We must act now to save Carmel’s assets.  As the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea attempts to resolve its budgetary woes, it has decided to sell park land, open space and a major historic asset, the Flanders Mansion.  In spite of media reports, the sale of these assets is not a "done deal".  It will not happen immediately - there must be public hearings.  The Flanders Foundation and the Friends of Flanders believe that it is wrong for the city to sell off such valuable community assets for a short term financial gain.  "Once park land, open space and historic properties are sold, they are gone forever".  There are not and will not be the dollars to replace them, not at Carmel prices!  When the sale money is used up no one will ever remember where it went, yet the public will have lost significant community treasures.

Why is this park land and Flanders worth saving?  The Flanders Mansion is one of two sites in Carmel that are on the National Register of Historic Places and is an outstanding example of Craftsman style architecture.  The house sits within Carmel’s largest open space, Mission Trails Nature Preserve/Park, an environmentally sensitive habitat, home to countless varieties of birds and plants and shrubs.  The preserve, with its 5 miles of trails and various habitats including the grounds of the house, is a major recreational asset to Carmel residents and visitors.  Within this preserve lies the route which Father Serra, the Franciscan padres and Viscaino took between Carmel Mission and the Monterey Presidio.  This is the only portion of the route left and you can walk it!

The Flanders Mansion could be an important cultural, natural history and educational resource if the City would cease talking "sale".  Preservation and restoration will be achieved through grants and private donations at no cost to the city.  Its maintenance will be financed by 2 or 3 small business retreats or seminars a month.  Our Foundation has developed a professional business plan to demonstrate the feasibility of what we propose.

Carmel is a community known for its art, artists and natural beauty, yet curiously it is a City without its own museum.  Our community has a large art collection that is buried in the library vault and never enjoyed by the public.  Our Foundation is ready and willing to do the fund raising and tasks necessary to turn Flanders into a jewel of a small cultural and natural history museum to display Carmel’s art, store its archives and educate residents and visitors about its unique past and special natural environment.  Also, our community’s non-profit organizations will be able to finally use Flanders for their small activities.  It will be a venue for poetry readings, book reviews, chamber concerts, discussion groups, etc.

Our Foundation believes that the City should not carve one and one/half acres out of the nature preserve and sell it to a private individual or family, thereby removing Flanders and this park land from community enjoyment by creating walls or fences in the open space.  This was not the intent of the city council in the early days.  At the time of its purchase the comment was made that purchasing the Flanders and Doolittle acreage which formed the park would be for Carmel what Golden Gate Park has become to San Francisco.  How is it possible today to even consider supporting the idea of the "sale" of Flanders and carving out a "chunk" of our nature preserve?  Having these valuable assets within our city limits helps to identify Carmel as the very special place it is.  They are part of our heritage.  We should do everything we can to save our assets - not sell them!

Here is how you can help to save Flanders and park land for your family, friends and generations to come:

Write a Letter to the Editor

Monterey Herald, Email mheditor@montereyherald.com with subject "Letter to the Editor," Fax 372-8401

Pine Cone, Email mail@carmelpinecone.com with subject "Letter to the Editor," Fax 624-8076

Monterey County Weekly, Email mail@mcweekly.com with subject "Letter to the Editor," Fax 394-2909

Send a card or letter to the City Council, Box CC, Carmel, CA  93921, Fax 620-2004

Donate to the Flanders Foundation, P.O. Box 1414, Carmel, CA  93921

Thank you for your kind and generous support!

Join us on one of our walks! Call 626-3826 or 620-0532 for information and reservations.