America’s Last Hometown loses home
Pacific Grove has been described as “America’s Last Hometown,” but sadly we are in jeopardy of losing our “hometown” experience to new development!
Entering PG you see charming shops and restaurants surrounded by Monterey Cypress trees, deep blue waters and barking seals in the distance. Threatened by developers wanting to uproot 79 protected cypress trees, disrupt harbor seal’s pupping grounds and destroy the American Tin Cannery, our historic hometown might be lost.
Why PG leaders such as the Chamber of Commerce president think “bigger is better” and believe constructing a “fullservice hotel like those found in Monterey,” is more appealing rather than differentiating PG as a “hometown” makes one pause! Ignoring our major financial tax contributor, Asilomar Conference Grounds, and demoting our B&B’s to invisible status, after being hard hit by the loss of revenues from the pandemic, is unfortunate. This project introduces yet another hardship, more competition for limited revenues available … all in the name of tax dollar greed!
Why destroy history, when repurposing is a more creative solution? When was the performa completed for this hotel? Four years ago with the failed Bella project which cost the city $100K, when zoning was approved and group business existed which is now obsolete? Where is the magic wand that creates employees to staff a 225-room property? Having 40 years of hospitality experience, 24 of which has been for major local properties, I know hotel staffing is an issue … affordable housing isn’t here and staffing a new hotel will come at a cost to existing properties by stealing staff from them.
What will an additional 225 people renting cars look like through the Lighthouse tunnel when coastal warnings of 10 inches of water residing in our tunnel will happen in the next 10 years due to the ocean’s rise?
There must be better answers to the problems we face! Please save “America’s Last Hometown” and repurpose the ATC into something that makes us proud!
— Jackie Shaffer, Pacific Grove