Sand City is working toward closing the gap in the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail in its environs by building a multi-use trail from Canyon Del Rey (Highway 218) and Del Monte boulevards to the Highway 1 northbound on-ramp at the city’s northern boundary.

“The 30% project design has been completed and was presented to and approved by the City Council on June 16,” said Sand City City Manager Vibeke Norgaard in an email. “This milestone included detailed civil, landscaping, and lighting specifications that illustrate the trail alignment, intersection crossings, plants/landscaping, parking areas, outdoor exercise equipment areas and proposed trail amenities.”

The 18-mile Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail extends from Pacific Grove to Castroville, but there is a gap in the system within Sand City, according to city documents. As a result, trail users are diverted approximately 2 miles onto city streets and behind the Sand Dollar shopping center before reconnecting with the regional trail system. The Sand City Multiuse trail aims to close that gap in the regional trail system.

In 2023, Sand City staff and EMC Planning Group applied for the Monterey Bay Air Resources District’s Clean Air Management Program grant funding to support planning efforts for the construction of a multi-use trail in the city. On March 19, 2024, MBARD approved grant funding for $205,000 for the city to prepare preliminary plans and a conceptual design for an approximately 1-mile pedestrian and bicycle trail segment within the Transportation Agency for Monterey County railway corridor, extending through both Sand City and Seaside.

On May 8, 2024, the Association of Monterey Bay Governments approved grant funding for $1,960,000, which Norgaard said would go to “getting the plans from 30%-100% (construction ready) and funding initial construction.”

The estimated total cost for the Sand City trail is about $10 million.

EMC and city staff continue to work closely with the city’s grant writer to seek additional funding to cover the full cost of construction and implementation of the Sand City Multiuse Trail project.

Sand City will build the trail from Canyon Del Rey to Playa Avenue and Monterey-Salinas Transit will build the trail from Playa Avenue to the city’s northern boundary, according to city documents. The proposed trail alignment will run directly alongside the 214-room hotel, currently under construction and scheduled to open in early 2026, and 356-unit multi-family residential project, known as the South of Tioga development, which includes 52 deed-restricted affordable units.

The proposed trail system will span approximately a mile within the TAMC railway corridor, connecting the existing recreational trail system at the Del Monte and Canyon Del Rey boulevards intersection in Seaside to the future MST SURF! station located at the intersection of Playa and California avenues in Sand City.

The southernmost end of the proposed trail, approximately 0.2 miles, will be located within Seaside, running from the Sand City limit at Olympia Avenue to the existing Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail at the intersection of Del Monte Avenue and Canyon Del Rey Boulevard (Highway 218).

The majority of the proposed trail, approximately 0.8 miles, lies within Sand City’s limits, extending from the future MST SURF! project site at the intersection of Playa and California avenues to the city’s southern boundary at Olympia Avenue.

In next steps, Sand City will work with TAMC and Seaside to enter into use agreements. Sand City is preparing a request for proposals for architecture and engineering to take the project from 30% through construction, and the issuance by Sand City of a Coastal Development Permit.

Once the design reaches 100% completion, Sand City will initiate the bid phase to secure a qualified construction contractor, followed by the initiation of construction based on finding availability. Based on the availability of finding, the Multiuse Trail project may be built in phases or all at one time.

At its June 16 meeting, the City Council directed the city manager to take all actions necessary to move the project to completion.