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Weddings, art shows proposed for
old bank
Published: January 4, 2013
THE FORMER
bank at Dolores and Seventh that developer John Mandurrago
tried for a decade to replace with housing and storefronts may
become an event center, according to a proposal slated for
review by the planning commission next week.
The company that purchased the property in August 2011, Cpines 7 LLC, submitted the proposal after being approached by Carmel Residents Association member and city cultural commissioner Kristy Downing and resident Fred Kern, according to managing partner Jeffrey Peterson.
According to the applicants, the exterior of the modern-style building designed by architect Walter Burde and built in 1972, with its high ceilings, steep angles and large windows, will remain unchanged, while the interior would undergo updating and improvements to accommodate weddings, small conferences and other events.
A commercial kitchen, for instance, would allow the facility to offer full food and beverage services to its clients. According to a project description drafted by Downing — who took pains to point out she was not doing so as a representative of the city — the former bank vault will be used for cold storage.
The group envisions art shows, wine tastings, fashion shows “and other events which will be open to the public and encourage additional visitor and commercial activity in downtown Carmel,” and will hold an open house Friday to field questions from the public and hear people’s thoughts on the proposal in advance of next Wednesday’s planning commission meeting.
“The concept is for the Event Center to enable local business owners, either alone or in groups, to utilize the space as an extension of their normal business facilities,” according to the writeup. “In addition, the owners propose to donate one free use day per month for use by local nonprofits or for municipal functions.”
Its hours of operation would be from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and city planner Marc Wiener said the maximum occupancy of the two structures on the property is 200 people.
The planning commission first has to determine whether the code allows the old bank building, which was most recently occupied by retail stores Homescapes Carmel and Jan de Luz but is again vacant, to serve as an event center, according to Wiener.
“The planning commission’s really just considering the use, whether it’s even permissible, and whether it should go forward,” he said. “We don’t get many like this in Carmel.”
Wiener said the proposal will require some sort of environmental review — at the least, an initial study.
The property has already been the subject of extensive study in the form of a full environmental impact report commissioned by Mandurrago that concluded the building was not historically important. He had wanted to demolish it and build condos, retail space and underground parking, but city officials and preservationists determined it was “architecturally significant.” Mandurrago revised the plans in attempts to accommodate planners’ wishes, and added affordable housing in an effort to bring about approval, but at the conclusion of a convoluted process that spanned nearly a decade, the city denied his project in 2009. The fight ended when Mandurrago sued over the denial and lost in Monterey County Superior Court in July 2010.
In addition to contemplating whether the proposed use is permissible, commissioners will probably raise the issues of water and parking during their conceptual hearing, according to Wiener. He said Peterson is working with the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District to determine how much water the building can use, including whether it is entitled to any of the city’s water credits.
Regarding parking, the code requires one parking spot per 600 square feet of floor area, but the commission could increase the number of required spaces, according to Wiener. He reported the applicants raised the possibility of offering valet service that would utilize the north lot at Sunset Center.
The owners will host their open house in the building at Dolores and Seventh to collect community feedback Friday, Jan. 4, from 4 to 6 p.m., and the planning commission will meet in city hall on Monte Verde Street south of Ocean Avenue at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9.
The company that purchased the property in August 2011, Cpines 7 LLC, submitted the proposal after being approached by Carmel Residents Association member and city cultural commissioner Kristy Downing and resident Fred Kern, according to managing partner Jeffrey Peterson.
According to the applicants, the exterior of the modern-style building designed by architect Walter Burde and built in 1972, with its high ceilings, steep angles and large windows, will remain unchanged, while the interior would undergo updating and improvements to accommodate weddings, small conferences and other events.
A commercial kitchen, for instance, would allow the facility to offer full food and beverage services to its clients. According to a project description drafted by Downing — who took pains to point out she was not doing so as a representative of the city — the former bank vault will be used for cold storage.
The group envisions art shows, wine tastings, fashion shows “and other events which will be open to the public and encourage additional visitor and commercial activity in downtown Carmel,” and will hold an open house Friday to field questions from the public and hear people’s thoughts on the proposal in advance of next Wednesday’s planning commission meeting.
“The concept is for the Event Center to enable local business owners, either alone or in groups, to utilize the space as an extension of their normal business facilities,” according to the writeup. “In addition, the owners propose to donate one free use day per month for use by local nonprofits or for municipal functions.”
Its hours of operation would be from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and city planner Marc Wiener said the maximum occupancy of the two structures on the property is 200 people.
The planning commission first has to determine whether the code allows the old bank building, which was most recently occupied by retail stores Homescapes Carmel and Jan de Luz but is again vacant, to serve as an event center, according to Wiener.
“The planning commission’s really just considering the use, whether it’s even permissible, and whether it should go forward,” he said. “We don’t get many like this in Carmel.”
Wiener said the proposal will require some sort of environmental review — at the least, an initial study.
The property has already been the subject of extensive study in the form of a full environmental impact report commissioned by Mandurrago that concluded the building was not historically important. He had wanted to demolish it and build condos, retail space and underground parking, but city officials and preservationists determined it was “architecturally significant.” Mandurrago revised the plans in attempts to accommodate planners’ wishes, and added affordable housing in an effort to bring about approval, but at the conclusion of a convoluted process that spanned nearly a decade, the city denied his project in 2009. The fight ended when Mandurrago sued over the denial and lost in Monterey County Superior Court in July 2010.
In addition to contemplating whether the proposed use is permissible, commissioners will probably raise the issues of water and parking during their conceptual hearing, according to Wiener. He said Peterson is working with the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District to determine how much water the building can use, including whether it is entitled to any of the city’s water credits.
Regarding parking, the code requires one parking spot per 600 square feet of floor area, but the commission could increase the number of required spaces, according to Wiener. He reported the applicants raised the possibility of offering valet service that would utilize the north lot at Sunset Center.
The owners will host their open house in the building at Dolores and Seventh to collect community feedback Friday, Jan. 4, from 4 to 6 p.m., and the planning commission will meet in city hall on Monte Verde Street south of Ocean Avenue at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9.