WINDOW ON THE BAY

The following is from the City of Monterey's website:

Window on the Bay/Monterey Bay Waterfront Park
History
Background
Since the City's Master Plan of 1939, the City of Monterey has had the vision of acquiring open space and providing public access to our waterfront. The extent of that open space and public access along our waterfront ranges all the way from our westerly city limit line with the City of Pacific Grove to our easterly city limit line with the City of Seaside.

The Window on the Project (WOB) is divided into two areas.
• "West Project Area" --- Wharf #2 to Park Avenue.
• "East Project Area" --- Park Avenue to Sloat Avenue.

$16.2 million has been spent to acquire WOB properties.
For further information go to http://www.monterey.org/parks/window_on_the_bay/

Goals & Objectives
      • Reclaim public access to beaches
      • Open obstructed viewsheds
      • Improve waterfront parks and recreational facilities
      • Improve and beautify the primary transportation corridor along the coastline
      • Protect and reintroduce native flora to the area's fragile sand dunes

The concept of a "window on the bay" (see WOB "vision" below on the left) is laudable! The idea is an especially good one when one realizes that the beach behind the park and buildings along Del Monte Avenue is a California State Park that is/was hidden by the commercial and residential uses along Del Monte.

The fact that the City is purchasing property along the waterfront and turning it into a park is part fact and part fiction. Fact is, that the City has purchased the property. Fact is, several of the Phases depicted in the drawing below (click on any graphic for a larger version) have been completed and the WOB has begun opening.

The fiction lies in the notations in the plan for WOB above. NOTICE the notation "Proposed Acquisition of Properties for Del Monte Ave. Window-on-the-Bay." Also NOTICE the two red lines in the computer rendered "vision" for WOB (shown on the left). These represent the old (left line) and the proposed (right line) curb line along Del Monte Ave.

The notation in the drawing and the two red lines show the another motive for WOB, widen Del Monte Avenue. Yes, there will be more park, part of it will be in the center of Del Monte Avenue and unusable. Yes there will be more park, but a large part of it will be parking (in blue). | Top |

The photo on the left was the basis for the computer rendered vision of WOB. The new curb line slices about 20 feet out of the land to be acquired for "park." Furthermore, the area in the foreground, becomes a parking lot and all of the free on-street parking along Del Monte Avenue will be removed.

However, if Catellus east is cleared and included in the WOB, then Monterey will realize a beautiful park and entrance to the city.

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