Hello fellow Avilones. In case you missed it, early spring was packed with local meetings of various interest groups and concerned Avila Beach citizens. News of the Amgen Tour once again coming to Avila led many to an informational meeting attended by folks who remember the last time Amgen wheeled through our town. Then, in spite of contentious vocal opposition by some who thought the 2013 event would be a major disruption and safety issue, the actual Amgen "crowd" barely registered a blip compared to other busy days at the beach. This year's presenters found a much friendlier welcome at the April meeting, though there were several concerns expressed about trash, parking and traffic flow, along with suggestions about how to improve those matters. All in all, a civil and productive gathering in my opinion.
A much larger contingent of Avilones squeezed into the Community Center on April 9th to hear what a band of locals (Avila Beach Concerned Citizens) had meticulously prepared in response to a handful of major impact commercial and residential projects in various phases of development. An estimated 170 people - standing room only - heard the voice of Concerned Citizens that night (Ann Feeser), who with the help of a Power Point presentation outlined the group's understanding of proposed projects and the potentially harmful effects on traffic, safety, the environment and water resources. Supervisor Adam Hill presided over a panel of County planning staff and representatives from Cal Fire. After Ann's presentation and responses from those on the panel, the audience was invited to express their thoughts and ask further questions. I applaud everyone who approached the microphone for sharing their passion and exhibiting civility throughout the process. It appeared that at the core of malcontent is an outdated County general plan for Avila, which remains based on information dating back 15 years. Strong sentiment exists among Avila citizens that the plan and related studies need to be updated, and that any development projects be delayed until that task is complete. While we didn't walk away with anything concrete, we did learn that a great many layers of review must be endured by developers before projects are approved. And, I think the message to update the Avila general plan was heard by our legislative leader and County planning staff. It will be interesting to watch how things progress.
I have to admit that prior to the "Concerned Citizens" town hall meeting I had personally been fairly ambivalent about the pending development proposals. Upon some introspection I came to the conclusion that my attitude was largely due to having twice in my past lived in areas that spread like wildfire. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley in the 50s and 60s when it was dotted with farms, ranches, orange groves and distances between one town and the next. By the time I moved from the Valley in 1982 it was an entirely different world there. Relocating to Irvine (Orange County) in 1982 I discovered an area very much like the Valley was in the 50s and 60s. Once again development ruled the day and by the time we left in 1989 both Irvine and the neighboring coastal communities had become megatropolis nightmares. I never thought there was much I or anyone could do to slow down rampant growth, thus becoming resigned to that eventuality. Whatever becomes of "Concerned Citizens" mission, I appreciate their efforts and will be supportive of planned growth initiatives.
By the time you read this column, the Avila Beach Community Foundation board and staff will have concluded our bi-annual strategic planning retreat - though not in time to include outcomes in the May issue of Avila News. However, while preparing for the theme of the retreat, titled "Where we've been, where we want to go and how we want to get there", I had to dig into the historic records of the Foundation dating back to 1998. In the course of time, staff and leadership come and go - and institutional memory can become fuzzy. So now seemed a good time to look back and share. While diving into the past I was able to compile some data that I believe will please everyone. In my view there were three distinct eras in the Foundation's history. The two that included grant making and other financial support of Avila Beach enhancement likely interests most of you, and I'll bet not many know that the Foundation through grant making and partnering in securing outside money has distributed nearly $3 million over the past 15 years! Of that amount, just under $1 million went to renovating the Community Center and support of operational its staffing. The Central Coast Aquarium has received $138,000 over the years; Avila Jr. Lifeguards $142,150; nearly $190,000 to Port San Luis Harbor District for beach-related equipment and maintenance; and over $160,000 to launch and help sustain the Avila Beach Trolley. The rest has supported a wide variety of local organizations and community improvement projects. I hope you agree that the "Foundation" makes a significant contribution to the well-being of Avila Beach. Well, once again I've run out of space, so that's it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
A much larger contingent of Avilones squeezed into the Community Center on April 9th to hear what a band of locals (Avila Beach Concerned Citizens) had meticulously prepared in response to a handful of major impact commercial and residential projects in various phases of development. An estimated 170 people - standing room only - heard the voice of Concerned Citizens that night (Ann Feeser), who with the help of a Power Point presentation outlined the group's understanding of proposed projects and the potentially harmful effects on traffic, safety, the environment and water resources. Supervisor Adam Hill presided over a panel of County planning staff and representatives from Cal Fire. After Ann's presentation and responses from those on the panel, the audience was invited to express their thoughts and ask further questions. I applaud everyone who approached the microphone for sharing their passion and exhibiting civility throughout the process. It appeared that at the core of malcontent is an outdated County general plan for Avila, which remains based on information dating back 15 years. Strong sentiment exists among Avila citizens that the plan and related studies need to be updated, and that any development projects be delayed until that task is complete. While we didn't walk away with anything concrete, we did learn that a great many layers of review must be endured by developers before projects are approved. And, I think the message to update the Avila general plan was heard by our legislative leader and County planning staff. It will be interesting to watch how things progress.
I have to admit that prior to the "Concerned Citizens" town hall meeting I had personally been fairly ambivalent about the pending development proposals. Upon some introspection I came to the conclusion that my attitude was largely due to having twice in my past lived in areas that spread like wildfire. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley in the 50s and 60s when it was dotted with farms, ranches, orange groves and distances between one town and the next. By the time I moved from the Valley in 1982 it was an entirely different world there. Relocating to Irvine (Orange County) in 1982 I discovered an area very much like the Valley was in the 50s and 60s. Once again development ruled the day and by the time we left in 1989 both Irvine and the neighboring coastal communities had become megatropolis nightmares. I never thought there was much I or anyone could do to slow down rampant growth, thus becoming resigned to that eventuality. Whatever becomes of "Concerned Citizens" mission, I appreciate their efforts and will be supportive of planned growth initiatives.
By the time you read this column, the Avila Beach Community Foundation board and staff will have concluded our bi-annual strategic planning retreat - though not in time to include outcomes in the May issue of Avila News. However, while preparing for the theme of the retreat, titled "Where we've been, where we want to go and how we want to get there", I had to dig into the historic records of the Foundation dating back to 1998. In the course of time, staff and leadership come and go - and institutional memory can become fuzzy. So now seemed a good time to look back and share. While diving into the past I was able to compile some data that I believe will please everyone. In my view there were three distinct eras in the Foundation's history. The two that included grant making and other financial support of Avila Beach enhancement likely interests most of you, and I'll bet not many know that the Foundation through grant making and partnering in securing outside money has distributed nearly $3 million over the past 15 years! Of that amount, just under $1 million went to renovating the Community Center and support of operational its staffing. The Central Coast Aquarium has received $138,000 over the years; Avila Jr. Lifeguards $142,150; nearly $190,000 to Port San Luis Harbor District for beach-related equipment and maintenance; and over $160,000 to launch and help sustain the Avila Beach Trolley. The rest has supported a wide variety of local organizations and community improvement projects. I hope you agree that the "Foundation" makes a significant contribution to the well-being of Avila Beach. Well, once again I've run out of space, so that's it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
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