preserving, protecting, and defending the rural character
and natural resources of Carmel Valley since 1949
Carmel Valley Association
Weekly Bulletin
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After a tumultus Carmel Valley Land Use Advisory Committee meeting Monday evening, in which residents voiced their concern about master plan violations and evictions of resident serving businesses, the new owners of the Mid-Valley Shopping Center have belatedly expressed the desire to meet and open a discussion with valley residents.
CVA will host the discussion. We'll let you know when time and location have been determined.
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Below is a copy of a letter to county officials from CVA member and long time valley resident Jason Wachs
To: The Monterey County Resource Management Agency: July 21, 2019
I would like to point out that the new Mid-Valley Shopping Center owner did more than paint posts, walls, and under eves at his recently acquired property. . . and without a permit. He painted over 3-dimensional aggregate pebble embedded panels that are architectural design features of the structures. They are found in numerous places including structural walls and on each concrete support post. They are now desecrated with paint. Much of Mid-Valley Shopping Center has virtually been vandalized. Most of the painted elements can be repainted from bright white, back to a more appropriate earth tone, or better, to the color architect Olaf Dahlstrand originally chose. He created design plans which he deemed to be emblematic of Carmel Valley, the floor of which was at the time virtually all tilled soil, used as farmland, or cattle grassland. Thus, earth tones were chosen for all exteriors. Restoring the pebble panels will not be easy, but the sooner they can be restored the better, before the paint cures. The paint now coating the natural pebble-in-aggregate must be removed.
Olaf Dahlstrand is a nationally known mid-century modern architect, whose work was chosen to be shown at our country's National Gallery in Washington DC. He was a decibel of the father of modern architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright. The Mid-Valley Shopping Center was clearly Dahlstrand’s greatest achievement, and is an architectural masterpiece, and certainly the Valley's most precious work of art. He designed the center to be emblematic of Carmel Valley's appearance. If you stand with your back to CV Road and look at the complex you can readily see how the architecture resembles the hills above and behind the buildings . . . the background hills are strong with a powerful base, and are crowned with oaks, which he interpreted by using heavy shakes on his building's roofs. The earth/soil colors are, as I said, representative of the bottom land farm soils. The pebble panels represent the pebbles from Carmel River. His work represents the strength of Carmel Valley topography, appearance, varied textures, open spaces, and strength of character of its inhabitants. Dahlstrand's work is a treasure that was designed using concrete and glass materials that will allow it to last for hundreds of years.
Two of this areas biggest banks chose Mr. Dahlstrand to design their local branches: Wells Fargo: Downtown Carmel, the mouth of the Valley, and Mid-Valley. Bank of America: their Mouth of the Valley location. Carmel-by-the-Sea chose him to design their children's library, he designed part of All Saint's School, and the first part of the Cross Roads which sits behind the Crossroads Shopping Center of today. He designed numerous other local commercial buildings in the Carmel area. Dahlstrand designed a home for his friend, Francis Whitaker, the nationally beloved Forge In the Forest master blacksmith, who had moved to Colorado where he had opened a school for blacksmiths. Most of Dahlstrand’s residential work was built in the Bay Area.
In his later years Dahlstrand served on the Carmel City Council as well as on that city’s Planning Commission. The University of California’s School of Architecture has requested that Dahlstrand’s archival materials be stored in their archives, along with but 60 other architects, among them: Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan.
Mid-Valley Shopping Center is not simply a bunch of stores. From an architectural standpoint it is not just a work of art . . . . it is a great work of art . . . . a masterpiece the likes of which you will find nowhere else, because Olaf was an artistic genius who worked here. His obsession for proportionality, scale, and harmony with nature is born out in his Mid-Valley creation. I know this because he has been so recognized by his peers in the architectural community, and I know this personally because for the last 40 years I have lived in the only locally constructed private residence he designed. I treasure every minute I spend in the work of art he designed on Encina Drive, as I look out on the Carmel Valley hills he surely loved.
Dahlstrand designed our shopping center to blend into the Valley's natural landscape and he surely would be horrified by the current owner’s desire to make it "stand out”. He designed it to exude a strength and calmness, and I always realize that when I pull up there, because my tensions dissipate, and I feel at one with the earth, the way I feel when I come home.
I hope my insights will help you to better understand why we must protect this special group of buildings in our midst. Too often as decision-makers, we realize only after we have already allowed drastic changes, that we have made an unfortunate and irreparable mistake.
We are all stewards of what we have inherited.
