Greetings, fellow Avilones. I begin this month’s column with the big local news some of you may have missed. Following is a summary of the media release distributed by Eric Daniels, Senior Local Government and Public Affairs Representative for PG&E. “In an important step to continue operating Diablo Canyon Power Plant beyond 2024-25 by direction of the state, the California State Lands Commission voted to approve Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s lease extension application related to its intake and discharge structures until 2030. While additional regulatory decisions remain ahead on the path to relicense the plant, today’s (6/5/2023) vote was a key milestone of Senate Bill 846. The extension of the lease supports continued operation of the intake and discharge structures that are crucial to plant operations, including the generation of electricity and cooling for components”.
In other local news, the Central Coast Aquarium has hired a new Executive Director in the person of Christy Kasarjian, who was born and raised on the Central Coast, spending a lot of her time by the water. After transferring from Cal Poly to Boise State University, she found solace in the mountains, just as she had with the sea. While she wanted to be closer to her family, it was not in the plans for her to move back to California until the Executive Director position with the Central Coast Aquarium came about.
Christy has a dynamic background, always striving to work for organizations that coincide with her love for the outdoors and bringing people together to serve the community. Working for the Forest Service in fire suppression and serving as a director for the non-profit organization Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation & Ski Resort in Idaho fueled her need to be proactive about sustainable practices in recreation and preserving our resources. According to Christy, now that summer has arrived the Aquarium will increase its hours of operation, and is seeking more volunteers for this busy season. They do not need to be marine biologists, and not all volunteers are required to work in the exhibit hall. Anyone interested should call the Central Coast Aquarium at (805) 457-5357.
In case you weren’t able to attend, there was a very informative gathering held on May 30th at the Avila Beach Community Center, hosted by SLO County District 3 Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg. With about 90 folks in attendance, Supervisor Ortiz-Legg and representatives from the SLO County Planning Department provided some background and updates regarding projects and plans relevant to the Avila Beach communities. Among the items shared were the Dunn Sailing Apartments (a new partnership has been established to determine its future), the McCarthy property project above Cave Landing (applicant has reduced the size of the proposed home and dedicated some public access space for a trail). Samara project behind the San Luis Bay Inn (originally designed to build 50 cottages, but developer now exploring other options). The Chevron property development project (nothing new to report, still some mitigation taking place).
Other items discussed included progress on the long-awaited Avila Community Plan (has been delayed once again due to staffing turnover and other long-term priorities of SLO County), Offshore Wind Industry on the Central Coast (Avila Beach unlikely to be a staging site due to limited infrastructure - Morro Bay more likely), Avila Beach Golf Resort proposed project (phased extension to include lodging, spa and larger events venue – draft EIR underway, first of 3 phases before final approval), Avila Barn (applying for a permit to host special events for up to 200 people). Disclaimer: the above two paragraphs represent my note-taking (not my strong suit) and may not be completely accurate. For full report contact SLO County Planning Department.
Summer for the Avila Beach Community Foundation means it’s time to launch our grant-making season. Requests For Proposals (RFPs) will be announced around mid-July, and the application form will be available on our website: www.avilabeachfoundation.org. The Foundation has awarded more than 200 grants to agencies, programs and projects, and has surpassed $3 million in monies distributed since 2001.
That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
In other local news, the Central Coast Aquarium has hired a new Executive Director in the person of Christy Kasarjian, who was born and raised on the Central Coast, spending a lot of her time by the water. After transferring from Cal Poly to Boise State University, she found solace in the mountains, just as she had with the sea. While she wanted to be closer to her family, it was not in the plans for her to move back to California until the Executive Director position with the Central Coast Aquarium came about.
Christy has a dynamic background, always striving to work for organizations that coincide with her love for the outdoors and bringing people together to serve the community. Working for the Forest Service in fire suppression and serving as a director for the non-profit organization Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation & Ski Resort in Idaho fueled her need to be proactive about sustainable practices in recreation and preserving our resources. According to Christy, now that summer has arrived the Aquarium will increase its hours of operation, and is seeking more volunteers for this busy season. They do not need to be marine biologists, and not all volunteers are required to work in the exhibit hall. Anyone interested should call the Central Coast Aquarium at (805) 457-5357.
In case you weren’t able to attend, there was a very informative gathering held on May 30th at the Avila Beach Community Center, hosted by SLO County District 3 Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg. With about 90 folks in attendance, Supervisor Ortiz-Legg and representatives from the SLO County Planning Department provided some background and updates regarding projects and plans relevant to the Avila Beach communities. Among the items shared were the Dunn Sailing Apartments (a new partnership has been established to determine its future), the McCarthy property project above Cave Landing (applicant has reduced the size of the proposed home and dedicated some public access space for a trail). Samara project behind the San Luis Bay Inn (originally designed to build 50 cottages, but developer now exploring other options). The Chevron property development project (nothing new to report, still some mitigation taking place).
Other items discussed included progress on the long-awaited Avila Community Plan (has been delayed once again due to staffing turnover and other long-term priorities of SLO County), Offshore Wind Industry on the Central Coast (Avila Beach unlikely to be a staging site due to limited infrastructure - Morro Bay more likely), Avila Beach Golf Resort proposed project (phased extension to include lodging, spa and larger events venue – draft EIR underway, first of 3 phases before final approval), Avila Barn (applying for a permit to host special events for up to 200 people). Disclaimer: the above two paragraphs represent my note-taking (not my strong suit) and may not be completely accurate. For full report contact SLO County Planning Department.
Summer for the Avila Beach Community Foundation means it’s time to launch our grant-making season. Requests For Proposals (RFPs) will be announced around mid-July, and the application form will be available on our website: www.avilabeachfoundation.org. The Foundation has awarded more than 200 grants to agencies, programs and projects, and has surpassed $3 million in monies distributed since 2001.
That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
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