Lighthouse Avenue mixed-use project moving closer to fruition

Up the street from the popular Cannery Row is an empty lot where dilapidated buildings stood for years.

“We had a lot of graffiti, broken windows,” said Kim Cole, a planner for the city of Monterey.

Now there are plans to change that.

“You’ll see a strong retail frontage on the low level and then residential units above,” said Cole.

But plans are not final yet. Next week will be the last time people in Monterey will have a chance to weight in before the council decides if another mixed-use project is the best way to go.

“It’s been a missing piece of lighthouse and just to really connect the whole street so we have so we have active beautiful facades to look at on the entire street scape,” said Cole.

Jolie Kobrinsky owns Prime Fitness right across the street, and says it’s important to grow the neighborhood as well.

“Most of us have been around this corner for a long time, and it feels right to have some new energy coming in,” said Kobrinsky.

More business and apartments could mean a bigger struggle for parking, but Kobrinsky said that’s just part of economic growth.

“It will always be a struggle, but when development comes in everyone has to give a little,” said Cole.

The final public hearing will be at Monterey’s City Council meeting next Tuesday at 7 p.m. at City Hall.