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The Lockean Project

Urbanization and upzoning

“Urbanization and upzoning,” Carmel Pine Cone – May 12, 2023

For over 100 years, Carmel-by-the-Sea has managed to protect its village character of the 1920s and 1930s historic architecture in the commercial core and carefully crafted custom homes. Existing property owners have followed Carmel’s strict permitting, zoning, and design requirements to be compatible with the city’s overall general plan of small-scale homes with respect to one another’s privacy and views.

Our city relies on its aesthetic assets as an international tourist destination. The state doesn’t care. New housing bills threaten to destroy our village character and the tradition of single-family neighborhoods throughout California.

The state is allowing developers to steamroll in and “urbanize” our town into a “highly densified city” through the passage of “upzoning” bills that remove height limits and densify housing to make Carmel into an urbanized city. The state proposes stripping away residential zoning laws to make way for hotels, condos, and multiplexes. Our community needs to come together now and fight for local control over our housing and zoning.

Karyl Hall, Carmel