Planning Commission receives updates on housing element resubmittal, ADU/coastal items, Pajaro recovery and enforcement

Monterey County planning staff provided a suite of status updates July 9 covering the county housing element, local coastal program submissions, recovery work in Pajaro, enforcement on unpermitted vendors, and several referrals the commission previously requested.

Staff reported the draft housing element was resubmitted to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for a 60-day review on June 26; staff said the resubmission materials are available on the county housing web page. Staff also said the county submitted coastal accessory dwelling unit (ADU) regulations and Local Coastal Program (LCP) amendments related to fracking to the California Coastal Commission for review. Coastal Commission consideration of the county's coastal vacation rental ordinances is tentatively scheduled for the commission's August 2025 meeting, staff said.

Pajaro recovery and flood-management updates: Staff explained the Pajaro River levee and Pajaro community flood recovery work is being coordinated by the regional flood management agency and the county's Department of Emergency Services. Staff said recurring monthly updates for Pajaro River levee improvements are posted with the relevant agency meeting agendas and that emergency-services reconstruction and recovery information is on readyymontereycounty.org/recover. On a site-specific enforcement matter raised previously by commissioners, staff said Environmental Health and the district attorney have been engaged and that notice of violation activity is ongoing for a Salinas Road location with complex statewide ties.

Unpermitted vendors and code enforcement: Staff said the Environmental Health Bureau is following up on concerns about unpermitted food vendors and will be asked to return to the Board of Supervisors for a report; staff said the county is coordinating enforcement and that some locations are subject to notice of violation and district-attorney involvement.

Other updates, appeals and staffing: Staff told the commission that two projects previously appealed to the Board of Supervisors were updated: the Johnson (PLN210061) approval was not appealed further and now stands, while a Signal Hill/Metapore house appeal resulted in the board expressing intent to deny approval and reiterating direction to remain within the original footprint. Staff also announced open recruitments in Housing and Community Development for an assistant planner and a senior planner, and noted that some board-adopted policies about fee waivers and fire-rebuild procedures have been memorialized in the Board Policy Manual without changes to existing administrative procedures.

Referrals and follow-ups: Commissioners asked for further targeted follow-ups on disaster recovery barriers, tiny-homes policy work (including inquiries from a Big Sur housing group), and site-specific checks for boarded or damaged mobile-home units in Pajaro. Staff said it would return with updated referral tracking and a proposed timeline for responses.

Why it matters: These updates reflect ongoing implementation and post-disaster recovery work, regulatory submissions to state agencies that could change county land-use permitting (coastal ADU and vacation-rental items), and active enforcement and interagency coordination in flood-affected communities. The commission requested focused follow-ups on planning barriers to recovery and small-home policy questions.

Provenance: Staff briefing and commission questions and referrals occurred during the meeting's referral and department report agenda items.