Infrastructure Investment

Pacific Grove faces an estimated $21 million infrastructure investment gap over the next 10 years. Closing that gap will require disciplined prioritization.

The American Tin Cannery revitalization could help expand the city’s tax base, while competitive grants can help us make investments that would otherwise be difficult to fund locally.

I also think infrastructure planning should be more visible to residents. We should be able to explain what needs attention, what is most urgent, and how projects are being prioritized over time.

Sidewalks

Sidewalks deserve greater attention. Pacific Grove’s 1994 General Plan places considerable emphasis on walkability, but the 2018 Active Transportation Plan did not go as far as it could in addressing the pedestrian experience in PG. With the 2026 countywide update now underway, we have an opportunity to make walkability a greater priority.

That should include examining how responsibility for sidewalk maintenance is divided between property owners and the city, and whether the current approach is producing the condition and accessibility residents expect.

Streets

I'd also like the city to take a fresh look at traffic patterns, particularly on our narrow numbered streets.

Pacific Grove’s one-way street designations were last updated in 2005, while travel patterns and neighborhood conditions have continued to change.

As a resident, I have already asked the Traffic Safety Commission to consider whether the existing network of one-way and through streets is still serving the community well.

I'd continue that work on the council.

Investing for the Long Term

Infrastructure is easy to defer because many problems develop gradually. But delayed maintenance often becomes more expensive maintenance.

I want Pacific Grove to take a longer view, invest strategically, and make sure the streets and public infrastructure residents rely on every day receive the attention they deserve.