PUBLIC ACCESS
PLAN
NO/LOW/MODERATE COST FACILITIES
LCP Policies 120-145; CIP Section 20.147.030;
Coastal Act Section 30210,
LUP Figures 15 (Recreational Facilities) and 16
(Shoreline Access)
The goal of these policies is to provide public
access to the shoreline while balancing the need to
protect the environment, public safety, and protect
the rights of landowners and residents.
BACKGROUND
Provisions of public access to the Del
Monte Forest have been a long standing tradition of
the Pebble Beach Company and its predecessors. One
of Pebble Beach Company's predecessors, the Pacific
Improvement Company (a division of the Southern
Pacific Rail Road Company), began work on what is
now known as 17 Mile Drive in June of 1880. The
June 2, 1881, edition of the Salinas Weekly Index
proclaimed it "...the finest drive in the United
States ... traverses an endless scene of beauty and
grandeur..." Guided tours of Del Monte Forest,
including picnic lunches at what is now the 18th
green at Pebble Beach Golf Links, were available
for guests of the Del Monte Lodge in Monterey (now
the Naval Postgraduate School). Bicycle paths were
first installed in the summer of 1896. In December
of 1900, fees were charged to enter the gates
($0.25/vehicle) to help defray the cost of
maintenance; however, bicyclists, horseback riders
and walkers were (and still are) allowed free
entry.
Since that time, Pebble Beach Company has added
to these early access components by
The construction of three resort complexes (The
Lodge, The Inn, and Casa Palmero) where overnight
accommodations, three championship and one 9-hole
par 3 golf courses, restaurants, shops, an
equestrian center, trails; scenic overlooks and
vista points; public restrooms; and the like, all
of which are open and available to the public.
No/Low COST VISITOR-SERVING ACTIVITIES
Numerous affordable visitor serving
opportunities currently exist throughout the Del
Monte Forest. consistent with the provisions of the
Del Monte Forest Land Use Plan. Pebble Beach
Company supports and promotes various facilities at
no, low, or moderate cost to the public:
- Stillwater Cove has public beach access,
including restroom facilities with showers for
divers/beach users and reservable parking.
- Nearly 10 miles of Class II (marked)
recreational bicycle lanes traverse much of the
Del Monte Forest; improvements continue to be
made to the bike trail system as part of PBC's
ongoing operations and bicyclists enter the Del
Monte Forest free of charge.
- Public educational and scenic observation
points are available along 17 Mile Drive
(including picnic benches, educational signage,
and public restrooms).
- A public pedestrian path runs from the north
riparian area at Spanish Bay to Bird Rock:
pedestrians enter the Del Monte Forest free of
charge.
- Roughly 27 miles of marked hiking and
equestrian trails traverse the Del Monte Forest;
improvements to the trail system continue to be
made as part of our ongoing operations; and
hikers and horseback riders enter the Del Monte
Forest free of charge.
- An Equestrian Center is open to the public,
including tourists, hotel guests, area
residents, and school children.
- The Pebble Beach and Spyglass Driving Ranges
and Peter Hay Par-3 Golf Course are open to the
public. There is no charge to area schools
offering programs for students and/or youth
groups that utilize the driving ranges while
under supervision. Nearby, at Peter Hay Par-3
golf course, the current charge for all day
usage is $20 for adults, $5 for children aged
13-17, and free for children under 13. The golf
courses themselves are the home courses for area
high schools and are made available to the
schools for competition and practice on a
regular basis free of charge.
- Public restaurants are available at The
Lodge, The Inn, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, and
The Links at Spanish Bay.
- Public markets are available at both The
Lodge and immediately outside the Pacific Grove
gate entrance.
- Over 500,000 vehicles tour 17 Mile Drive
each year (there is a modest fee charmed to cars
and tour buses; school groups may enter at no
charge). Along 17 Mile Drive, public restrooms
are available at Bird Rock scenic information
overlook and The Lodge.
- Special Events like the annual
AT&T-Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Golf
Tournament are open to the public with a ticket
purchase that benefit local charities.
- The Company's championship golf courses have
been used for national and state amateur
championships on numerous occasions.
DMF PRESERVATION & DEVELOPMENT
PLAN
Additional and/or enhanced public access is
planned as a component of The Del Monte Forest
Preservation & Development Plan as
follows:
- The proposed Golf Course and
Facilities - The golf course will
provide an average of 160 daily rounds of golf
for visitors wishing to engage in this outdoor
recreational activity within the Del Monte
Forest. The expanded Pebble Beach Driving Range
facilities will provide enhanced golf practice
facilities for visitors. Public restrooms will
be available at both the new course and the
expanded Pebble Beach Driving Range. The course
will also have a trail around its perimeter to
replace existing trails that currently originate
at the equestrian center. This trail will
connect to an existing, trail segment in the
dune area of Signal Hill, which in turn connects
with the beach just south of Bird and Seal
Rock.
- The Pebble Beach Lodge Complex
- There are no impacts to visual or
physical public access to the shoreline with
this project. With the completion of the Casa
Palmero project, substantial public trail
improvements were completed at Peter Hay Golf
Course and from The Lodge to Stillwater Cove.
The additional guestrooms at The Lodge and the
Golf Cottages will allow more overnight visitors
the opportunity to visit the coastal and scenic
resources in Del Monte Forest. The project will
also provide additional short-term visitor
parking at The Lodge via the underground parking
and dedicated handicap parking areas.
- The Spanish Bay Complex - This
project will provide additional guestrooms,
meeting facilities, and parking for visitors to
the Del Monte Forest. The new driving range and
teaching facility at Spanish Bay will be
available for public recreational golf
practice.
- The Equestrian Center - The
relocation of the Equestrian Center uses will
result in enhanced equestrian facilities as well
as improved access to the existing trails in
Huckleberry Hill and a trail segment connecting
to Spanish Bay Beach.
- Residential Lots - All trails
adjacent to or currently within the areas of the
proposed residential lots will either be
maintained or relocated so as to continue to
connect to existing trails for hikers and
equestrians.
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