Lon Allan: Critical fight for quality development

By Lon Allan

This has been a beautiful spring for the Central Coast. I’ve done a lot of traveling during the past two months, which has provided me with the opportunity to view our hillsides from the south and the north and even to the east. A trip to see the wildflowers east of Santa Margarita was as breathtaking as ever.

Coming over the hill that drops you down to Cholame found the hills and valley floor resplendent in blue, yellow and orange wildflowers.

Taking a grandchild to see the elephant seals on the North Coast was magnificent for both of us, at different levels, of course.

Even after four decades, I can’t help being in love with where I live and how undeveloped it is.

I also can’t help but think developers must salivate at all this undeveloped land and coastline and hillside vistas and dream of the money to be made in turning it into housing, condos and beachfront resorts and golf courses.

Which brings me to confess that for the last dozen years my vote for a councilman or supervisor has been based on who I think will work the hardest to keep the county and/or city from falling prey to growth and development. Even smart growth isn’t that smart in that it allows growth as long as you shove it right next to already developed communities.

What I want to do is prevent what happened to the southern end of Atascadero where LA-style development changed forever the character of that end of the community and destroyed Dove Cemetery, one of the last undisturbed pioneer cemeteries remaining in California— outside already established old towns such as Columbia, Bodie or Calico.

The council that approved that development was following the city’s general plan, which called for the extensive development we ended up with on Atascadero’s southern boundary.

Countywide general plans can be equally devastating on this county, which has fewer residents than the cities of Fresno or Bakersfield. I really want to keep it that way.

My friend and former Atascadero mayor and councilman George Highland said years ago that, “the general plan means whatever any three votes says it means.” Always a realist, George brought home to me just how things win approval when they don’t seem to be appropriate uses for the land. To some, a general plan is really “general” and to others it becomes an absolute blueprint for growth. It’s really a kind of wishy-washy plan in reality.

It worries me that we’re building so many new multistory motels along the major freeways and highways in this county. I can’t honestly hope that they fill up with people.

These are the thoughts that drive me as I pick a supervisor in the upcoming June election or that will influence who I support for Atascadero’s City Council in November.

If we don’t fight for quality development on each little piece, I’m afraid we’ll lose out real big in the long run in all our cities and on the entire Central Coast.