The Carmel Valley Angel Project has completed another successful year of helping Valley residents during the holiday season. More than 300 people attended the annual community Thanksgiving dinner, and the Angel Store brightened the holidays for 71 families, including 162 children.
Many thanks to the Carmel Valley Community Center, the Carmel Valley Recreation and Parks District, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, and all the volunteers and donors who contributed so generously to the project.
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From the Carmel River Watershed Conservancy:
Free to the public, the Second annual celebration of
California Wildlife Day
on Saturday March 23
10 am to 3 pm
at the new Palo Corona Discovery Center.
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From MEarth:
Building off a successful program for Carmel Middle School, we're holding our FoodConnect After School Program beginning on February 25th and running Monday afternoons from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. until April 22nd.
Open to all Monterey County students, we'll introduce students to a culinary world and taste experiences through hands-on learning in MEarth's organic garden and LEED-certified culinary classroom/kitchen. Students will be creating delicious, healthy snacks and desserts every week and culinary skills will definitely be awakened! Spread the word! Scholarships are available.
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From CVA member Mark Angel:
I was hoping that you could include in your weekly news letter that I teach
Qi Gong exercise at the Gazebo at the Carmel Valley Community Center each Friday at 9 am.
I do ask for a $5-$20 contribution, if people ask, but I do not require payment to attend the class.
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Monthly
Senior
Lunch
1st Monday of the Month
Free! All Carmel Valley Seniors Invited!
Seating starts at 11:30 am for 12 noon hot lunch buffet.
CV Community Center
25 Ford Rd
Carmel Valley Village
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Come and Share the Wonders of
Point Lobos
Easy Access Adventures!
Visitors of all abilities are invited to experience the Easy Access Trails at Point Lobos. You are welcome to tour at your own pace, whether you walk fast or slow, are pushing a stroller or walker, using a cane or wheelchair.
We also have a presentation that we can show to your group or staff at your
location. Be sure to see the information regarding applying for FREE entry, which is made possible by a generous grant from the Point Lobos Foundation.
Sea Lion Point Tours
10 AM - Noon:
Thursday, January 17
Wednesday, February
Thursday, February 21
Highlights at Sea Lion Point - California Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, Otters,
Pelicans, Gulls and Cormorants - Whales in migration
or contact Melissa Gobell, Docent Program Coordinator
or 831 625-1470
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Safely Dispose of Your
Sharps and Meds!
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In Times of Emergency
by David Burbidge
Important steps we all should take to prepare for fire, flood, earthquakes, and other natural disasters.
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Header photo by
Carmel Valley Photographer
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From our Friends at the
Carmel River Watershed Conservancy:
Could Wildfires Enter Carmel Valley?
Two years ago you watched the Soberanes Fire approach Carmel Valley, Cachagua, Carmel Highlands, and Point Lobos and burn almost 30% of our watershed. We narrowly avoided the wildfire spreading into our local communities, but the next time we may not be so fortunate. These past weeks you have also watched the Camp Fire in Paradise and the Woolsey Fire in Malibu, which have left 90 people dead and 18,650 structures destroyed.
CRWC has led a coalition of non-profits that are actively seeking funds to apply best practices to preventing wildfire spread, including maintenance of key fuel breaks, clearing dry underbrush, and applying prescribed burns to optimal areas under CalFire's supervision. Our coalition has applied for grants and recently succeeded in securing funding for a Fuel Mitigation Coordinator that will implement the Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
But we still have a long way to go, so your renewed donation will be crucial in keeping our momentum going in wildfire prevention as well as many other activities in the Carmel River Watershed. We cannot afford to risk the Carmel Valley and nearby localities by under-funding this essential fire prevention work.
Won't you help us protect the Carmel River Watershed and prevent wildfire spread into our local communities?
Sincerely,
Ella McDougall & Lorin Letendre
Carmel River Watershed Conservancy
Carmel, CA
to learn more about the Conservancy's projects and make a donation.
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CVA Advocacy Project
Want some help? CVA Is Creating a Record of Issues and Problems That Occur in Our Valley and helping residents find solutions.
to let us know what the problem is,
and we'll begin working with you on a solution.
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Rio Ranch Commercial Development
Draft EIR Published
Foothill Partners is proposing to build a commercial retail development on approximately 3.8 acres of land located at 3705 Rio Road within the County of Monterey's Carmel Valley Master Plan Area in unincorporated Monterey County, California. The retail development would consist of four commercial retail buildings, including a maximum 23,000-square-foot convenience market/grocery store and three smaller buildings ranging from approximately 5,000 to 8,335 square feet. The building footprint of all buildings would occupy 26 percent of the 164,421-square-foot site.
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Cima Collina Winery Sues the County
Over Denial of Special Events at Hilltop Ranch
In late 2017 the Monterey County Board of Supervisors re-affirmed the Planning Commission's reversal of the "administrator's interpretation" that Cima Collina's "Hilltop Ranch" be allowed to hold special events because some grapes are grown on the property. The board's decision was that special events and large marketing events are not part of viticulture in the low density residential zone. That was the position strongly advocated by CVA and the neighbors.
Hilltop Ranch has sued the county, claiming that opponents (including CVA) waited too long to contest the administrator's interpretation and that neither the county supervisors nor the county planning commissioners had jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Representatives for CVA and the neighbors have attended the court hearings and they continue to monitor the situation.
Reversal of the County Supervisors' ruling, and the precedent set by it, would have an extremely negative impact on our valley!
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September Ranch
 Clear Peak Group has purchased previously approved development rights for September Ranch. The Group's purchase comes with a tentative map and well permit, as well as 190 conditions for the 891-acre property. Planned is a Tehama style project with 73 residential lots, sized at 2-4 acres and priced at $1-1.5 million. The project also calls for 22 affordable housing units (15 inclusionary and 7 deed-restricted workforce housing). The equestrian center fronting Carmel Valley Road will remain in place.
The partners anticipate obtaining a final map and starting construction by April-June 2019. Phase 1 will develop primarily the east ridge of the property. The new entrance to the project will be toward the east side of the property, across from Brookdale Drive. As approved in 2011, conditions for that intersection specify a signal light.
More in keeping with current road policy, CVA is asking for a roundabout, not a signal light, on Carmel Valley Road at the new entrance. In that regard, we are pressing for that option with the County and with our Supervisor's office.
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Rancho Cañada Court Case
Decided in CVA's Favor
The Carmel Valley Association prevailed on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and affordable housing.
The developer can appeal, restart the process with new documents, or abandon the project. We are in negotiations with the developer and the county which we expect will alleviate many of the project's shortcomings.
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Sincerely,
Pris Walton, President
Carmel Valley Association
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Curious About CVA?
Carmel Valley Association is one of the oldest, largest, and
most successful community organizations in Monterey County. We are entirely volunteer, with no paid employees. Our mission is to defend the beauty, resources and rural character of our beautiful valley. We do that by working with residents, businesses, and government.
CVA was instrumental in the adoption of the Carmel Valley Master Plan and recently settled a lawsuit with Monterey County regarding traffic measurement and capping future development on very favorable terms for our valley. Our volunteer experts represent Carmel Valley's interest, testifying before governmental bodies concerning development, water, traffic, road signs, and other quality of life issues.
We keep valley residents informed about important issues and events with our online Calendar, our weekly email Bulletin, which goes to over 900 residents, and our quarterly Newsletter, which is mailed to over 7,000 valley addresses
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Member Richard Cheatham has created a video about our beautiful Carmel Valley and CVA's role in preserving it.
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