Sand City development plan could triple its population
Andy Briant has owned Fashion Streaks, on Fir Avenue, for more than two decades.
“Almost 26 years ago to the day, right here in Sand City. We’ve got a lovely relationship with the city,” he said.
Briant says the prospect of being pushed out have been discussed for a while, but now it’s actually happening. “Just in the last few weeks, we sadly realized that we are going to have to relocate, in the next month or two.”
The City of Sand City is working with DBO Development to transform the nearly 11 acres of property, just East of Highway 1. This is a mixed-use project, creating the city’s first hotel, to go along with more than 400 residential units, plus, retail shops. This is expected to roughly triple the population of Monterey County’s least populated city. 
“(This is) A Cornerstone to set the stage for great and wonderful things happening,” Todd Bodem, City Administrator of Sand City, said. : (It would be used to) Fix much needed damaged streets. Rehabilitate things. And just do more things for the community.”
The boundaries would be Tioga Avenue, California Avenue, East Avenue, and Merle Street. 
“I don’t think that’s fair. Not just to myself, but for the rest of us around here,” Max Kammerer, Owner of Ornamental Iron Unlimited, said.
Kammerer is on one of the few plots now owned by DBO. The South of Tioga plan shows it would be bought through eminent domain.
Talking about the city, Kammerer said, “I think their heart is in the right place, but the design concept is too inflated. Just too much too fast for this small area.”
Just a block away, Briant says it is time to accept what’s happening, for the greater good. “If folks like me try to get in the way of development, it’s not going to help the area.” He added “(The people of Sand City) should grab this and run with it. Make it happen.”
Thursday’s special hearing is at 7 p.m. at the council chambers. Bodem says if the plan goes through the approval process smoothly, groundbreaking could start in 2020, with the entire project completed in five years.
