An Indignant Letter to the Editor

Looks like Monterey Bay Kayaks is back on the chopping block. The City of Monterey thinks the best image we can present to tourists is one of manicured lawns and paved parking lots, rather than giving visitors and residents the opportunity to go check out the ocean for themselves. Mom sent along this article to me, so since I had nothing better to do on my Monday night, I proceeded to write a rather lengthy diatribe about conservation, environmental responsibility, and how the City Planners are a bunch of ninnies. Then I saw that there is a 200 word limit on Letters to the Editor. So what follows below is the vastly abbreviated version. Enjoy, and feel free to weigh in either here or on the Herald's website.



Considering the benefits businesses such as Monterey Bay Kayaks provide to our community, razing the Catellus buildings outright seems a little foolhardy. The business owners have stated that they wish to improve their facilities, so let’s grant their requests for long-term leases that would protect these costly investments.

Don’t get me wrong – lawns and parking lots are nice, but how much impact will they have on visitors’ experiences? Will tourists pine for open stretches of beachside landscaping, or will they remember that time they paddled through the canopy of a magnificent kelp forest, had close encounters with strange and beautiful creatures from the sea, and got to truly experience the natural beauty that brings so many tourists – and their dollars – back year after year?

Monterey Bay Kayaks has been providing just such an opportunity to our city’s guests and residents for well over two decades. Their commitment to environmental stewardship, accessibility, and education has been recognized by organizations nationwide, and they even provide one of the few beach wheelchairs available in the county. If the City’s plan is a supposed Window on the Bay, then Monterey Bay Kayaks has proven itself a true Gateway to the Bay.

Also, the City Planners are ninnies.

Andrea
Monterey