Jason Wachs
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Exploring a Sense of Place
A free program of the CVA Natural Resources Committee
Predators in the Landscape
with Bruce Elliott, retired Senior Biologist with CA Dept of Fish and Game, Saturday, July 27, 8:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Garland Ranch Regional Park at the Meeting Room at the Cooper House on the hill.
Wear hiking shoes and layered clothing, sun hat, sun screen, walking stick as desired. Bring sketchbook and any painting and other drawing supplies.
Don't forget food and water!
RSVP/questions call Paola Berthoin 624.9467
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Senior Activities at the Youth Center
Senior activity hours are now beginning for Tuesdays, 1-4 pm. in the Carmel Valley Community Youth Center community room, 25 Ford Road. CVCYC board members and local volunteers are collecting books, games, cards, art supplies, and puzzles. Anyone is free to bring in games that they may want to play or refreshments to share. Movement activities are planned and other ideas include organized bus trips, walking groups, and writing programs. Donations are suggested but not required.
Those who wish to provide informational presentations or entertainment, donate supplies, or direct an activity, are invited to contact Teresa Goldberg by email at teresa@cvcyc.org or call the center at 831-659-3983.
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Learn About Invasive Genista and How to Remove it!
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Unregulated Vacation Rental
or Party House in Your Neighborhood?
Under pressure from CVA and community groups, the county has initiated a hotline for residents to report problems with short-term rentals in their neighborhoods:
by telephone at (831) 900-4441, or by online form:
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CARMEL VALLEY BRANCH LIBRARY PRESENTS
Summer Reading Program:
Wednesdays @ 4 PM
JULY 24: Python Ron’s Reptile Kingdom
JULY 10: Musical Robot
Game Days:
Fridays 11 AM - 4 PM
JULY 19
Dance Hour:
Fridays 3-4 PM
JULY 26: One Hit Wonders
FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!
Light refreshments will be served
CARMEL VALLEY BRANCH LIBRARY
65 W. Carmel Valley RD
831-659-2377
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From the Carmel Valley Community Youth Center:
- Pool is open 7 days a week (12-5 pm daily).
- Aqua Aerobics classes are available on Saturdays at 11 am beginning Saturday, June 8th (no membership required, $10/class).
- Swim lessons for all ages and abilities begin Monday, June 10th. Lesson registration is available online at www.cvcyc.org.
- Our next dinner will be Friday, June 28th. This fundraising teriyaki dinner and bar will be BBQ prepared by Carmel Kiwanis. Advance ticket purchase available online.
- Adult Lap Swim is available Monday-Friday from 4:00-5:00 pm beginning June 10th.
- Swim team practices Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening from 5:00-6:30 pm. Please email knrianda@gmail.com for more information.
We can’t wait to see you this summer!
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From the Community Center:
FREE SENIOR LUNCHEON
1st Monday of each month, Community Center.
Volunteers will serve a full course meal including dessert and beverages, with perhaps a fun bingo game afterwards. All CV seniors invited for camaraderie, food and fun! (Caretakers welcome!)
Seating at 11:30, buffet served at Noon.
Sponsored by the Carmel Valley Community Youth Center, Friends of Rippling River, and the CV Women’s Club Foundation
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Carmel Valley Branch Library Hosts
Apollo 11 50th Anniversary All-Day Celebration
The Carmel Valley Branch Library of the Monterey County Free Libraries (MCFL) will be hosting an Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, July 20, 2019 from 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM.
Librarian and Branch Manager Eddy Hamelin and his staff will be running the event, which will include Storytime from Space, a classic lunar lander game, coloring and activity pages for kids, a special historical gallery with images and models, an outer space selfie station, a special NASA-themed Makerspace Fair with six stations, historical videos, outer space trivia games for kids, teens, and adults, music, dancing, and more. Plus, there will be an unveiling of a special surprise for MCFL patrons!
The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be available. This event is part of Monterey County Free Libraries’ mission to bring ideas, ins
piration, information, and enjoyment to our community. For more information, please call Librarian Eddy Hamelin, Branch Manager of the Carmel Valley Branch Library at 831-659-2377 or email him at
hamelinep@co.monterey.ca.us
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Issues of Concern to Residents of Carmel Valley
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Make sure you are signed up to receive emergency alerts!
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Come and Share the Wonders of
Point Lobos
Easy Access Adventures!
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Pris Walton, President
Carmel Valley Association
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Carmel Valley Association is one of the oldest, largest, and most suc
cessful 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 weekly email Bulletin, which goes to over 1200 residents, and our quarterly Newsletter, which is mailed to over 7,000 valley addresses.
or reply to this email
Member Richard Cheatham has created a video about our beautiful Carmel Valley and CVA's role in preserving it.
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Header photo by
Carmel Valley Photographer
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