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It took a village to get
approval for a village for the Toro area. Thanks to your
letters, emails, and public testimony, the Monterey County Board
of Supervisors gave the go ahead to the Phelps Family’s shopping
village plan on July 12, 2011.
Click here to see a
KSWB editorial praising the supervisors’ approval of the village
On October 4, 2011 at 1:30 pm, the supervisors will vote one more time on the Corral shopping village. This time it will be to attach conditions to the approval to ensure that this LEED certified, sensitively designed project will be built as promised so that the numerous traffic, water and quality of life benefits are realized.
Approval of the Corral village culminates
40 years of county and public review. The site has been
zoned for commercial development in three county general
plans starting in the 1960s. The most current Monterey
County general plan (2010) also provides for the village
development.
2004-10. Environmental and Hydrological
Review. The Phelps submitted a completed Combined
Development Application for the proposed village in 2004.
The county immediately started work on an Environmental
Impact Report. Six years and 1500+ pages later, the county
published a Draft EIR in June 2010. More than 60 people and
agencies commented on the DEIR. In late November, 2010, the
county published a 450+ page Final EIR that responds to all
comments and concerns. Included in the EIR are various
hydrology studies that provide information required to
remove the B-8 overlay zoning district covering this
property.
Click here to view the EIR.
July 2010. Land Use Advisory Committee
(LUAC) Approves Project. On July 26, 2010 members of the
Toro LUAC toured the Phelps property and later met to
discuss how the proposal could benefit neighborhood
character. The committee voted 3-2 in favor of the project.
January 2011. Planning Commission
Splits Vote on Project. The county Planning Commission
held three public hearings on the Phelps application and EIR.
On January 27, 2011, the Planning Commission passed
Resolution #11-004A stating that “the Commission was unable
to reach a majority decision regarding finding for approval
or denial” of the project. Finding 2f reads: “The commission
was split with half of the Commission finding that the
Project Alternative proposed and modified by staff was
suitable for the site...” The commission vote was appealed
to the Board of Supervisors.
July 2011. County Supervisors Approve
Project. The county supervisors held three different
public hearings and listened to hours of comment on the
village. The Phelps family revised the project layout four
times in an effort to downsize the square footage, reduce
the number of parking spaces, remove towers and reduce the
height of some buildings, pull buildings at least 100 feet
away from Highway 68 and Corral de Tierra, and enhance
planted berms on frontage roads. On July 12, 2011, three
county supervisors voted “YES” on the final village site
plan. The supervisors will meet again on October 4, 2011 to
approve conditions for the village construction.
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