SanLuisObispo.com: South County

Arroyo Grande officials scramble to find more parking for carpoolers

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:10 PDT

By Dawn White -- The park-and-ride lot in Arroyo Grande has become so popular with commuters that city officials are scrambling to find a new parking area for those choosing to use buses or carpool.

The 53 spots at Halcyon and El Camino Real fill up as early as 7 a. m., say some commuters, forcing drivers to park on side streets, at a nearby dirt parking lot and in front of local homes and businesses.

But whether those spaces are permitted for park-and-ride users is questioned by those who use them.

County Roundup

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:14 PDT

Paso Robles

Repairing the city’s Carnegie Library, damaged in the 2003 San Simeon Earthquake, is turning out to be more expensive than anticipated.

The City County authorized an additional $151,313 for the library repairs this week.

SLO Supervisors deny annex to Santa Barbara County

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 07:19 PDT

By Bob Cuddy -- Facing overwhelming opposition, county supervisors on Tuesday killed a proposal that would have moved 5,070 acres of prime South County agricultural land to Santa Barbara County.

The vote was 4-0, with Supervisors Katcho Achadjian and Jerry Lenthall changing their earlier support for the property transfer. Jim Patterson and Bruce Gibson remained opposed to it. Harry Ovitt was absent Tuesday.

Lenthall and Achadjian had joined Ovitt to move the transfer forward at the Aug. 26 meeting.

County Roundup

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:04 PDT

Morro Bay

City officials have appointed Joseph M. Woods as Morro Bay’s parks and recreation director.

Woods has served as the acting director for the past 11 months. Prior to that, he served as the department’s facilities superintendent.

County Roundup

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 23:33 PDT

SLO County

The Environmental Health Services department has launched an online database that allows users to look up the inspection history of local restaurants and other food service establishments.

The tool details violations and health code compliance of all 1,600 such businesses inspected by the county. The records go back to July 1, 2007.

Sibbach hits boundary change

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 22:37 PDT

By Bob Cuddy -- In what has become a daily drumbeat of opposition, San Luis Obispo County’s chief fiscal watchdog has recommended that the Board of Supervisors deny the transfer of 5,000 acres of prime agricultural land to Santa Barbara County.

Auditor-Controller Gere Sibbach outlined “several matters of uncertainty regarding various district boundaries” and the effect of the change on the property taxes they receive.

Sibbach becomes the third key player in county government this week to oppose the proposed transfer of 5,070 acres of the Suey Ranch to San Luis Obispo County’s southern neighbor at the request of ranchers H. D. and Carol Perrett, who grow avocadoes and lemons on the land.

County Roundup

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 22:37 PDT

Oceano

Ajudge upheld his decision Friday to dismiss Oceano business owner Bill Bookout’s lawsuit against the county and other agencies over flooding at his nursery.

In August, San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Martin Tangeman found Bookout’s claims against the county, Caltrans, Oceano Community Services District and Union Pacific Railroad to be without merit.

County planners oppose plan to give prime ag land to Santa Barbara County

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:03 PDT

By Bob Cuddy -- San Luis Obispo County leaders should “abandon and deny” a plan to give more than 5,000 acres of prime agricultural land to Santa Barbara County, planning commissioners said Thursday.

Commissioners will send a letter stating their opposition to that plan to the Board of Supervisors, which is expected to rule on the proposed boundary change Tuesday.

The Planning Commission’s misgivings about the border change means that San Luis Obispo County’s top advisory panels on land use and agriculture have come out against the move. The Agricultural Liaison Advisory Committee voted against the transfer Monday.

County Roundup

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:20 PDT

Nipomo

Sheriff’s investigators seized about a dozen pounds of methamphetamine after a lengthy investigation that ended Thursday.

The three-month investigation by the sheriff’s narcotics unit peaked in August with a two-pound purchase of meth in a grocery store parking lot on Tefft Street in Nipomo, according to sheriff’s officials.

