Category: Overuse

OCR & Hwy 1, aka Bixby Bridge Parking Lot

From a friend trying to get down OCR to the highway at 4 pm on Friday:

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And then, once she was, this is the bus stop:

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Events in MoCo – a way to get involved

Want to be heard on the holding of special events on Highway One? Like the Dream Drive promoted by California, Central Coast and MoCo tourist agencies? Consider coming to as many of these meetings as you can. Once a month, in Salinas. Or let’s set up a rotating crew of Big Sur residents and workers to make sure our voice is hear.

Monterey County Special Events Task Force
Post Car Week Discussion
The August Special Events Task Force Meeting will be held on August 30thin the Cayenne Room. This will allow for post Car Week discussion. The agenda is forthcoming. The Resource Management Agency (RMA) of Monterey County cordially invites you to participate in our Special Events Task Force.

WHAT: Special Event Task Force, a collaborative effort to promote hassle-free special event permitting to ensure safe and successful events in Monterey County.

WHO: Special event organizers and stakeholders (e.g. hospitality industry, tent rental companies, event support companies, etc), Monterey County regulatory agencies, interested members of the public.

WHY: Event organizers will gain valuable insights and feedback on the ins and outs of special event permitting in Monterey County. County regulators will get the opportunity to provide transparency on their processes to organizers and the public. Members of the public will be able to voice their comments, interests and concerns regarding event planning in their community.

WHEN: Every fourth Thursday once a Month from 9:00-10:30 am

WHERE: The Thyme Room, Monterey County Government Center, 1441 Schilling Place, 2nd Floor, Salinas 93901

Crowded Out: The Story of Overtourism

There is a 20 minute British Documentary with the above title that is really worth seeing.  Unfortunately, I can’t seem to embed it here, but if you click on this link immediately below, then click on arrow at the bottom of the film, or click on Play Film on top,  it will play for you. It is a great little film that takes us out of our own Big Sur over tourism problems and introduces you to a few of the others. It is time to start managing, and several of us are working on that. I’ll keep you posted.

Crowded Out: The Story of Overtourism

Here is the first screen shot (no active links below, click on link above):

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When you see that, click on the arrow to get here (this is a screen shot) and then click on the arrow to start documentary. Very well done.

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STRs public meeting

From the CVA:

A Short-Term Rental Ordinance for Carmel Valley
with no Limitation on Location, Number, or Type?
Next Wednesday the Planning Commission will conduct a public workshop on short-term rentals (STRs) and receive a report on the consistency of the draft ordinance with local area plans. We urge you to attend.
The workshop will be held on Wednesday, July 11, 2018 at 10:30 AM, in the Monterey County Board of Supervisors Chambers, County Government Center, 168 West Alisal Street in Salinas.
A survey by the firm Host Compliance, conducted at the request of CVA, determined that there are more than 140 advertised STRs in areas zoned residential in Carmel Valley. Over 80% of these are “whole homes,” generally investor-owned houses without a permanent resident, “managed” by off-site property management companies.
This category has been demonstrated to cause a loss of affordable housing and the disruption of neighborhoods. Many jurisdictions have enacted severe limits on STRs. Carmel and Monterey have banned them, Pacific Grove has limited their number (and may, through the initiative process, ban them completely), and cities such as San Francisco have limited them to “home stays,” where a resident owner must be present.
The ordinance proposed by county officials, although it does create a licensing procedure, does nothing to limit the number and type of STRs in our valley.
CVA has proposed what we believe is a reasonable compromise, limiting STRs to “home stays,” with the resident owner present. We have also made clear to the county that we expect any rules to conform to the Carmel Valley Master Plan, which limits the number of visitor accommodations in the area. We need your help to protect our valley! Plan to attend the workshop, or if you are unable, write or email the planners at:
RMAcomments@co.monterey.ca.us
 
Be sure to include your name and physical address.
Points you might consider including:
  • Unhosted STRs are essentially hotels in areas zoned residential. They violate the peace and quiet we expect when we purchase or rent a home.
  • Investor owned STRs have been proven to limit the availability of affordable housing.
  • Master Plan limitations on visitor serving units must be honored.
Read the notice from the county.
Read CVA’s April 20 letter to the county stating our position.

