Dramatically Downscaled Pebble Beach Plan Approved

WSJ's Jim Carlton on the Pebble Beach Company winning approval for a dramatically downscaled plan to add homes and hotel rooms. The Fazio-designed golf course was dropped, and the current driving range will move as part of the plan.

The commission approved plans for a new 100-room hotel, 90 new home lots and an expansion of existing hotels. This came after the company agreed to drop plans for features such as a new golf course.

Other developers nationally are expected to look to the agreement as a case study as the company moves now to gain final Monterey County permits for construction of the $200 million project. These permits are expected to be granted, since the county previously signed off on the latest plan.

"While we are pleased at the progress towards a better project, there is room for improvements," said Amy White, executive director of LandWatch Monterey County, a local environmental group. She said the plan fails to adequately address the need for more affordable housing.

Commission members said the approval puts an end to concerns hanging over Pebble Beach for decades that developers would remove tens of thousands of trees. Under the earlier expansion plan, some 18,000 trees would be removed; about 4,000 trees would be cut down with the smaller plan approved this week.