Fort Ord -- Contents
Tract housing proposed for former Fort Ord in Seaside Jul/Aug '00
Chapter achieves settlement in Fort Ord lawsuit Feb '99
Club Challenges Fort Ord Reuse Plan (Chapter Chair's Column) Sep/Oct '97
Fort Ord Public Lands (Chapter Chair's Column) Dec '96/Jan '97
Chapter Nixes Fort Ord Reuse Authority Draft EIR (Chapter Chair's Column) Sept/Oct '96
Orienteering Events to Begin at Fort Ord Sept. 21 Sept/Oct '96
Pressure to Build a Road Through State Park at Ford Ord July/Aug '96

Tract housing proposed for former Fort Ord in Seaside

by Gudrun Beck
Ventana, Jul/Aug '00

Driving north on Highway 1, just past Seaside High School, a driver now sees simple, flat-topped, abandoned military houses on the former Fort Ord. If mega-builder Kaufman & Broad has its way with the City of Seaside, a subdivision of 400 houses will come into view instead.

Presently there are 365 small single-story structures (500 dwelling units, some being duplex). The proposal is to remove these abandoned but still usable dwellings and to replace them with 400 mostly two-story tract houses. The project site of 107 acres is known as the Hayes Housing Subdivision.

Some of the elements the City of Seaside will be considering include:

Public comments at a Seaside Board of Architectural Review hearing and a Planning Commission study session pointed out that this site is one of the last areas on the California Coast that can be developed.

In a May 22 letter to the Seaside Planning Commission the Ventana Chapter raised some 40 separate issues ranging from viewshed and tree removal concerns to lack of inclusionary housing as well as school and infrastructure fees. It is unclear when the project will appear before the Seaside City Council.

Chapter achieves settlement in Fort Ord lawsuit

Development will be tied to water and infrastructure

by Janie Figen
Ventana, Feb '99

In the first major victory in our ongoing monitoring of the reuse of the Fort Ord Army base, FORA (Fort Ord Reuse Authority) settled the lawsuit that the Club filed in the summer of 1997. The suit alleged deficiencies in the environmental analysis for the reuse of the closed Army base. The settlement strengthens wording in FORA documents and ensures that the good intentions expressed by the FORA Board will be carried out.

Our major concerns are that the ultimate buildout for a community of 72,000 leave sufficient water and sewage capacity for existing populations and not create traffic nightmares. One of the major achievements of the settlement was the requirement that all deeds on land transferred from the Army will contain warnings of possible unexploded ordnance and a notice that the development of the land is contingent on availability of all necessary infrastructure including off-site roadways.

All Chapter legal costs were repaid as a condition of the settlement leaving us in good condition to continue active monitoring of the base conversion. Special thanks are due to the negotiating skills of Chapter activists and our attorney, Susan Brandt-Hawley. Thank you to all who participated in this effort.

This settlement is not the end of this issue. The club will continue to closely monitor actions by the County, the Cities of Marina, Seaside, Del Rey Oaks, and the FORA Board to ensure that the provisions of the settlement are observed.

Orienteering Events to Begin at Fort Ord Sept. 21

by Karen Smith
Ventana, Sept/Oct '96

The Monterey Bay Orienteering Club (MBOC) will be hosting monthly events on Fort Ord. The sport combines map and compass reading with fitness and competition. Participation is open to everyone -- beginners, experienced, and families are all welcome. Prizes are awarded in each category.

The September 21 event will be the first evening event on Ft. Ord and promises to offer a new set of challenges. Registration begins at 5:00 PM. Night land navigation clinic begins at 5:30. Starting time is 6:30 PM with an 8:30 finish. Participants who are not experienced in night navigation must go in teams.

The next event will be held the morning of October 19th at Crescent Bluffs on Ft. Ord. Registration begins at 8:30, the start is at 10:00, finish at 12:00.

Both these events will be a Score-O. This is when each participant decides how many controls and in what order they want to "punch". This allows everyone to compete at their own level as there is no set course they must follow.

Compass and map are provided for a $7 fee, $9 for teams and families.

Directions to the event sites and more information are available by calling Outdoor Recreation at the Presidio, (408) 242-5506 or by e-mail: navigate@nps.navy.mil. The web site offers information, photos and maps of event areas as well as links to other orienteering clubs. The address is http://vislab-www.nps.navy.mil/~navigate/. MBOC cordially invites all Sierra Club members to join us for great hiking or running outdoor experiences.

Karen Smith is a member of the Monterey Bay Orienteering Club.

Pressure to Build a Road Through State Park at Ford Ord

Ventana, Nov '95

Both the Monterey Dunes Natural History Association (MDNHA) and the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) staff at State Parks oppose construction of a road through the dunes of the soon-to-be state park at Fort Ord. However, city officials from adjacent cities favor the through road.

The MDNHA wrote to The Ventana this summer:

"Unfortunately, the DPR is under considerable political pressure exerted by the cities of Marina and Sand City, who want the construction of a road through the park to connect the two cities. Needless to say, Such a road would be destructive of habitat and natural beauty, and would impair protection of this precious and fragile dune area. We oppose the construction of this through road, as do other environmentalists who have spoken up at the public hearings. We support the DPR proposal to limit vehicle access to the park through one entrance and to create a pedestrian and bicycle path connecting Marina and Sand City."

In addition, the Ford Ord Coast News, published by DPR staff, reported in June: "The proposal to establish a through frontage/scenic road connecting Sand City, Seaside, and Marina west of Highway One along the Fort Ord coast has emerged as the most controversial issue in the current Fort Ord State Park planning process."

Members of the public who addressed this issue unanimously opposed the through road concept. In contrast, elected officials and staff representing Marina, Seaside, and Sand City have publicly expressed support of the through road.

State Parks staff are concerned about the following impacts of the proposed through public road:

  1. The road could significantly diminish the recreation experience for bicyclists and walkers.
  2. The road could become an alternative commuter travel route when Highway One becomes congested, resulting in traffic congestion and speeding.
  3. The road could become a source of uncontrolled access to the dunes and beaches, resulting in habitat degradation, vandalism, and increased aquatic safety emergencies.
  4. The road would encourage recreational driving, which conflicts with efforts to encourage use of public transportation and bicycling to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion.
  5. Routing traffic through a residential area and past Marina Del Mar Elementary School may create public safety concerns.
  6. Collection of park user day use fees would be impractical, resulting in an estimated potential revenue loss of $300,000 to $500,000 per year.
  7. Development and operation of a through beach road would involve significant capital costs, as well as increased operating costs for law enforcement, resource management and maintenance services.
  8. An unregulated through road is inconsistent with the Ford Ord Habitat Management Plan and the Coastal Commission Federal Consistency Determination.
But city officials of adjacent cities see several advantages to constructing a through road:
  1. Access to the park would be more convenient for residents of the area, and park users would have easy access to the park to purchase supplies and use the services of local businesses.
  2. The public could drive along the Fort Ord coast at a leisurely pace for a recreational driving experience along a scenic road.
  3. The separation of Marina from the cities of the Monterey Peninsula by Fort Ord would be reduced.
What You Can Do

If you are a resident of Seaside, Marina, Monterey, Carmel, Pacific Grove, Sand City, Del Rey Oaks, or Salinas write letters to your city council representatives. and to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. Send copies of your letters to Mary Wright, District Superintendent, California DPR, 2211 Garden Road, Monterey, CA 93940, and to Fort Ord Re-Use Authority, 100 Twelfth St., Marina, CA 93933.

From The Ventana, magazine of the Ventana Chapter of the Sierra Club.

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