Watch Your Speed
Where are you most likely to get a ticket in Marina? Eight of the top 10 locations for citations in August were on Reservation Road, according to the Marina Police Department.
The department posts quite a bit of information online, including the top locations for citations each month. In August, the top spot was the intersection at Reservation Road and Crescent Avenue, with six. The intersection of Seacrest Avenue and Reservation was second with five, then California at Reservation (4); followed by Reservation at Del Monte (4). General Stillwell Drive at 2nd Avenue is tied for fifth with three, along with Reservation at Beach, Reservation at Bayer and Reservation at Cardoza. Crescent Avenue at Carmel Avenue placed 10th with two.
Preston Drive Delayed Again
Another week and another delay has been announced in the reopening of Preston Drive as the Imjin Parkway Widening and Roundabout Project continued to fall behind due to Pacific Gas & Electric.
The latest newsletter now projects that the road won’t be open until late October. A week ago, it was projected to be early October. PG&E was scheduled to install new poles on Sept. 21, but now has pushed that back to Oct. 5. That has to be done before the contractor can complete its work on the road.
Once the poles have been installed, the bike path from Reservation Road to the west side of Preston Drive can also be completed.
City Council Meeting Wednesday
The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s primary purpose is to prevent or replace slums and blighted areas in communities across America. HUD, as it’s called, does this through Community Development Block Grants. To be eligible, a city has to have a population of 50,000, leaving Marina out of the picture.
Monterey, Salinas, and Seaside qualify for and receive annual CDBG grants from HUD.
However, there is another route for Marina. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) gets money from HUD to grant to smaller cities. Marina has applied for these grants in the past, particularly seeking funds for a new senior center, but has failed to win because, it’s been told, other small California communities have a much greater need.
So now the city will consider a third route. City staff are recommending the City Council on Wednesday authorize an agreement with Monterey County to join its proposed Community Block Grant Urban County Consortium. The proposed consortium will tie Marina to the cities of Gonzales, Greenfield, Pacific Grove and Sand City. By joining, the city will receive $150,000 for the next three years, but it will also not be eligible to apply for any grants from HCD during that time.
Wednesday’s City Council meeting has little else on the agenda. Last week, the council adopted a resolution to establish the Dunes West Side community services district by a vote of 3-0; passed a resolution to call for bids for the downtown Marina streetscape project; and approved some mid-cycle budget adjustments.
Planners Delay CUP For Plant
The Planning Commission pulled the issuance of a Conditional Use Permit for Las Animas Concrete off its agenda last week and continued the issue to Oct. 4.
City staff had recommended the commission approve a CUP to allow the continued operation of the Las Animas Concrete plant at 499 Ninth Street for another three years, with an additional year to dismantle the operation.
The plant has been operating since 2005 and employs 14 people. It consists of some bunkers and hoppers for materials, a couple of sheds, a small building for workshop space, two 55-foot-tall silos, one 125-footlong conveyor, and four 30×15 foot settling ponds. Staff had proposed to limit night time operations at the plant to 30 days per year, with no more than 10 in a row. Click here for the complete staff report.
Police Crime Logs
Sept. 6
• A 30-year-old male was charged for possession of narcotics at Bluewater Ct and 8th St, along with a warrant from another jurisdiction, and giving false ID to police.
• A 47-year-old male was charged with trespassing on Reservation Road and violating probation.
Sept. 7
• A 27-year-old male was charged with domestic violence, trespassing and obstructing an officer and violating parole on Clarke Place.
Sept.8
• A 35-year-old male was charged with petty theft, giving false ID to police and failure to appear in court on Boardwalk Avenue at 3rd Avenue.
• A driver was charged with DUI after making an illegal U-Turn on Imjin Parkway
Sept. 9
• A 46-year-old male was charged with threatening a crime with intent to terrorize on Del Monte Road.
• An alleged drug dealer was charged with possession with intent to sell, and possession of burglary tools on Carmel Avenue at Crescent.
Sept. 10
• Police apparently got in a car chase with a 19-year-old male that ended on Carmel Avenue. The suspect was charged with DUI, driving without a license, violating probation and evading a police officer with wanton disregard.
Sept. 11
• A suspect was charged with spousal battery on Seacrest Avenue.
Sept. 12
• A 42-year-old male was charged with DUI and hit and run with property damage on Palm Avenue.
Sept. 13
Nothing of note
Sept. 14
• A 64-year-old female charged with trespassing and elder abuse on Ellen Court.
Sept. 15
• A 54-year-old woman was charged with sexual battery by restraint (fondling) and battery on a spouse or ex-spouse on Vera Lane.
• A 36-year-old male was charged with obstructing justice, resisting the police at the corner of Reservation and California