“SLOTown Comes Alive”
 November 2003
 

After ten months as Mayor, I am convinced more than ever that this has to be one of the very best elected jobs in the state.  With an excellent City Council and staff, we are moving ahead wonderfully well in addressing our biggest problems.

Housing

After months of productive meetings, the Housing Task Force presented their report on the new Housing Element to the Planning Commission, which is holding a series of public workshop meetings to further refine the document.  When the City Council, in turn, completes their hearings around the first of the year, we should be able to adopt an updated version that guides our housing decisions for the next ten years.

 A number of new homes have been built in the City near Los Osos Valley Road and Madonna Road and in the Edna/Islay area, thus providing some relief for the tight housing market.

 This fall, Cal Poly has completed dorm rooms on campus for 800 students, thus relieving some of the student housing crunch.

Water

Construction is underway for the reclaimed water storage and distribution system which will serve the golf course, playing fields, parks and landscaped areas in the Los Osos Valley and the Edna Valley.  This will relieve demands on our domestic water and is the first new water source for the City in over forty years.

 The Environmental Impact Report for the Nacimiento pipeline project is now being considered by the Board of Supervisors.  Within the next few months, San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Atascadero and several smaller partners will be asked to commit to paying for their desired share of pipeline capacity.  With that, the County can move ahead with final construction documents.  If all goes well, we might expect water deliveries by 2007.

 The City is working out agreements with the Dalidio Family and developer Bill Bird for a share of the well water used on the Dalidio fields.  As the Marketplace project moves ahead, that additional water source will be available for City use.

Transportation

The Cuesta Grade project is finally complete and traffic to and from North County is moving freely.

 The City Council has adopted a new Short Range Transit Plan, which returns the bus operations to the previous pulse system where most buses meet at City Hall and pass by a particular location in the City at the same time each hour.  The trolley will change its past routing around downtown to a routing which serves between downtown and the motels on upper Monterey – mostly on Thursday nights and weekends.  I feel certain these changes will increase ridership on our bus system.

 As development has proceeded on Los Osos Valley Road, the roadway has been widened and a signal and landscaped median have been installed.  As Costco and other developments take place, the remainder of Los Osos Valley Road will be widened to the freeway and the southbound freeway on-ramp and Calle Joaquin South will be reconfigured to relieve congestion in that area – perhaps as soon as a year from now.

 Studies are well underway for other needed improvements to the Los Osos Valley Road/101 interchange but actual construction is some years away when funding can be set up.

 Construction plans are well along for the new interchange at Prado Road which will be constructed with the first phase of development of the Marketplace project.

 The recently expanded Marsh/Chorro Parking Structure averages over half-full, with minimal street congestion at entries and exits, thus verifying the need for and the design of the structure.  Even with the Court Street lot out of service, parking in downtown is more available. 

Development Projects

Home Depot appears to be a great success; Costco is coming before the City Council within a month and should be opened by next summer.  Final construction contracts should be awarded and construction started within a month on the Copeland Court Street Project and the office/parking structure near City Hall.  The Marketplace project is slowly winding its way through EIR studies and should be ready for Planning Commission and City Council next spring.

 SLO-town is moving ahead on many fronts.  You can feel the vitality in the community.  This has been my home, my life’s work and love for over 45 years.  I am ever-grateful to the community for allowing me to serve as your Mayor and continue to be a part of guiding our City.

 Sure beats being Governor!