Salinas – A Silicon Valley tech CEO has dropped her appeal of a recommended mothballing plan for the historic Connell House in Pebble Beach after reaching an agreement with Monterey County.
Massy Mehdipour, who runs the tech venture capital firm Jotter, agreed to dismiss the appeal slated to be considered by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday after signing a stipulated agreement with the county on Monday.
The agreement, which states that its purpose is to avoid potentially expensive litigation between the two parties, outlines a list of repairs and protective measures designed to “weatherize” the Signal Hill Road home that Mehdipour wants to eventually demolish and replace with her dream home.
County Resource Management Agency director Carl Holm, serving as acting director of building services, said the agreement’s provisions differ from the mothballing plan recommended by the county Historic Resources Review Board, and appealed by Mehdipour, but still meets the Department of Interior standards and county building code for protecting a historic structure from additional damage or deterioration.
Supervisor Dave Potter said he wasn’t part of the agreement negotiations, though he did say he met with Mehdipour in the past few months. He speculated that she backed off the appeal because she realized the supervisors appeared likely to require an actual restoration of the house built by famed architect Richard Neutra.
Potter has been highly critical of how the house has been maintained, suggesting that past damage done to the structure was intentional and not vandalism as Mehdipour claimed.
He noted that Mehdipour still has a lot of review process to go through, including environmental study and a coastal development permit, before she moves forward with any plans.
Neighbors, led by Sam Reeves, and historic preservationists have called for the structure to be preserved rather than demolished.
Also Tuesday, the board approved a Coalition of Homeless Services Providers request for funding to establish a Coordinated Assessment and Referral System for homeless services. It is a federal Continuum of Care grant eligibility requirement and is aimed at prioritizing services for the most vulnerable.
Supervisor Jane Parker’s motion included a proviso that the additional coalition staff be also dedicated to implementation of the county’s 10-year Lead Me Home plan to end homelessness. The coalition will get $198,000 this fiscal year and $217,000 next year for the initiative despite calls from several homeless residents and their advocates to spend the money on immediate shelter and other needs.
Supervisor Fernando Armenta reiterated his call for the supervisors to consider declaring a local emergency related to homelessness given the dire weather forecasts and the Salinas city anti-homeless camping ordinance. He also requested a report on potential expansion of homeless shelters.
The board also heard reports on progress made in implementing the four-year-old Lead Me Home plan and available emergency winter shelter space, which consists of 431 beds including the 68-bed Salinas Winter Warming Shelter that opened Nov. 9.
Jim Johnson can be reached at 726-4348.