Monterey considers historic value of Lower Old Town.

Craftsman, Spanish Colonial and Queen Ann style homes line the streets in Monterey’s Lower Old Town. The neighborhood—which sits above downtown, west of Van Buren Street between Pacific Street and Van Buren Circle, with Clay Street at its western edge—is zoned for apartments, and many of the homes are multi-family residences. Several lots have a small, old house in the front and an apartment building in back. This, as opposed to the hulking, 1960s-era apartment buildings that also line the streets, is what senior planner Kimberly Cole likes to see as she’s driving through the neighborhood on a sunny Monday afternoon.

“It’s an eclectic neighborhood—there isn’t one architectural style,” she says. “Keeping the house in front while allowing apartment construction behind allows more housing to be built, but also keeps the cute little homes.

“It’s an eclectic neighborhood—there isn’t one style.”

“There are some beautiful homes in Lower Old Town. It’s all about trying to preserve them.”

To this end, city planners recently surveyed the area, which is known to most locals as Spaghetti Hill. Between December 2004 and June 2005, they looked at 400 homes that were at least 45 years old. It’s part of a larger process to complete historic surveys, neighborhood by neighborhood, throughout Monterey.

In 2000, the City adopted the Cannery Row Historic Survey, and in 2002, it adopted the Downtown Historic Survey. Now Lower Old Town is ready for City Council review, slated for February. Two other surveys—Upper Old Town and Oak Grove—will begin this spring.