This Week on the Central Coast
Montage plans a new learning center, Monterey transit plans a new busway, and Salinas talks about increasing the limit of home-based business licenses.
Dates for the Artichoke Festival have been announced. The festival will take place at the Monterey County Fairgrounds on July 24 and 25. Ticket information can be found here.
A new flight from Monterey to Orange County and Burbank will start on June 11. Flights are through JSX and will travel between private hangars. Flights will happen once per day on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. More information can be found on JSX’s website.
Salinas considers increasing the number of home-based business licenses.
Currently, Salinas limits the number of business licenses per household to two. However, throughout the pandemic, the demand for home-based business licenses has increased. The proposed change we’re not alter the current law; only increase the number of licenses issued. That means more money for the city and more local businesses in Salinas.
Montage will construct a new center in memory of Helen Baszucki.
Montage announced the formation of a new center which would focus on further improving nursing in the area. The center will be named after Helen Baszucki, who was a dedicated nurse and instructor. The center hopes to achieve its goals by providing classes, training, and scholarships to those in the nursing program at MPC.
Surf! Bus Rapid Transit project criticized by local environmental groups.
A new busway has been proposed to give busses a dedicated road to travel from Marina to Sand City. The busway would run parallel to highway one and allow busses to travel to and from each location without needing to enter traffic. The route would be 6 miles long with one end at Del Monte Boulevard and Palm Avenue in Marina and the other at the Contra Costa intersection in Seaside. Local groups argue that the environmental report that was performed for the project is not sufficient and that a more in-depth one should be used. The Monterey-Salinas Transit General Manager explained that the current plans include replacing any native plant species that may become damaged during construction. He also argued that the environmental upside of the project was far greater than any downside resulting from it; the reduction in greenhouse gasses due to less cars on the road would be significant. The project will be discussed at the board of directors meeting on Monday (May 10), at 10 AM. If you would like to view the meeting, you can do so here.
