RECEIVE presentation from City of Monterey Senior Associate Planner Fernanda Roveri on the City's sea level rise study.

The City of Monterey Transportation Adaptation Plan presents options for preparing for the anticipated sea level rise impacts to downtown Monterey. Only one of the options under consideration - the sea wall - would accommodate the future plans for rail service to the City's downtown along the existing Monterey Branch Line Right-of-Way. Other options could be amended to include re-routing the rail tracks along with the roadways and other infrastructure.

The plan shows the estimated construction costs of the adaptation options as follows:

• 1A - Del Monte Viaduct: $297 million
• 1B(i) - Pearl Viaduct: $101 million
• 1B(ii) - Del Monte Realignment: $124 million
• 1C - Fremont Street: $32 million
• 2(i) - Sea wall with elevated trail: $56 million
• 2(ii) - Vertical concrete seawall: $89 million

City of Monterey planner Fernanda Roveri will present an update on the draft City's Transportation Adaptation Plan (web attachments) and seek input from the Rail Policy Committee. Based on the public survey results and stakeholder input, the City of Monterey has selected these options for the draft City of Monterey Transportation Adaptation Plan:

• OPTION 1A: Retreat via Del Monte Avenue viaduct: A pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicle viaduct would maintain access to Cannery Row side of Monterey with the event of sea level rise. 
  
  
• OPTION 1B(i): Retreat via Pearl Street viaduct: abandon Del Monte Avenue and redirect pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicle traffic to Pearl Street, which is widened and elevated.
  
  
• OPTION 1B(ii): Del Monte realignment to Pearl Street: similar to 1B (i), renaming Pearl St. Del Monte and including an alternative route through the neighborhood near the Naval Postgraduate School.
  
  
• OPTION 1C: Fremont Street improvements: all traffic is redirected to Fremont Street, which is elevated and improved with a bus-only lane and a parking structure to encourage visitors to park and ride on the transit corridor.
  
  
• OPTION 2: Flood barriers/sea wall: An elevated coastal trail on a 13-foot high sea wall across the street from Lake El Estero or an approximately 17-foot high vertical concrete seawall keeping the path at grade (losing the ocean views). A sea wall could be erected on the coast side of the existing Coastal Trail at the Municipal Beach between Fisherman’s Wharf and Park Avenue. The sea wall would provide near term protection against waves and coastal surge and in the long term would provide a permanent barrier against higher seas. 

Only Option 2 could accommodate future rail as currently proposed to run into downtown Monterey along the existing Monterey Branch Line corridor. The other options could be amended to include the re-routing or elevation of rail tracks, and associated stations, along with the re-routing of roads and other surface and subsurface infrastructure.

The final plan will be scheduled for City Council adoption in February 2021. Following its adoption, the City will seek funding for additional studies, including expanded cost estimates and infrastructure assessments, prior to identifying a preferred approach.

• December 8, 2020 City of Monterey Planning Commission report with links to the study and other resources 
• Recordings of both sea level rise workshops are available here: monterey.org/climatechange