Don’t Let Gigantic Development
Jam Our Rural Roads, Dry Up Our Wells, Kill Our Wildlife
CORRAL DE PARKING LOT
“TIERRA” MEANS EARTH NOT CONCRETE
Historically, the Grossi Ranch’s pastures
symbolized our rural, agrarian lifestyle
 Over the years, attempts at establishing an
assisted-living center there have been thwarted
 Now, developers want to pave it over for a large
shopping center even though the Toro Area
Plan policy aims to “preserve the essentially
rural quality of life”

THE ISSUES






A ranch property is proposed to become a commercial
shopping center bigger than Wal-Mart
126,000 square feet, not including the existing
abandoned gas station
Pavement for 500 parking spaces – creating polluting
storm water runoff – though some mitigation is
proposed
Traffic, traffic and more traffic -- the cumulative effects
Water supply depletion -- adding to existing overdraft
identified by county water studies
Blocking natural wildlife corridors
PRESERVING OUR RURAL LIFESTYLE



The pasture tucked behind the abandoned Exxon station, which
is not part of the development proposal, needs protection
Otherwise, the corner of Corral de Tierra Road
and Highway 68 will become
a gigantic traffic nightmare
Pastures of Heaven
will turn into a parking
lot from hell
DRAWING THE LINE AGAINST URBAN
DEVELOPMENT
WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR PASTURES?
Developing a commercial center will turn the
“pastures” into a city.
 Consequently,
traffic congestion,
noise, light will
ruin our lifestyle.

BIGGER THAN A WAL-MART
Four times larger than Stone Creek in Del Rey
Oaks
 With little done
to reduce the
negative impacts
of increased traffic
and water use.

LAWSUITS AND TOMFOOLERY





Phelps buys 5.5 acres of property being dry farmed in
the 1970's. It is zoned agricultural/residential
Sues the county to get zoning changed to commercial
Toro neighbors fight off Beverly Manor attempts to get
permits for assisted-living facilities
Project size grows to 11 acres, still not including Exxon
station lot
Phelps sues the county again, causing the planners to
adhere to a court order to complete permit process this
year
COUNTY PERMIT HISTORY
County places B-8 Zoning Overlay on the Corral
de Tierra/San Benancio Area including this
property because wells have failed
 Phelps could build on his lots of record but not
add to existing water problems
 Other issues under B-8 – traffic and sewage
(don’t forget an 88 percent increase in sewage
fees are proposed. Are they related? What do
you think?)

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Many neighbors have questioned planners
about this proposal, but county officials always
refer to the Environmental Impact Report for
answers
 However, when you look at the EIR, you find it
woefully inadequate in addressing water, traffic
and biological resources issues
 EIR recommendations out of sync with
alternatives

EIR INADEQUACY




No scoping hearing was ever held, so planners started off in
the wrong direction and have come to wrong conclusions,
i.e., the alternatives were chosen before meaningful
analysis.
Out-of-county consultant prepares EIR with many errors, i.e.,
doesn't understand area hydrology and the inadequate
groundwater supply.
Traffic study underestimates number of trips and
erroneously describes potential road improvements, i.e., no
peer review of findings. An independent study reaches
conclusion that traffic will be in gridlock.
Omissions on wildlife – where are the buzzards and deer?
PATH TO URBAN BLIGHT – QUESTIONS ON:
Water
 Traffic
 Storm water runoff
 Noise and neon
 Wildlife

WATER
Toro groundwater in overdraft (2007
hydrological study), water table has been
dropping about 2 feet per year since 1999
 Cal Am, Alco and Ambler water purveyors
already incapable of meeting current rural
demand, and charging surrounding residents
higher rates to install infrastructure for this
proposed urban service

TRAFFIC
Left-turn lanes to gridlock, with no widening of
Highway 68 or Corral de Tierra Road
 Whatever happened to the promise of a parallel
parkway through former Fort Ord?
 No money, no plans, no through traffic
 Just a Corral of cars and trucks
 Just like the gridlock on Highway 101 at the
Red Barn

STORM WATER RUNOFF
Still questions on retention and detention of paved
surface runoff
 Recharge system unproven
 Runoff of oil and water from paved areas
undetermined
 Leach fields adjacent to groundwater supply?
-- Developer says “I don’t know”
 Where will this polluted water go? Who knows? It
is inadequately addressed in the EIR

NOISE AND NEON





Delivery trucks will pull into
loading docks throughout
the night
The rev from refrigeration units
will bounce off our walls like
the Laguna Seca engines we hear all year long – it will
be much closer as the trucks become our neighbors
A 52-foot tower – 17 feet higher than zoning allows –
will light up the sky
Light standards will dot the parking lots
Neon signs will hang in front of stores
WILDLIFE IMPACTS
Riparian habitat and historic oaks and
sycamores will be slashed and burned
 Migration paths will be paved over
 However, garbage bins will provide nourishment
for critters
 Will the buzzards hovering above join the
gridlock?

WHICH DO YOU PREFER?
The sycamores would be cut
and replaced by an urban tower.
WILL THE BUZZARDS FLEE GRIDLOCK?
WHAT WE NEED TO DO

Write letters opposing the Corral de Tierra Neighborhood Retail
Village to:
Luis Osorio, Senior Planner, Monterey County Planning Department,
168 W. Alisal St., Salinas CA 9390, or osoriol@co.monterey.ca.us
Questions? Call Osorio at 755-5177, or John Ford, planning services
manager, at 796-6049.
Attend hearings. Planning Commission is scheduled to hear the issue
on November 10, 2010.
Contact your county Supervisors, including Lou Calcagno (755-5022),
Fernando Armenta (755-5011), Simon Salinas (755-5033), Jane
Parker (755-5044), Dave Potter (755-5055).
Visit our website: www.highway68buzz.org

Sign the petition and share it with your friends





SOLUTIONS?
Neighbors have tried to propose reasonable
alternatives, including purchase of the property
for park and open space use
 Spot zoning should not be approved until all all
environmental mitigations are fully proven
 The B-8 overlay should remain in place, and its
constraints recognized
 Consider a much smaller “convenience” shop

NEXT STEPS
Go to the Planning Commission hearing, tentatively
scheduled for November 10, 2010.
 Study the EIR –
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/planning/docs/eirs/Corral%20D
e%20Tierra/Corral_De_Tierra.htm
 Write letters to Supervisors and newspapers
 Join the Highway 68 Coalition,
sign and share petitions
 Together, we can preserve our rural
community and environment

CORRAL DE PARKING LOT OR NOT?