Carmel-by-the-Sea Community Town Hall: Help Shape the Future of Tourism

When:

Thursday, August 20, 2026
4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Where:

Sunset Center

San Carlos St at Ninth Ave

Carpenter Hall

Carmel by the Sea, CA 93921

 

Event Description:

Carmel-by-the-Sea Community Town Hall: Help Shape the Future of Tourism in Carmel-by-the-Sea 

Thursday, August 20, 2026 
4:30 – 6:30 p.m. 
Sunset Center, Carpenter Hall 

Your voice matters. 

A local task force including the Carmel Residents Association, Visit Carmel, and the Carmel Chamber of Commerce is inviting residents, business owners, employees, and anyone who lives in, works in, or cares about Carmel-by-the-Sea to participate in an open Town Hall on Thursday, August 20, to help create the Carmel-by-the-Sea Experience Management Plan.

This is an opportunity to share your experiences, concerns, and ideas about tourism in Carmel and help identify practical solutions that preserve what makes our village special.

We'll discuss: 

• What is working well, and what isn't
• The resident and visitor experience
• Parking, mobility, and congestion
• Protecting Carmel's unique character
• Ideas for the future

Your input will directly inform recommendations to be presented to City Council later this year.

We kindly request RSVPs so we can plan refreshments and seating. 

Who Should Attend? 

Everyone is welcome: 

• Full-time residents
• Part-time residents
• Business operators
• Employees
• Property owners
• Community organizations
• Anyone who cares about Carmel-by-the-Sea

 RSVP HERE: https://montereycounty.simpleviewcrm.com/webapi/rsvp/v2/?action=details&eventid=1648http://

This deserves to be a greater discussion within the community. When do lack of basic respect and significant safety concerns override the amount of money that car week brings in? 2 people have died, including a Big Sur local, due to being the victims of reckless driving. Vital routes for emergency responders have been blocked by exotic cars doing donuts on hwy 1 (caught on video). Our local authorities have completely lost control of this event and are jeopardizing the safety and wellbeing of the population they serve in the name of money. How bad does it need to get before someone finally puts their foot down and says enough?

🔥 TIMBER FIRE UPDATE 🔥

​Due to the continued spread of the Timber Fire and ongoing evacuations, State Route 1 is now closed to the public (except residents) at the following locations:

​📍 Point Sur Lighthouse

📍 Vista Point — near Mile Marker 37.5

​Motorists are encouraged to avoid the area and follow all evacuation orders and instructions from emergency personnel.

​We will continue to provide updates as conditions change. Please use caution and stay safe.

August 10, 2026, 8:30 am

THE HENRY MILLER LIBRARY IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED.

An evacuation order is now in effect for parts of Big Sur, including the Library, due to the Timber Fire.

Follow u/montereycountyca, u/bigsurfire and u/monterey_county_so for latest updates.

We implore you: Do not come to Big Sur.

This is an incredibly serious situation. Fewer cars on the road allow CalFire and emergency services to do their job as effectively and safely as possible.

Thank you for your understanding.

ttps://carsandcoast.com/fire

the fire exploded to 800 acres overnight. we know it’s car week and one of the busiest times (if not the busiest week) of the year in monterey county. but please do not make the drive while this fire is burning.

“Highway 1 is the only road in or out. Every car that drives down to look is one more vehicle between an engine and the fire, on a road with nowhere to pull over. Give it to the crews and the people who live here.”

UPDATE: MONTEREY COUNTY – As of 2 pm Tuesday, August 11, a 10-mile stretch of Highway 1 is closed to support Timber Fire emergency response.
 
Highway 1 is closed from 2-miles north of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (Post Mile 37.5) to Fernwood (Post Mile 47) to facilitate firefighting and evacuation operations.
 
Electronic message boards will alert travelers in advance of the closure. Avoid any unnecessary travel through the area. Drivers should use US 101 as an alternate route.
 
Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.  

Update: 1,700 acres are burning with 5% containment as of 7:05pm on Monday.

Source: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026/8/9/timber-fire

The Timber Fire is growing quickly with evacuation orders including the areas where Deetjens, Nepenthe, the Henry Miller Library and Alila Ventana are located. With car week already underway, this could not have happened at a worse time. You have to wonder how they are going to handle all of the influx of traffic to Hwy 1.

It's concerning to imagine a scenario where folks who need to evacuate cannot do so because of the complete gridlock of tourists and exotic cars. I hope authorities act swiftly to protect the needs of those whose homes and businesses are currently being threatened.