STR public workshop, 7/11 at 10:30 am

Notice of Public Workshop Monterey County Planning Commission
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the County of Monterey, State of California will conduct a public workshop as described below.
• Conduct a public workshop to receive a report on Advisory Committee outreach and preliminary consistency of the draft short-term rental ordinance with local area plans; and
• CEQA review to be conducted based on final draft ordinances.
The workshop will be held on Wednesday, July 11, 2018 at the hour of 10:30 a.m., in the Monterey County Board of Supervisors Chambers, County Government Center, 168 West Alisal Street, Salinas, California, at which time and place any and all interested persons may appear and be heard thereon.
IF YOU CHALLENGE THIS MATTER IN COURT, YOU MAY BE LIMITED TO RAISING ONLY THOSE ISSUES YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE RAISED AT THE PUBLIC HEARING DESCRIBED IN THIS PUBLIC NOTICE OR IN WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE DELIVERED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT OR BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
TO SUBMIT COMMENTS:
We welcome your comments on this matter. The Agency accepts comments via e-mail or facsimile but requests that you follow these instructions to ensure that the Agency has received your comments.
To submit your comments by e-mail, please send a complete document including all attachments to: RMAcomments@co.monterey.ca.us. An e-mailed document should contain the name of the person or entity submitting the comments and contact information such as phone number, mailing address and/or e-mail address and include any and all attachments referenced in the e-mail. To ensure a complete and accurate record, we request that you also provide a follow-up hard copy to the name and address listed below. If you do not wish to send a follow- up hard copy, then please send a second e-mail requesting confirmation of receipt of comments with enough information to confirm that the entire document was received. If you do not receive e-mail confirmation of receipt of comments, then please submit a hard copy of your comments to ensure inclusion in the record or contact the Agency to ensure the Agency has received your comments.
Facsimile (fax) copies will be accepted with a cover page describing the extent (e.g. number of pages) being transmitted. A faxed document must contain a signature and all attachments referenced therein. Faxed documents should be sent to the contact noted below at (831) 757-9516. To ensure a complete and accurate record, we request that you also provide a follow-up hard copy to the name and address listed below. If you do not wish to send a follow-up hard copy, then please contact the Agency to confirm that the entire document was received.
You may submit your comments in hard copy to the name and address below.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kate Battiato, Management Analyst III
Monterey County Resource Management Agency
1441 Schilling Place, 2nd Floor South, Salinas CA, 93901 (831) 759-6560, battiatok@co.monterey.ca.us

Park Management as the USFS steward on the South Coast of Big Sur

While the lack of bathrooms on the entire Big Sur Coast is a huge problem, Park Management, who manages several of them, has locked them up, and is no longer providing access, creating a huge health issue as well as a disgusting experience.

Xasauan Today https://xasauantoday.com/ covered this issue just a few days ago. Today, Gail D and Lisa G sent me these three photos of conditions at Mill Creek, one of 3 public bathrooms on the South Coast outside of the campgrounds. The fourth photo is of Willow Creek, and looks to be the same location in Xasauan Today’s shot. Sand Dollar Beach has had its gates closed and locked, so I cannot get in to check the bathrooms there.

Gail D has contacted Jeff Benson, recreation officer of the Monterey District, but not received a reply. Anni Agren has contacted Tim Short, District Ranger of the Monterey District, but he is out of town until next week. I have sent these photo on to Tim Short as well as to Merv George, who is the Acting Supervisor of the Los Padres National Forest and have sent both these four photos.

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Board of Supervisor’s Meeting re STRs 6/19/2018

The Board meeeting starts at 9 am, but STRs are scheduled for 10:30 am. I did not download anything other than the 2 maps re STRS, but if you go to the county website, here Mo Co Main Page and on the bottom is the link to the Board of Supervisors Meetings.

These two maps may be of interest to some of you. If so, I suggest you download them, so that you can enlarge them.

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CPOA letter re 2018-2019 County budget & visitor impacts on Big Sur

Hello Everyone,

The following letter was sent to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors among others concerning the need to address the growing impacts, from ever increasing visitation, to the environment, resources and community of Big Sur.

