The Pebble Beach Lot Plan

By Susan Mary Goldbeck

Susan opposes large-scale development in Del Monte Forest, including the Pebble Beach lot plan. The Pebble Beach Company owns some 140 lots that it wishes to develop with houses in the Del Monte Forest. PBC has just obtained authorization to sell water from its reclamation efforts for some 200 more homes to private lot owners.

Properly values not only in the Forest but also in the entire Fifth District will be depressed by the impact of this development. Traffic on Highway 1 and Highway 68 is already bad enough--additional development will only make the gridlock worse. Can we really afford more people and more cars?

Development means years of dirt, noise and congestion

If the Pebble Beach lot plan is approved, we can look forward to years of construction in the Forest, with all of the dirt and noise that entails. What compelling need is served by this intrusion into our tranquil neighborhoods? Sure, the Pebble Beach Company will promise to construct some "affordable housing" to "sweeten the pot," this minor concession cannot be the basis for paving and overbuilding our future not only in this area but throughout the County.

The Monterey Pine Forest will be seriously impacted by large-scale development in the Forest

Our world famous Monterey Pine Forest will be threatened by the impact of construction and by the removal of trees to make way for homes and other buildings.

The project is simply too big

The extent of the proposed development in the Del Monte Forest by PBC, as described in a recent article in the Coast Weekly (Oct. 30, 2003) includes "the construction of a huge new golf course, more than 100 hotel rooms, 33 houses, 60 apartments, 11 `golf cottages' and three parking lots. It involves the relocation of a 40-acre equestrian center right in the middle of a wildlife preserve. It involves cutting down more than 15,000 trees, including 100 acres of prime old-growth Monterey Pine forest, plus a bunch of live oaks and rare cypresses. Half million cubic yards of earth will be moved."