A recent letter to the editor asked what was happening in Pacific Grove and I have the same question. Apparently, rules, ordinances and the decisions of officials are only applicable as they relate to what certain individuals want and not the whole community. To begin, I was shocked to watch last week’s Pacific Grove Planning Commission meeting and see commissioners openly discussing an item not on the agenda. This was a clear violation of the applicant’s rights. What
is more disheartening, however, is this discussion is focused on usurping the stated rules of the city, a directive developed by a Citizen’s Advisory Committee and a ruling by the city’s own expert building official. Then, I come to find out that a recent appointee to the Planning Commission has openly campaigned against a project that he is about to rule on and it’s obvious, he was appointed to the commission to expressly vote against it. All of this runs counter to the government transparency, hometown values and rule of law promoted by many in Pacific Grove. I guess these things are important, but only if they benefit a certain segment of our city and not everyone in our community.
— John Evans, Pacific Grove