Salinas Valley includes many acres of important agricultural lands, which require thoughtful planning and careful consideration on many levels. Many of the issues relate to the conversion of farmland, the lack of affordable housing, and traffic impacts.

• Letter: LandWatch Comments on the Proposed Short Term Rental (204K PDF)
  LandWatch recommends pausing all short term rental (STR) applications, while the County considers adoption of the STR ordinance.  To this end, we request that the Planning Commission deny the Schulte Road STR application based on the cumulative impacts of individual STR approvals, which will worsen the County’s housing crisis, as outlined more fully below (02.26.24)

• Letter: LandWatch Supports Zone Change for Affordable Units (147K PDF)
  LandWatch supports Zoning Code Amendment (ZCA) 2022-002 to allow the Salinas Union High School District to acquire an empty apartment complex in order to provide affordable housing for teachers and other school employees. (05.10.22)

• New Project Adds to Farmworker Housing
  The County of Monterey will get 112 new affordable units for farmworkers. The County just approved the addition of the units to the existing 200 bed facility. Its design allows the addition to be converted to multi-family housing in the future if this housing stock is no longer needed. (01.08.20)

• Letter:  LandWatch Support Central Area Specific Plan (188K PDF)
  LandWatch is pleased to offer its strong support for the first phase of the Central Area Specific Plan (CASP). We commend Stone Bridge Homes for being so
  proactive and forward thinking in its support of badly needed affordable housing, especially for community members who live and work in Monterey County. (08.06.24)
• Letter: LandWatch Supports Historic Agreement (494K PDF)
  LandWatch is pleased to relay that earlier this week we supported an agreement between the Salinas Housing Justice Coalition and Stone Bridge developers (formerly Creekbridge) that guarantees access to more timely and affordable homes in the Central Area Specific Plan of Salinas. (11.30.20)
• Agreement: Stonebridge Agreement with Coalition (776K PDF)
  This shows the agreement signed between Stonebridge developers and the Housing Justice Advocates Coalition to make it more likely that affordable homes will be built onsite and concurrently with market rate homes than would otherwise be built. (11.27.20)
• Letter: LandWatch Comments on Plan EIR (584K PDF)
  LandWatch Monterey County joins with other housing advocates to ask that the Planning Commission take steps to strengthen the affordable housing requirements for the proposed Central Area Specific Plan. (08.10.20)

• Zoning Change Supports Affordable Housing
  Empty parking lots is simply wasted space. Salinas is considering a Zone Change that would create a vibrant landscape in the Downtown. LandWatch supports the change because it will allow for affordable housing in the already built environment. Four parcels would be converted to allow for higher density development in those locations. (11.12.21)
• Applauds New Plan
  LandWatch Executive Director Michael DeLapa penned this Letter to the Editor on Salinas’ Downtown Vibrancy Plan. It is a multi-year initiative intended to foster economic renewal for Salinas’s downtown. LandWatch strongly supports the Plan’s focus on encouraging mixed-use development with an emphasis on apartments as well as creating a pedestrian and bicycle-friendly downtown. (03.21.19)

• Letter: LandWatch Recommends Project Denial (542K PDF)
  LandWatch relays major concerns for the project’s inconsistency with the Las Palmas Ranch Specific Plan and notes that the SEIR’s wildfire analysis is inadequate and incomplete. LandWatch recommends denying the project. (07.15.21)
• Letter: Associations Hires Help to Fight Project (1.6M PDF)
  Las Palmas Ranch Master Association requests the Supervisors deny the River View project because it is inconsistent with the Specific Plan, it overburdens the Association’s private roads, and impacts area residents. (07.12.21)
• Letter: Residents Strongly Oppose Project (1.7M PDF)
  Objections are made regarding the River View facility including wildfire risk, inadequate wildfire analysis, improper environmental baseline, lack of analysis of cultural and archeological sites, and its direct and cumulative impacts to scenic resources—among other things. (07.08.20)
• Testimony: LandWatch Testifies at River View Hearing (148K PDF)
  LandWatch Board member Tom Ward testified before the Monterey County Planning Commission on our concerns about the River View project.  The proposal doesn’t meet the Monterey County General Plan or River View Specific Plan—among other concerns. (10.09.19)
• River View Project Set for Hearing
  The first public vetting of the River View project is set for Wednesday, October 9th. Considered an informational workshop, this project will have a public hearing in the future. So far, the public has been quite interested in the project, submitting over 100 comment letters. (10.07.19)
• Residents Concerned about River View Project
  Residents hold the River View Specific Plan as the defining document for future development.  When developed the plan allowed for 1,031 houses, of which 1,028 have been built.  Residents view the project as far exceeding the documents defined for this neighborhood. (10.03.19)
• Senior Living Facility to Get Special Hearing
  The facility would provide a range of living options for individuals over 55 and the County is planning an all-day hearing. The hearing date may be Wednesday, October 2, 2019, but is unconfirmed at this time. (08.15.19)
• Letter: LandWatch Adds to Original Comments (243K PDF)
  LandWatch reiterates its concerns and focuses on the Development Evaluation System (DES) requirement, which this project has not followed. The DES was required to be created through a settlement agreement and the County has not fulfilled this requirement. (04.16.18)
• Letter: LandWatch Comments on Draft EIR (212K PDF)
  LandWatch’s main points on the River View at Las Palmas project include: impacts to the viewshed, parking, and water supply. Additionally, the project should be consistent with existing plans and requires a Specific Plan Amendment. (03.27.18)

• Letter: LandWatch Comment Letter on the Draft EIR (91K PDF)
  LandWatch submitted substantive comments on the proposed project, including concerns related to greenhouse gases, water supply, the proposed general plan amendment and zoning changes. (03.20.18)