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Citizen Committee Report - Dreams for Carmel Centenial 2016 It's probably too early, with our town in its current situation, to predict what things will look like in 10 years. Clearly, this online program has taken on a different perspective from when we started planning it a month ago. In 1991 a group of 15 Carmelites were asked to conduct a study of what the village would look like in the town's centennial year 25 years on. Panelists will present a brief history of the 2016 Committee, review the major components of their report and the survey taken when the presentation was made. We will then discuss the current situation and the opportunities it might present looking forward before turning to the hard work of getting our village reopened. We would like all of you to peruse the 2016 Committee report and the CRA's analysis of it by clicking on the links below. We believe we can work together to get our Village open but, at the same time, stay focused on what we can learn from this unthinkable situation and what changes we need to make it as we once again reimagine Carmel-by-the-Sea 25 years from now. To get background on the fascinating process that led to the formation of the 2016 Committee you can read on. The last time a group of Carmelites took on a project to discuss a much lighter version of this type of discussion was in 1991 when they decided to look 25 years into the future. We took Barbara Livingston's MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT column in the September 2014 CRA newsletter and updated it to describe our upcoming online program: What should Carmel look like in 25 years after we are thriving following the COVID-19 crisis? Mayor Jean Grace and City Administrator Doug Schmitz pondered a much less serious question in 1990 when they decided to create a committee focused on aspects of Village life and visualizing the changes in the year 2016. In the cover letter accompanying his draft of the 1990-1992 budget, Doug observed that “this City Council and our citizenry confront...uncertainties.” He wrote, “Our residential district is changing as are our types of businesses and their marketing efforts. Some say that our exclusiveness has waned. But we have opportunities... For every metamorphosis beyond our control, we have the capability—if we have the desire—to create a better City.” To enhance that capability, Doug recommended “that the City Council create a ‘Dreams Have a Way of Coming True’ Committee (or for the more traditionally versed, ‘Carmel Tomorrow Committee’) comprised of representatives of various segments of the community... The Committee would be charged with creating a document to forward to the City Council and Planning Commission on the needs, wants, desires, and dreams for Carmel-by-the-Sea in the next twenty-five to fifty year epoch.” Mayor Grace and the Council saw the merit in Doug’s recommendation. Each of the five members of the Council was asked to nominate three members of the community to serve on such a committee. The members tossed around several names for their group, but eventually chose the more prosaic title of “The Carmel 2016 Committee.” Unquestionably, the Committee zealously followed their charge. In the preface to their report they wrote, “The Carmel 2016 Committee was appointed by the City Council to assist in ‘dreaming’ about Carmel-by-the-Sea in 2016, the year of the City’s centennial. While fulfilling its charge to look toward that year and to dream of ‘Carmel Tomorrow’ this Committee spent considerable time addressing the realities of ‘Carmel Today.’ The members are seriously concerned that if the changes which have occurred over the last twenty-five years continue for the next twenty-five years, Carmel tomorrow with no dreams—either expressed or sought—may well emerge as a nightmare instead.” Over the years, too many reports, thoughtfully prepared by committees of concerned citizens, have been filed and forgotten. We believe the report of the Carmel 2016 Committee deserves a different fate. Now, with our town pretty much shut down, it seems a good time to ponder what our future should look like. Doug Schmitz quoted some familiar lines from Robert Frost’s poem The Road Less Traveled. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— Since its incorporation almost a century ago, Carmel has chosen to follow “the road less traveled”. Please join us for this online program as we assess what the road in front of us might look like by observing how it was done in the past. We will have two members from the 2016 Committee and others concerned about the future of our town on a Zoom panel discussion. We are challenging you to prepare for the meeting by taking a look at the report and looking at other reference materials and send us your ideas, opinions or questions related to the future of our town given the current situation. Then, come to our online panel discussion and let's start having the discussions that need to be had. To read the 2016 Committee Report click here. To download it just use the Save option in your browser. This was the committee chairman Neal Kruse's working copy so pardon the bit of writing on it. To read the excellent analysis of the 2016 Committee Report in the September 2016 CRA Newsletter click here. To read the write-up from our recent Future of our Town Program click here. Once again, we want your ideas to prepare for this discussion. You can send them to us at [email protected]. |