Bill Morem: Two supervisors pondering land loss to Santa Barbara County have benefited from contributions by ranchers

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 07:14 PDT

On its face, the request seems odd. A South County rancher wants the Board of Supervisors to carve more than 5,000 acres of his ranch out of San Luis Obispo County and make it part of Santa Barbara County.

What do the taxpayers of our county get in return? A $58,000 hit to our already strained budget.

There could be several explanations to this: One, the rancher simply wants to develop the land. Two, there is a gambit for water the South County badly needs.

Judge upholds charges in boy’s beach death, though defense argues burial was accidental

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 07:26 PDT

By Leslie Parrilla -- The attorney defending a man accused of manslaughter in the death of a 5-year-old boy who was buried in the sand at Pismo State Beach argued in court Wednesday that the Fourth of July incident was an unfortunate accident, with no criminal intent.

But prosecutor Matt Kraut argued that a reasonable person in the same situation would not have covered Jesse Alvarez’s face with sand, considering how vulnerable he was with the rest of his body already covered.

“I think you have to look not at the results but the conduct that was involved here,” said Mike Adams, Juan Francisco Nunez’s public defender. “It’s

Oceano man arrested in federal drug, gang bust

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 07:27 PDT

By Stephen Curran -- An Oceano man is among 13 suspected gang members arrested this week on federal charges in connection with an alleged drug trafficking ring in Santa Maria.

The arrest of 50-year-old Christoval Pena came after a lengthy investigation led by the FBI and area law enforcement agencies, including the San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County sheriff’s departments, U. S. Attorney Thomas O’Brien said Wednesday.

Pena and the other defendants belong to the Northwest street gang, which has operated in Santa Maria for decades, O’Brien said.

South County Beat: Two decades of service honored

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 23:35 PDT

An 82-year-old Arroyo Grande woman will be honored at a ceremony Sept. 18 in San Jose for her work with Martha’s Kitchen—a nonprofit meal service for the poor and homeless.

Peggy Fayter, who moved to Arroyo Grande in 2001 with her son, Bill Jennings, volunteered with Martha’s Kitchen in San Jose for 20 years and served as a board member for 15.

After moving here from San Jose, she traveled back frequently to help with Martha’s Kitchen.

Opposition growing to SLO supervisors' apparent decision to transfer 5,000 acres of prime ag land to Santa Barbara County

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 07:18 PDT

By Bob Cuddy -- Opposition is growing to the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisor’s apparent decision to transfer 5,000 acres of prime agricultural land in the South County to Santa Barbara County with little in return beyond the possibility of good relations with officials to the south.

The county Planning Commission wants to find out why the supervisors tentatively agreed to transfer 5,070 acres of Suey Ranch, which currently is used by owners H. D. and Carol Perrett for avocado, lemons, other crops and cattle.

The Nipomo Community Services District has voted against the move, and members of the Port San Luis Harbor District and the county Agricultural Liaison Board have questioned the decision.

Study seeks ways to save Pismo’s picturesque bluffs

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:08 PDT

By Dawn White -- After years of watching parts of Pismo Beach’s coastline slowly crumble into the sea, city officials are getting serious about protecting the bluffs from erosion.

The City Council has committed to a $1 million study—half of which is funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—that members say they believe will lead to measures protecting the area from millions of dollars in damage that could result if the bluffs are left to wear away at current rates.

The greatest threat could be to Price Street, which links Shell Beach to Pismo Beach and connects to Highway 101 in the city limits. Price is only a few yards from the bluff edge in some places, so continued erosion could ultimately cause the street to collapse.

County Roundup

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 23:33 PDT

San Luis Obispo

For the second time, the monthly Saturday half-day hours of the Department of Motor Vehicles in San Luis Obispo have become a victim of the state budget stalemate.

The state will bar the door at 53 DMV offices normally open from 8 a.m. to noon on the third Saturday of each month.