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PEBBLE BEACH COMPANY DEVELOPMENT PLAN

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Del Monte Forest Land Use Advisory Committee (DMFLUAC)

September 25, 2002

The scoping of the EIR for the Pebble Beach development application is complicated by its dependence on Measure A. Measure A has not been certified by the Coastal Commission, a requirement for its implementation. Yet, the centerpiece of the PB application is a new 18 hole golf course which is dependent on the recreational zoning contained in Measure A. The County's decision to permit the application process to go forward prior to the certification has been protested by this committee as improper and potentially open to legal challenge.

In addition, the County has incorporated Measure A in its update of the Del Monte Forest LCP for the new General Plan, assuming its legitimacy.

Since the EIR must address the actual development plan without reference to Measure A, the scoping must examine its basic consistency with the operative LCP. It will be seen that the proposed plan is totally inconsistent with the Natural and Visual Resource elements of the existing LCP. The overriding requirement of these elements is the maximum preservation of the native Monterey pine forest habitat. Since the proposed golf course and new golf ranges will destroy most of the existing significant stands of forest, this requirement cannot be mitigated with random set asides of non-contiguous habitat. When the actual number of trees to be destroyed is tabulated, the designation of Measure A as a preservation measure for the Del Monte Forest will be seen for the misrepresentation it is. It is incumbent for the County to present precise numbers.

Since the proposed golf course and practice ranges will impact the use of water, the efficiency of the reclamation Project must be improved beyond its present yield. The Company has indicated its willingness to go forward with the necessary improvements to achieve anticipated yield contingent on its ability to sell part of its "Entitlement Water" at top price as the source of funding for these improvements. This is still under discussion and has not been approved by the WMD.

Finally, the EIR should address the potential impact of the increase in hotel units being proposed for the Lodge and the Inn. The residents should be given equal consideration in their needs and their monetary investments as the Company. There has been a steady decline of privacy and peaceful living conditions over the past several years. In fact, the Forest has been turned into a construction site. The proposed plan could exacerbate this and could conceivably diminish the value of residential properties within the Forest as a whole. Since the property tax burden falls more heavily on the residents, they should at the very least have a seat at the table.

Janice M. O'Brien