The Village We Choose: A Reality Check

In my last column, we talked about the village choosing its future. That conversation reminded me of 1991, when a group of residents gathered to imagine Carmel in the year 2016. Sunset Center hadn’t been upgraded, Ocean Avenue was quieter, and the internet hadn’t yet arrived. Like many previous times over the previous 100 years, residents sensed a crossroads. So, they formed the Carmel 2016 Committee. Their assignment was simple: dream about the qualities so distinctive to Carmel that they must be protected and passed on to our grandchildren.

Lessons from the 2016 Committee

I revisit their 18-page report periodically. It is remarkable not just for its insights, but for its relevance. Many of the “disturbing trends” identified in 1991, including forest decline, loss of residential scale, and disappearing resident-serving businesses, are the exact challenges we face today. Many of their dreams still sit on the shelf.

The committee’s core message was that Carmel’s identity is fragile. They believed a “Village in the Forest” only happens when a community actively chooses to preserve beauty, scale, and character. They imagined traffic-calmed streets, peripheral parking, and a village that prioritized residents. In some cases, we have gone even further in the opposite direction than they feared.

The Challenge of Integrated Planning

What struck me most was the sheer scale of their ambition: a community-wide vision looking 25 years ahead. They tried to connect issues that remain scattered today across our Forest, General, Coastal, and Circulation plans. They wanted an integrated roadmap so Carmel could grow with intention rather than by default. But here is the hard truth: that integrated plan never fully materialized.

Today, we spend years on piecemeal work. We have spent four years and held 36 meetings just trying to update our Design Guidelines. If we cannot finish a single document, a massive “2050 Committee” effort understandably feels out of reach. Perhaps instead of a new committee, we just need a new way of thinking?

Facing Our Economic Reality

We often say from the dais that we are “primarily a residential community.” But we must be honest: is that still true? In my speech to Visit Carmel last week, I discussed how our reliance on tourism to fund our police, streets, and forest suggests a more complex reality. The town we inhabit today is not the one our founders imagined. The financial sustainability of our future depends on facing reality with clarity, not denial. If we continue to chase an unattainable version of the past, we risk failing the future.

Adjusting Our Sights for 2050

We need to adjust our sights. This does not mean giving up on our values; it means retaining our character while recognizing that 2050 requires goals that meet the town’s actual needs, not only its nostalgic wishes. But, instead of a 25-year work plan, maybe let’s start with a 25-year mindset? Let’s look at our challenges, from infrastructure to housing, with clear eyes. If we acknowledge we are a world-class destination that must also remain a livable home, we can move beyond the circular debates that stall our progress.

Our Moment to Imagine

The 2016 Committee dreamed of a Carmel that would be beautiful and welcoming. Those dreams still matter. But this time, let’s be brave enough to admit what has changed. Our moment to imagine Carmel 2050 is now, not through more binders on shelves, but through a shared, honest understanding of the village we are, and the village we still have the power to become.

Listen to the podcast: cli.re/2050Carmel

Read the 2016 Report: cli.re/2016Commitee

Read the CRA 2016 Report Review: cli.re/2016Voice

Dale Byrne, Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea 

dbyrne@cbts.us