Monterey residents react to three-story development near homes

A push for more housing in Monterey is being met with resistance from residents who feel the location will be bad for their neighborhoods.

But affordable housing advocates say the city has to do more for the people who struggle to find a living on the peninsula.

In cities like Monterey, where 70 percent pay rent, times have been tough. According to rentcafe.com, the average rent has increased by nearly $300 in just the last three years.

Housing activists are looking at apartments like Tynan Village in Salinas off Front Street as a model. It was developed over 10 years ago by the Housing Authority of Monterey County.

“It’s an example of what I think is a successful apartment community that’s designed completely for low, very low income families including farm workers,” said Matt Huerta, a program manager at Monterey Bay Economic Partnership.

Huerta is part of a number of affordable housing groups pushing to build more low-income housing in Monterey. One of those developments is on North Fremont Street near the county fairgrounds.

It is planned to be three stories high, with the ground floor dedicated to businesses. It is planned to have 40 apartment units in the building with eight of those available only to low-income households.

“We want to have walkable communities and transit-oriented and right on a major commercial corridor in Monterey,” said Huerta.

For residents in the neighborhood across the street, however, a three-story building is tough to accept.

“We have a height concern because it’s going to impact the privacy of the neighborhood,” said James Nichols, a Monterey resident. “We also have concerns about the fact that there’s zero guest parking associated with this project.”

Noise and traffic is also a concern. It is already an issue with events at the fairgrounds. Residents tell KION laws were changed to allow for a three-story development next to their neighborhood, but not other neighborhoods in town.

“They tell us they need a three story building for the developer to make money and pencil out his investment. Well, maybe we don’t think it’s fair to us,” said Nichols.

Nichols says he is open to a two-story building, and he hopes the city will make the adjustment.

There is an Architectural Review Committee meeting on Wednesday at 7 p.m. where residents and affordable housing advocates can voice their opinions.