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CURRENT STATUS OF COUNTY ACTION ON PEBBLE BEACH COMPANY'S TEN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

MONTEREY COUNTY

COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE

SALLY R. REED
COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

230 CHURCH ST., BLDG. 3
SALINAS, CA 93901
(831) 755-51 15/P
FAX (831) 757-5792
www.co.monterey.ca.us

April 29,2004

Ted R. Hunter
Carl E. Nielsen
Concerned Residents of Pebble Beach and Monterey County
P.O. Box 1229
Pebble Beach, CA 93953

RE: County Development Application Process and Submittal of Measure "A"

Dear Messrs. Hunter and Nielsen:

Thank you for your letter of April 16,2004 in which you expressed concerns about how the County Planning and Building Inspection Department is handling the processing of Measure "A" and the Pebble Beach Company's Del Monte Forest Preservation and Development Plan.

You stated that in your opinion the Planning Department has scheduled hearings and decisions on this project in a way which does not follow a logical sequence. The Planning and Building Inspection Department has devised a process where the County will forward Measure A to the Coastal Commission for certification following the Board of Supervisors' review of the Pebble Beach Company's proposal. This process is intended to balance the need for a timely submission of the initiative to the Coastal Commission with the stated need of the Commission for adequate environmental information to allow a review of Measure A's consistency with the Coastal Act. The County can then rely on the development project's final environmental document to provide much of the information requested by Coastal Commission staff. Additional information which is specific to Measure A is now being prepared by the Department and will be available concurrently with the final EIR. This process of moving Measure A and the development project along together has allowed a savings of taxpayers' money by allowing the County to utilize information within the project's EIR to respond to the Coastal Commission's information request. I believe that this process follows a logical sequence.

I am aware that the Coastal Commission staffs view of the preferred process differs from Monterey County's view. I am convinced that the process that the Planning and Building Inspection Department is currently undertaking is the best and most understandable way to move forward with both Measure A and the development proposal.

You also question the Department plans to release the final EIR on the Pebble Beach Company's proposal following the review of the project by the County Subdivision Committee and just prior to the first public hearing before the Planning Commission. My understanding from the Planning & Building Inspection Department is that development proposals are frequently brought to the Subdivision Committee prior to the completion of the Final EIR. The Subdivision Committee is primarily looking at technical issues relating to subdivisions, lot line adjustments, and conditional certificates of compliance included within the application. As such they do not normally require a completed Final EIR. The Committee currently has copies of the draft EIR and copies of all comments received by the County prior to their April 8,2004 meeting date. If Committee members determine that they do not have sufficient information upon which to base their recommendation they can request that staff provide this information before they take action.

You expressed concern over the ability of the Planning Commission and the public to digest and understand the final EIR without adequate time to do so. Although I appreciate the difficulty of reading and acting on literally thousands of pages of analysis, I understand that this development involves many complex planning issues. I also understand that the Commissioners and the public have had the opportunity to review the draft EIR, attend informational meetings, and participate in a guided tour of project sites. I believe that all efforts have been taken to insure maximum public participation in the review of the Pebble Beach Company's application.

If you have further questions regarding Measure A, or the Pebble Beach Company's development application, you may want to contact Planning Director Scott Hennessy at 883-5161 or Senior Planner Thom McCue at 883-7528.

Sincerely,

/ss/

Sally R. Reed

cc: Charles McKee
Scott Hennessy
Thom McCue