Major Projects in North County

Glenn Church
5 days ago
3 min read

Pictured here: road paving work being completed in Las Lomas

Dear Friends & Neighbors,

After years of planning, several major projects across North Monterey County are finally moving from discussion to construction. Some, over three years in the making, will be coming to fruition between now and next year.

With the funding from Measure AA, many roads that have been in need will continue to be repaired. This, unlike many other projects, will move fast. Vierra Canyon is scheduled for repaving this month. Other paving projects are yet to be determined and the list is long, but I am advocating that Old Stage and Molera Roads be included soon because they generate some of the most frequent requests from residents.
The Board of Supervisors recently approved a process to mitigate the consistent flooding of Santa Rita Creek in Bolsa Knolls. Flooding has existed ever since the first houses were placed there in the 1940s, but it has gotten worse as sediment has accumulated at a more rapid pace in the last few decades. The initial direction is to enlarge the culverts and clear vegetation. The longer-term process is to remove the sediment and explore the creation of retention basins to capture sediment before it gets to Bolsa Knolls. The cost for this is in the tens of millions, and will require planning, funding and a long-term management plan. This includes possibly creating a special district or other entity to manage the watershed.
Castroville has had a sidewalk problem in the residential neighborhoods for a long time. There can be 50 feet of sidewalk, 50 feet of dirt and 50 feet of sidewalk all on the same street. Finally, those sidewalk gaps are going to be fixed next year.
Also in Castroville, long stretches of streets in residential neighborhoods lack stop signs. That encourages speeding. The state regulates where stop signs can go. I have spent close to three years seeking to get some stop signs to slow down speeders. There still is no timeline for that, but I am optimistic that the time is getting close.
In Pajaro, the repairs at the historic Porter House, where the library is located, will be finished by the end of the year. The good news isn’t just that the library will be reopened but so will the Porter House’s second and third floors. There will be space for county departments to meet with residents and rooms for community meetings.
Next year, the old Crazy Horse Landfill will reopen, not as a landfill, but as a transfer station for refuse and recyclables. North County and North Salinas residents will not need to go to Marina, Salinas or Johnson Canyon down the Valley. Major redesigns are planned for Crazy Horse Canyon Road for safety and to reduce traffic congestion.
Later this year, the Castroville Boulevard and Highway 156 interchange project will also start. This is a significant project which has been delayed for years. I am hopeful it will start after the Merritt Street work in Castroville ends in a few months. However, it appears there will be some overlap with the roundabout planned at the other end of Castroville Boulevard and San Miguel Canyon. That is expected to start within a year. I have tried to separate these two projects on the timeline but funding availability limits when the work can be done. I am concerned about major congestion problems with these two projects happening at the same time. I am trying to prevent significant overlap and will be seeking as much coordination as possible between the county project at one end and Cal Trans at the other.
In Aromas, another long developing project has been a designated turn and merge lane at San Juan and Carpenteria Roads. A flashing warning light is also under consideration for vehicles approaching that intersection.

There are more projects under consideration, but these are the major ones. While government projects often take years to complete, residents are beginning to see the results of long-term planning and investment. I will continue working to ensure these projects and others stay on schedule.

As always, don't hesitate to reach out to my office for assistance. You can reach us at 831-755-5022 or district2@countyofmonterey.gov.

Sincerely,