Pebble Beach Company and Coastal Commission Staff Reach Agreement in Principle on a New LCP Amendment and Project for the Del Monte Forest
The Pebble Beach Company and the staff of the California Coastal Commission have signed an agreement in principle on a new Local Coastal Program (LCP) amendment and project for the Del Monte Forest. The project would include preservation of over 635 acres of sensitive habitat, new visitor-serving hotel and residential development, and improved public access, including designation and improvement of the California Coastal Trail through the Del Monte Forest. While agreed to by Commission staff, the LCP amendment and project must be approved by Monterey County and the Coastal Commission to go forward. The agreement in no way binds the County Board of Supervisors or the Coastal Commission.
Background: The Coastal Commission denied Monterey County LCP amendment 1-07 (Measure A) in June 2007. Measure A proposed to amend the County’s LCP to facilitate development of an 18-hole golf course, golf driving range, equestrian center, resort facility expansions, 160 hotel rooms, 36 single-family residences, and 60 employee housing units; the project also included conservation easements over approximately 448 acres of sensitive habitat in the Del Monte Forest. While acknowledging the proposed protected areas, the Commission’s denial findings also identified significant potential impacts from the LCP amendment to environmentally sensitive habitat, including Monterey pine forest, the endangered Yadon’s piperia, and maritime chaparral.
New Project: Since the denial of Measure A, the Pebble Beach Company and Commission staff have worked closely together to identify an alternative LCP amendment and project that would significantly reduce impacts to sensitive habitat areas while acknowledging the development potential of existing property owned by the Company. The project, which covers all remaining undeveloped Pebble Beach Company-owned lands in the Del Monte Forest coastal zone, would transfer and concentrate this development potential in and adjacent to existing developed areas of Del Monte Forest. It includes:
Permanent protection of over 635 acres of sensitive habitat in Del Monte Forest, including:
All of the Company’s remaining land in Pescadero Canyon (approximately 246 acres)
All of the Company’s remaining land adjacent to Huckleberry Hill nature preserve (approximately 120 acres)
All of the sensitive habitat area previously proposed for golf course development under Measure A (approximately 137 acres)
All of the sensitive habitat area previously proposed for golf driving range development under Measure A (approximately 29 acres)
All of the sensitive habitat area previously proposed for equestrian center development at Sawmill Gulch under Measure A (approximately 42 acres)
New visitor serving development in existing developed areas, including:
A new hotel of up to 100 rooms at the old Spyglass Quarry site
140 new hotel rooms at the existing Spanish Bay and Pebble Beach resort facilities
Meeting room expansion at the existing Spanish Bay and Pebble Beach resort facilities
A relocated Pebble Beach golf driving range in the Collins Field area (the equestrian center would remain in its current location)
A new parking area adjacent to the Spanish Bay resort
New low density single-family residential development, including:
35 lots at the existing corporation yard and equestrian center/driving range areas (approximately 23 total acres)
55 lots clustered adjacent to Poppy Hills (32 lots) and Spyglass Hill (23 lots) golf courses (approximately 56 total acres)
Public recreational access and visitor-serving improvements, including:
Designation of the Del Monte Forest trail system as components of the California Coastal Trail (CCT)
CCT and public recreational access facility improvements to optimize vehicular, pedestrian, bicycle, and equestrian access to and along the shoreline through the Del Monte Forest
Improved identification of public recreational access and use rules for the Del Monte Forest
Memorializing the Company’s continuing commitment to manage and maintain all Del Monte Forest public recreational access features over their lifetime consistent with the LCP
An in-lieu fee of up to $1 million to support development of new lower-cost visitor serving overnight accommodations in the coastal zone
The attached map identifies the proposed preservation and development areas. Commission staff and the Pebble Beach Company agree that the project strikes a reasonable balance that allows appropriate development of remaining Company lands while protecting the most significant sensitive habitat areas of the Del Monte Forest, consistent with the California Coastal Act.
Next Steps: The new project will require public environmental review, LCP amendments, and coastal development permits. The approval process, including both Monterey County and Coastal
Commission review, is expected to take approximately 24 months.
For further information, please contact:
Pebble Beach Company: Bill Perocchi (831) 622-6450 or Mark Stilwell (831) 625-8449
Coastal Commission Staff: Charles Lester or Dan Carl (831) 427-4863
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