Monterey City Council Moves Forward with Possible Affordable Housing on One Site
On Tuesday, July 19, the Monterey City Council agreed to proceed with negotiations with MidPen Housing - a non-profit affordable housing developer - to possibly build affordable housing on the city-owned site of dilapidated buildings on the corner of Van Buren and Madison streets, adjacent to City Hall. However, the city council voted 3-2 not to proceed with negotiations with another non-profit affordable housing developer for a second city-owned site.
Your Chamber has supported the city’s multi-year effort to arrange for affordable housing on city-owned sites in the City of Monterey and had submitted a letter supporting approval of city negotiations for both sites. Water supply and “quality of life” and “community character” continue to be cited as obstacles for new residential units that ordinary individuals and households can afford. Also, building housing is expensive, even when a non-profit does it.
Lake El Estero Moves Closer to Becoming a New Source of Recycled Water for Drinking Water and Agricultural Irrigation
Assemblymember Mark Stone was able to assist Monterey One Water (M1W) - the regional sewage/wastewater government agency - to get $1 million in this year’s California state budget to fund work on a planned pump and pipeline project that would connect Lake El Estero excess water to the sewage interceptor pipe that goes to the M1W regional treatment facilities in Marina.
Storm water and winter flows of various creeks goes to Lake El Estero (which was once a lagoon). At this time, when the lake is getting near capacity, the city pumps excess water through an outfall into Monterey Bay. As part of the Pure Water Monterey project approved by the M1W board in 2015, this excess lake water will instead eventually become one of six “new source waters” for recycling. After treatment, the water will ultimately be injected into a groundwater aquifer in Seaside and later extracted for conveyance to you as your drinking water. Lake El Estero water will also end up as irrigation water for artichokes and other field crops in Castroville.