You may download a PDF version of the letter HERE (PDF, 2 pages, 103KB).

Monterey County Board of Supervisors
Government Center
168 W. Alisal St.
Salinas, CA 93901

Subject: Urgent need to address Big Sur visitor impacts in 2018-2019 Budget

Dear Chair Alejo and Honorable Supervisors,

The Board of Directors of the Coast Property Owners Association (CPOA) respectfully and urgently asks that your Board adopt a Monterey County budget for 2018-2019 which includes funding sufficient to address the growing public health and safety issues caused by an unprecedented increase in the number of visitors to Big Sur.

Visitors arrive in Big Sur and are met with traffic jams that can trap them for hours, trash, toilet paper and human waste lining the roads and turnouts, automobile break ins, theft and vandalism, and in general completely inadequate facilities and services to address the obvious needs of the traveling public. In previous letters to the Board, CPOA has described these issues at great length. We will not repeat all of the disturbing impacts in detail here. Please be assured that conditions have not improved noticeably to date.

We recognize and appreciate the efforts of Supervisor Adams and her staff to work with stakeholders to address these issues and we are prepared to continue work with the County and other agencies to find and implement solutions.

We are, however, in the unfortunate situation of again reminding the Board that existing facilities and services – many provided by resident volunteers – are dangerously overwhelmed throughout Big Sur and the South Coast, and the summer visitor season is just starting. Unless you take immediate action, everyone’s safety, quality of life, the natural environment, and the world-class visitor experience that helps support Monterey County’s economy will continue to degrade rapidly.  Nobody wants this.

Specifically, the CPOA board is requesting that funding be provided to ensure adequate law enforcement and emergency response including ambulance coverage. As the number of visitors increases to more than fill the capacity of roadways, turnouts, parking areas and public facilities there is a corresponding increase in the number of accidents and road hazards. Emergency response times increase as well since already stretched law enforcement and first responders are hampered by traffic conditions and cannot timely reach incident sites. Even a small delay can turn one minor incident into several more severe accidents before help can arrive and should an incident spark a wildfire the situation becomes even more dire. More Sheriff officers on duty are desperately needed, especially during heavy visitor use periods that can be expected during this upcoming summer and fall, and providing timely emergency medical response and ambulance is equally vital.

Additionally, we are asking for immediate funding to regularly clean up human waste and trash currently lining the roadsides including at some of our most important viewing areas. At a minimum, please provide funding for the installation and maintenance of temporary toilets. These temporary facilities to remain in place until such time permanent facilities are operational.

If enough properly serviced toilets are not possible (we note that the Big Sur International Marathon provided over 500 portable toilets for that event alone), we ask that the County provide hazardous waste cleanup crews who can regularly remove human waste and trash from roadsides including in turnouts and private driveway access points and dispose of it safely. Our visitors come from all over the world, and we believe that preventing residents, visitors and our natural environment from contacting or spreading pathogens transmitted in human waste is critical.

As we have stated in the past, we believe that while funding is very short, existing funds can be used to address these critical needs. One option is to use a portion of Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) funds generated by overnight stays in Big Sur and elsewhere by overnight visitors many of whom visit Big Sur during their stay.

As the County budget document points out on Page 600, the precise purpose of TOT is to“offset the jurisdiction’s general fund expenses for public safety, street cleaning, street maintenance, etc. that are, to a limited degree, consumed and utilized by visitors and transient occupants. This is exactly what we are asking to be done this year. Specifically, we suggest that the county reallocate a portion of the Development Set-Aside (DSA) Program funds. We believe this is a key step in creating a responsible, sustainable visitor economy, and that it is vital to make this investment now so our efforts to attract visitors are not undermined by our failure to address their needs. We estimate that 20% of TOT collected from Big Sur be brought back to Big Sur to address these issues.

We recognize that the County is only one of many governmental entities that have responsibility for the Big Sur area, but the County’s role is central to all the others.  We hope the County will continue to take the lead working with everyone involved so that the immediate actions outlined here can lead to a meaningful, long term solution. We at CPOA remain committed to working closely with the County to deal with these issues now and in the future.

