Community Discusses Salinas Eastside Expansion

People in Salinas came together on Wednesday night to discuss ideas for the city's long term plan for an expansion on the east side. It's called the East Area Specific plan, all part of Vision Salinas 2040, which has projects in the works in the center, west, and east of the city, all decades away from completion.

Salinas is gathering community feedback as they work on the general plan for a new neighborhood on the east side. Affordable housing was a big subject on Wednesday night, the project already has plans to build a variety of types of housing, from single family homes to multi story apartment buildings, but a sticking point for many was the cost of those units, especially considering the project's completion is so far away.

Salinas city council member Tony Barrera attended the discussion, calling it an exciting time for the city of Salinas, with more opportunities for housing and businesses coming thanks to this project. Community members also commented on what amenities they'd like to see come to the city's eastside, calling for more parks and community spaces, hotels, shopping centers, and even an urgent care. One person even calling for a space for food trucks to gather to help bring more food options to the East side.