Synopsis: After a previously-scheduled hearing before the Morro Bay City Council on a proposed 5,532-square-foot mansion atop little Cerrito Peak was cancelled with little notice, another hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 13, all of which has left residents around the Peak, nearly all of whom oppose the huge development, wondering whether the city is handling the issue fairly.
A hearing is now scheduled for Tuesday, December 13, before the Morro Bay City Council on a proposed 5,532-square-foot mansion atop little Cerrito Peak in south Morro Bay that many residents—and the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, which contends the project will "promote cultural genocide" and "ethnic cleansing" of their "sacred site"—adamantly oppose. A scheduled scheduled for November 8 was cancelled by the city unexpectedly.
The December 13 hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Council meeting at the Vets Hall.
The many residents surrounding Cerrito Peak had planned and were all ready for the Nov. 8 hearing, but on Nov. 2 they were told that it was being cancelled. City Clerk Bridgett Kessling had publicly announced the hearing for Nov. 8, and her word is virtually always reliable.
But it wasn't her responsibility to send out notices to the public about the hearing, and they didn't get sent.
City manager Andrea Lueker informed the City Council afterward that "we did not get the 300 foot radius mailing out for notification of the surrounding residents. The project was noticed in the paper, but both are required. This type of mistake has not happened in some time and as you know, we will be doing noticing out of the City Clerk office beginning in January which should alleviate such an occurrence in the future."
In other words, the reliable Kessling will be in charge and take responsibility for issuing such notices for hearings.
Could it have been purposeful to confuse opponents—residents in the vicinity of Cerrito Peak—of the huge project? It will probably never be known, outside of city staff.
But the fact is that the Planning Commission (which approved the project on October 5) four members of the City Council; the applicant, Dan Reddell; his brother, former mayor Dale Reddell, and the applicant's consultant, former mayor Cathy Novak, are all of the same stripe—business/real estate elite who have indicated by their words and actions that just about anything goes with development in Morro Bay.
Residents opposing the project describe Cerrito Peak as the large hill bordered by Main Street to the west, Olive Street to the north, Cerrito Place to the east, and Acacia Street to the south.
The Chumash Council has emerged as the most prominent opponent outside of local residents.
At the October 5 Planning Commission meeting, where the development was approved on a 4-0 vote, a letter to the city was submitted by the "Northern Chumash Tribal Council (on) issues concerning the mitigations placed on the project to protect cultural resources. The letter states that the mitigations are lacking and promote cultural genocide, discrimination, and ethnic cleansing and will deprive the Chumash Community of unobstructed religious freedom and civil rights."
At that meeting, Fred Collins, tribal administrator of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, stated the Cerrito Peak is a sacred site and the mitigated negative declaration is flawed and asked (the) Commission to reject staff recommendations approving the structure, minutes of the meeting state.
On their website at Save Cerrito Peak, Save Cerrito Peak members list these as the reasons they oppose the project:
• We feel that the development plan didn't receive a comprehensive environmental review to better understand its likely effects. Specifically, we believe an Environmental Impact Report(EIR) should have been carried out, in keeping with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
• Development risks disturbing abundant wildlife on the peak, including ospreys, Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks, and Great-horned Owls. Destruction of trees will also further reduce available habitat for migrating Monarch butterflies.
• The peak is considered sacred by our Native American communities because of its historical significance. Development will hinder access for ceremonial purposes.
• The development will impede access to a public right-of-way for residents and visitors.
• There remain poorly understood risks to neighboring properties from construction activities (including extensive grading, rock removal, and blasting), water run-off, and erosion.
The Save Cerrito Peak group believes that the peak should be preserved as open space for the public good and should join Morro Rock and Black Hill on the city's list of Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas (ESHA), as part of the city's Local Coastal Plan (LCP), affording it additional protection against development.
Save Cerrito Peak invites supporter to follow their Facebook page for updated news and information.
Supporters also are encouraged to register their opposition to the project with members of the City Council at
Mockups of how the project would affect Cerrito Peak are at Cerrito Peak Mock Up.