Sincerely,

Butch Kronlund, President, Coast Property Owners Associatio

Tourist Tuesday, 5/15/18

“Sustainable Moments” is the current mantra of the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau. (https://www.seemonterey.com/regions/big-sur/big-sur-sustainable/) and it has become the newest “buzz” word world-wide for tourism that is threatening some of our most beautiful and pristine places on the planet. What does it really mean?

SUSTAINABLE – ADJECTIVE

  • Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level.

  • Able to be upheld or defended.

MOMENT – NOUN
     •. A very brief period of time
     •  (formal) importance.

So, by this catchy phrase, do they mean, maintain at at certain rate or level for a short period of time, which would be giving the terms their common or ordinary definition? Or do the mean to uphold or defend an important or significant interest? Do the MCCVB and the Big Sur community mean different things under this marketing lingo?

What about “sustainable tourism?” How is that defined?

Sustainable tourism is an industry committed to making a low impact on the environment and local culture, while helping to generate future employment for local people.The positive of sustainable tourism is to ensure that development is a positive experience for local people; tourism companies; and tourists themselves.
 https://www.gdrc.org/uem/eco-tour/sustour-define.html

 

Management of Sustainable Tourism (Wikipedia)

“There has been the promotion of sustainable tourism practices surrounding the management of tourist locations by locals or the community. This form of tourism is based on the premise that the people living next to a resource are the ones best suited to protecting it. This means that the tourism activities (including marketing) and businesses are developed and operated by local community members, and certainly with their consent and support. Sustainable tourism typically involves the conservation of resources that are capitalized upon for tourism purposes. Locals run the businesses and are responsible for promoting the conservation messages to protect their environment….

The use of local knowledge also means an easier entry level into a tourism industry for locals whose jobs or livelihoods are affected by the use of their environment as tourism locations. Environmentally sustainable development crucially depends on the presence of local support for a project. It has also been noted that in order for success projects must provide direct benefits for the local community….

[P]artnerships between governments and tourism agencies with smaller communities is not particularly effective because of the disparity in aims between the two groups, i.e. true sustainability versus mass tourism for maximum profit. In Honduras such a divergence can be demonstrated where consultants from the World Bank and officials from the Institute of tourism wanted to set up a selection of 5-star hotels near various ecotourism destinations. But another operating approach in the region by USAID and APROECOH (an ecotourism association) promotes community-based efforts which has trained many local Hondurans. Mader[42] concluded that the grassroot organisations were more successful in Honduras.”

Our challenge is that the “sustainable tourism” experience is no longer. It is NOT a positive experience for the Big Sur environment nor for the Big Sur community and is therefore an oxymoron and a mere marketing tool with no real value. The entire Monterey Peninsula capitalizes on the lure and attraction of the Big Sur coast, BUT it does not include the Big Sur Community at large in the decisions and management practices that it employs. I am not implying that the MCCVB does not have a role in promoting the entire Monterey County, including Big Sur, as a tourist destination, and I do feel we can work together, but I am saying this MUST be Big Sur community based endeavor, NOT just a token consult with the community, or this is not sustainable tourism for Big Sur. The community is in the best position to be able to determine what is sustainable, and regardless of catchy phrases, we have long passed beyond the limits of sustainability. As I pointed out at the last Forum of the MCCVB on their “Sustainable Moments” campaign, they have it backwards. Infrastructure must be developed to serve the tourist industry BEFORE we strive to increase the level of tourism. We, the Big Sur community, and We, the Big Sur environment, cannot create a positive tourist experience if we don’t have the means to make it positive. In sum, it is time to organize the Big Sur Community – all its diverse parts into a whole that can best address all the various issues pertaining to visitors. That is the next step, and that is what we currently need to work on.  What sustainable ideas might you have for creating a balance between quality of environment, community quality of life, and tourists’s quality of experience?
Here is a great 3 minute video worth watching. (I tried to download and embed and ran into technical difficulties.) Make sure you watch both parts. It appears finished after part 1 due to blank screen and a seemingly long pause in this instant society, but it is not. There is a part 2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN12mLY0Z0E&feature=share