Tuesday September 10, 2024
Monterey Herald —
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors will vote at their Tuesday meeting on moving forward with the next steps of the Carmel Lagoon Project which aims to help prevent flooding in the area.
The supervisors will be tasked with approving the final Environmental Impact Report for the project Tuesday, which includes constructing a wall and adding extra protective measures to safeguard the beach. The recommendation also includes seeking funding for the design, construction and ongoing maintenance for the project and continuing to work with other county departments to implement a home elevation project for houses within the floodplains.
The controversial project has been met with pushback from homeowners who don’t want views obstructed and financial challenges, as the project in total is likely to cost millions.
The proposed wall, called the Ecosystem Protective Barrier, would stretch from Mission Ranch, around the lagoon and to the parking lot at Carmel River State Beach. With the wall in place, water would fill up until it naturally breaches the sand bar to the ocean while protecting houses from flooding.