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REF260012 - City of Monterey
Public hearing to consider whether the proposed lot line adjustment and 42 unit multi-family affordable housing project and associated site improvements (ALUC File No. REF260012) are consistent with the 2019 Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP) for Monterey Regional Airport.
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Monterey County Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) find the proposed project (ALUC File No. REF260012) consistent with the 2019 Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans (ALUCP) for Monterey Regional Airport and the Marina Municipal Airport.
PROPOSED PROJECT:
On March 10, 2026, the City of Monterey submitted an application (ALUC File No. REF260012) to ALUC staff requesting a consistency review of the redevelopment of multiple City of Monterey-owned parcels, including merging and adjusting lot lines from four to two parcels and constructing a three-story affordable housing development complex (42 units), a playground, and other site improvements. Parcel 1 would contain the housing development project, while Parcel 2 would contain the parking lot, playground, and other site improvements. This is a City-sponsored project. The project site is located at 587 and 593 Van Buren Street, Monterey, CA 93940, APNs: 001-522-015-000, 001-522-009-000, 001-522-011-000, and 001-522-011-000.The City’s General Plan land use designation for the site is Public/Institutional, and the zoning designation is PCD- CB2 (Planned Community-Downtown-Cannabis Business Overlay). The parcels are currently developed with vacant residential buildings, City facilities, and a parking lot.
CONSISTENCY DETERMINATION ANALYSIS:
ALUC staff reviewed the City of Monterey’s referral in accordance with the adopted ALUCP for the Monterey Regional Airport, as discussed below.
NOISE COMPATIBILITY
The proposed project was reviewed for consistency with Table 4A and Exhibit 4B of the ALUCP (Noise Compatibility Criteria and Long-Range Noise Exposure Contours. Per this review, the entirety of the site is located outside of the 65-75 CENL contours and, therefore, is not expected to be exposed to loud airport noise and is considered a compatible use. The development will be required to conform to noise standards pursuant to the California Building Code (California Code of Regulations, Title 24). Based on the above analysis, the proposed project is consistent with the Monterey Regional ALUCP, with regard to noise compatibility criteria, and no further conditions regarding noise are recommended.
AIRSPACE PROTECTION
ALUCP Policy 4.2.3 addresses the objective of airspace protection to avoid the
development of land use conditions that would pose hazards to flight, such as airspace
obstructions, wildlife hazards, and land use characteristics that pose other potential hazards to flight by creating visual or electronic interference. The project site is located entirely inside the 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 77 Intermediate Surfaces for Monterey Regional Airport. The elevation on the subject property ranges from approximately 65 to 71 ft above mean sea level (AMSL). Therefore, the site’s existing terrain is well below Title 14 Code of Federal Regulation’s (CFR) Part 77 Intermediate surface for this area, which has an elevation of 506.6 feet AMSL. The parcels are currently developed with vacant residential buildings, City facilities, and a parking lot. The existing development does not penetrate Part 77 surfaces. The proposed building height would be 40.5 feet (from finished floor), or a ridge height of no greater than 111.5 feet AMSL (71 feet + 40.5 feet). Therefore, it is not anticipated that the proposed project will penetrate the Part 77 airspace surfaces, and no further conditions regarding airspace protection are recommended. The proposed project does not conflict with the required airspace protection policies.
SAFETY COMPATIBILITY
The project site is entirely located within Safety Zone 7 (Airport Influence Area) as shown in ALUCP Exhibit 4C (Monterey Regional Airport Safety Zones). Safety Zone 7 is the most permissible safety zone of the ALUCP. This Safety Zone allows for residential development at unrestricted densities, a maximum intensity of 300 persons per acre for non-residential land uses, and all development types, except hazards to flight, outdoor stadiums, and similar very high intensity uses. Pursuant to Table 4B (Safety Criteria Matrix for Zone 7), the proposed project would not allow any new prohibited uses (i.e., hazards to flight or outdoor stadiums), and there are no limitations on residential density within Safety Zone 7. Therefore, the proposed housing development component of this project is consistent with the ALUCP. The playground and parking lot are considered non-residential and therefore subject to the 300 person per acre density limitation and 10% open space requirement of Table 4B. The non-residential parking lot and playground would occupy Adjusted Parcel A (0.57 acres). With a non-residential intensity limit of 300 people per acre, there shall be no more than 171 people in Adjusted Parcel A. It is unlikely that an intensity exceeding 171 people per 0.57 acres would be reached, given the limited size and capacity of the proposed and existing facilities. The proposed parking lot would be occupied only by vehicles and would not be used as a gathering place. The playground would be relatively small and is expected to accommodate approximately 30 people at one time. The project would also meet the minimum 10% open land requirement. Approximately 4,600 square feet of Parcel B’s 0.62-acre site would be dedicated to open space, representing about 17% of the parcel. Therefore, the proposed project does not conflict with the required safety compatibility policies. To ensure that the proposed project does not introduce hazards to flight, all exterior lighting is conditioned to be downlit (Condition No. ALUC-1). Additionally, the property owner shall record the Airport Disclosure Notice (Condition No. ALUC-2).
MONTEREY REGIONAL AIRPORT REVIEW:
On April 7, 2026, ALUC staff forwarded project information to Monterey Airport District (District) staff for review. District staff had no issues with the proposed project and requested that an avigation easement be recorded. See Attachment C. The District’s request has been added as ALUC Condition No. ALUC-3.
CONCLUSION:
Based on review and analysis of the proposed project, staff recommends that the ALUC find the proposed project consistent with the 2019 Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan for Monterey Regional Airport.
Prepared by: Jack Sorensen, Assistant Planner
sorensenj@countyofmonterey.gov, (831) 784-5765
Reviewed by: Fionna Jensen, Principal Planner
The following attachments are on file with HCD:
Attachment A - Draft ALUC Resolution
• Draft Conditions of Approval
• Project Plans
Attachment B - City of Monterey Consistency Analysis Letter
Attachment C - MRY Comments
CC: ALUC Commissioners; ALUC Counsel; Monterey Peninsula Airport District (C. Morello); City of Monterey (Chris Schmidt); Kathryn Avila, Applicant; Project Planner (Jack Sorensen); ALUC File No. REF260011