Pebble Beach Affordable Housing On The Way, Good News For Monterey County Seniors.

by Richard Kuehn on 06/01/12

View From A Non-Profit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California

The Pebble Beach Company's (PBC) attempt to pay a fee of $4.5 million in lieu of building affordable housing on some of the most valuable real estate in the world has hit a wall.  The State Coastal Commission recently approved PBCs request to do a major expansion. The development which is coming includes 90 new homes, a 100-room hotel across from Spyglass Hill Golf Course, a 301-car parking garage and a 17,000 square-foot spa with 40 underground parking spaces. It also includes expansion of existing resorts.  In return for these large projects, the government always asks for some concessions on the affordable housing front.  Since this is the last piece of land the Coastal Commission is going to allow PBC to develop in the Del Monte Forest, the Monterey County Planning Commission came to the decision that it was now or never to get affordable housing built there.  PBC had initially set aside $4.5 million in fees to pay for its affordable housing commitment, however, the Monterey County Planning Commission on Wednesday said the units would have to be built in Pebble Beach on the company's corporation yard site unless a new site is found before construction approval begins.  Commissioner Keith Vandevere said that the $4.5 million wouldn't even be enough money to buy land on the Monterey Peninsula for an affordable housing site.  The Planning Commission recommended rentals be built for moderate, low and very low income levels.  I'm very pleased by their decision.  We are constantly getting calls from seniors looking for help and housing is extremely expensive on the Monterey Peninsula.