Press Releases

SALINAS, Calif. - November 17, 2005 - The Tanimura family, the Association of Spreckels Residents, and LandWatch Monterey County announced today that they have reached accord on a legal settlement of pending lawsuits. As part of the settlement, the Tanimuras will contribute $100,000 to a Town Improvement Fund, grant an expanded permanent agricultural conservation easement to the County of Monterey, and extend the time during which other agricultural land near Spreckels remains under Williamson Act protection.

"Our roots are in Spreckels and we share the commitment to preserve the character of the Town," said Gary Tanimura, spokesman for the Salinas-area farming family. "We have met and continue to meet with a Spreckels residents' steering committee to identify concerns and find solutions."
 
The settlement will enable the Tanimura family to develop housing on 73 lots originally plotted on the 1907 Official Map of the Town of Spreckels at the west end of the town, while at the same time ensuring additional town improvements and protecting agricultural land beyond what was required by the County of Monterey.

 "Preserving commercially productive agricultural land is one of LandWatch's basic goals," said LandWatch Executive Director Chris Fitz. "Our concern about the preservation of agricultural land was an important reason for our lawsuit. By its placement and expansion of a permanent conservation easement on other productive land it owns, the Tanimura family has shown its commitment to the best interests of Monterey County, and is demonstrating good citizenship."  Landwatch is a public interest, community-based organization.

Tim Riley, President of the Association of Spreckels Residents, commented that "Spreckels is a gem and the people who live here care deeply about preserving its character." "We know that the Tanimura family is here for the long haul," said Riley. "The lawsuits brought concerns and interests into focus and ultimately resulted in these negotiations over the future of the Town of Spreckels."
 
The Tanimuras will develop housing consistent with the existing town and comply with the Spreckels Historic Design Guidelines in addition to funding 30% of a plan to alleviate traffic through the town or making an increased contribution to the Town Improvement Fund. The Town of Spreckels, a designated historic district, was founded in the late 1800s by sugar maven Claus Spreckels to house his factory workers. The Tanimuras aim to craft the new homes in a manner in harmony with the town's traditional Craftsman bungalow-style architecture. As the Tanimuras build homes on 16 acres on the western edge of Spreckels they will pay all school impact fees, implement a 40-foot agricultural buffer around the homes, and comply with all other conditions and ordinances pertaining to development.

The permanent agricultural conservation easement will cover more than 64 acres of agricultural land on the Tanimuras' River Road Violini Ranch. The easement will ensure that the land continues to be used for agriculture. The agricultural land given longer protection under the Williamson Act is in the general area between the Town of Spreckels and Highway 68. 

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