid a dime toward the Geneva note. It seems that the legal system is on the rocks, as well as the project.

My altruistic views have been dismissed. Because the completion of any project can mean millions of dollars, the “me” culture can only imagine that any efforts are for self-advancement alone. Has the making of a profit after great risk and effort become a bad thing in America? Bob Faulis | Monterey

Faulis is a principal of Ruby Falls Fund LLC, one of the companies that claims to own the property.

David Schmalz did an excellent job of describing what is not happening on Cannery Row. He points to something John Steinbeck wrote in 1957 about the future of that vacant property: “young and fearless and creative architects” are “some of the very best artists” and he suggested they design “something that will add to the exciting beauty rather than cancel it out.”

In 2013, 16 students from Cal Poly’s Landscape Architecture Summer Design Studio came to Monterey, studied the site and returned a couple of weeks later with 16 designs for what can happen in that space.

Steinbeck was right! Residents, visitors, businesses and the city as a whole will benefit more from one of the proposed ideas than more multimillion-dollar condos and T-shirt shops. Steinbeck said it, the ideas are there. Bob Evans | Monterey

The thorough report regarding the Cannery Row eyesore was a perfect example of the kind of in-depth journalism the Monterey County Weekly does so well. I am probably more conservative than many Weekly staff and readers, but I never miss a week and provide monthly support so we continue to have this quality of investigative journalism in our county.

Thank you for keeping me informed about important community affairs. Onnette McElroy | Pacific Grove

Home Team

Thank you for the story on East Garrison affordable housing (“Why affordable housing does not come cheap,” posted Jan. 24). I am delighted that the CHISPA project is getting underway. But what about the other services that should go along with affordable housing, like grocery stores and transit? At the moment the closest grocery store is over four miles away and the closest bus stop is at least two miles away. Bike paths exist for those who want to explore Fort Ord, but not for anyone hoping to get to Marina to shop or go to the library.

The developer promised a Town Center years ago, but no timeline has been provided for construction. Here we are, a yes-in-my-backyard neighborhood, hamstrung by all the other elements that go into making affordable housing, well, affordable! Helen Shamble | East Garrison

Rental Market

It seems the rental registry ignores some important existing features of the housing market (“Salinas moves to implement a rental registry, minus an inspection provision,” Jan. 27-Feb. 2).

I can only speculate about how many homeowners do not pay taxes on income from rooms they rent out or apartments converted illegally, but I am guessing it’s a significant portion of the housing market. I can only speculate on how many renters sublet rooms and pay no taxes on that income. I can only speculate on how many landlords overcrowd buildings they rent out and only pay taxes on a portion of that income. People who aren’t paying taxes on income are unlikely to join the registry willingly. Greta Nisson | Monterey

Smoke, Fire

The Palo Colorado fire was caused by a pile burn that got out of control (“The Colorado Fire in Big Sur has upended the notion of a ‘wildfire season,’” Jan. 27-Feb. 2). A fire in January does not mean the wildfire season is now all year. It does mean the county should ban the burning of piles of brush and other debris. These burns have no place in a fire-prone state dealing with climate change.

As a rural resident I have long deplored the polluting smoke commonly seen and smelled on every nice winter day. Brush piles can instead become compost heaps. Another alternative is chipping the brush into mulch. Burning piles aggravates asthma and other respiratory conditions. Beverly Bean | Corral de Tierra