Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press board for stronger enforcement, signage at Point Lobos as Park It plan advances
Summary
Multiple residents urged the Monterey County Board of Supervisors to support the Park It safety plan for Point Lobos and to install highly visible multilingual signs and higher fines, saying vehicles spill onto Highway 1 and pedestrians are forced into travel lanes; the board heard video evidence and pledged follow-up.
Residents from Carmel Highlands and surrounding communities told the board Aug. 11 that parking overflow at Point Lobos is a public‑safety problem that requires immediate action. Greg Saez, who said he produced an 8‑minute safety video, urged the board to back the county’s Park It proposal and to defend it through any appeals so the program can begin improving visitor safety near the park entrance.
"Our highest priority has to be improving safety for visitors, residents, cyclists, pedestrians, and emergency responders," Saez said, describing vehicles stopping in travel lanes and families walking inside highway lines. "Waiting for a perfect or alternate solution while knowingly preserving an unsafe one is not a solution at all." (Greg Saez, Carmel Highlands resident.)
Other speakers asked for more visible, multilingual signage and stiffer penalties to deter illegal parking. Sarah Stone Sias asked the board to replace inadequate no‑parking signs and to post fines she said should be $250 or $450 along the most violated stretches. "The purpose is deterrence, not revenue," she said, urging signage to reduce dangerous roadside parking that forces visitors onto Highway 1.
Multiple speakers also raised fire‑risk concerns where cars park on dry vegetation adjacent to the highway. One resident warned that vehicle exhaust and hot catalytic converters on dry grass create an ignition risk during peak fire season. The board acknowledged the safety and wildfire‑risk concerns and said it will coordinate with Caltrans, CHP and relevant county departments to explore immediate enforcement steps and signage adjustments.
The Park It program was cited repeatedly as the preferred phased response; board members thanked residents for the video evidence and public testimony and said they would work with the Transportation Agency and state partners on enforcement and signage options.
