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Draft housing element under state review; council hears concerns about downtown parking and public engagement
Summary
Staff told the council the housing element draft is under state review and an environmental impact report will open a 45‑day comment period. Residents voiced concerns about proposed housing on downtown parking lots, second‑home impacts and limited recent public participation.
The Pacific Grove City Council received an update June 4 on the city’s draft housing element, which staff said is under review by the state and accompanied by a forthcoming environmental impact report (EIR) that will be released for public comment.
Planning staff told the council the EIR is expected to be published in June and will trigger at least a 45‑day public review period. Staff said the planning commission will receive training on EIR review procedures ahead of hearings and the council hopes to bring the housing element to the council for final action this fall and submit it to the state for certification.
Several members of the public raised concerns about the draft. Jane Hennings noted the state-required allocation of housing units and identified a proposal in the draft to place a significant number of units in commercial zones, including approximately 87 affordable units on two downtown surface parking lots. Hennings said the draft does not explain where displaced parking or parking for new residents will be located.
Other commenters and councilors asked about the high share of second homes in Pacific Grove (about 12% of units in 2020) and said the draft did not address that factor explicitly. A public commenter asked for broader public involvement, noting the housing element advisory committee had stopped meeting in 2023 and asserting that residents lack a current avenue to weigh in.
Staff responded that the public outreach phase has included workshops, surveys and advisory‑committee work earlier in the process and that the next phase — the EIR and zoning updates — will provide new public‑review opportunities. Planning staff said they are working with state reviewers to shorten certification timelines where feasible but that a formal public‑comment period and hearings are required steps.
Council members encouraged residents to watch the city website for the EIR release and said the city will accept public comment during the statutory review period.
