SLO City Council considers $52 million police station overhaul amid public criticism
The San Luis Obispo City Council discussed a possible new $52 million police station at its Tuesday meeting.
Council members acknowledged the need to replace an aging facility while emphasizing the need for more public input about the best use of city funds.
In addition to overhauling the 52-year-old San Luis Obispo Police Department station, located at 1042 Walnut St., the city is considering building a new station at the same location that would add a 2,800-square-foot emergency operations center and a 1,492-square-foot community room, according to a presentation by city consultant RRM Design Group.
The police department currently has 16,388 square feet of building space at the station but needs 27,351 square feet, RRM said.
As the city grows in population over the next 30 years, the agency could need up to 33,464 square feet of space at its station, according to RRM.
The existing station building lacks seismic retrofitting, community space and adequate parking, RRM’s analysis notes. The structure is also not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The city is early in the process of planning and designing of a potential project that could start construction in 2025. A specific building proposal hasn’t yet been presented.
On Tuesday, the council didn’t vote on the discussion of the concept, described as a study session on the agenda and not an action item — instead offering input for future consideration while asking for community feedback.
Council members specifically wanted more feedback on a proposed community room where residents could potential gather in case of natural disaster emergencies as well as meetings and community events.
Several public speakers on Tuesday expressed criticism of the proposal to build a new, bigger police station, calling for more social services and low-income housing instead.
“Let’s invest in social safety nets that are proven to help people,” said Cal Poly assistant professor Shanae Martinez, who teaches English with a specialty in indigenous literature. “I can’t believe we’re even discussing this.”
Although she supports the police station overhaul, Councilmember Andy Pease said that the project’s size and cost could be adjusted.
“I hope that as the proposal ... comes together it downsizes, honestly,” Pease said, adding that “every square foot of this building” should be considered carefully with more public conversation. “It feels like a big investment in funds.”
City staff report: SLO police station is ‘structurally obsolete’
The city’s staff said in a report that the existing San Luis Obispo Police Department station was constructed in 1969 and “reached the end of its service life nearly a decade ago,” as it was designed to serve a city of 28,000 people.
The city of San Luis Obispo now has more than 47,000 residents.
“The 52-year-old police station is functionally and structurally obsolete and no longer adequately meets the space and operational needs of the police department,” the report noted.
In 2017, RRM Design Group completed a feasibility study looking at the possibility of replacing the existing facility with a new public safety center in the same location.
“The Public Safety Center will be designed to industry standards and include space needs for the projected staffing over the next 30 years and will be designed for durability over the next 50 years,” the city’s staff report states.
The existing facility is unable to withstand a major seismic event based upon seismic assessments, the report noted.
Also, the report said, “Work spaces have reached maximum capacity with staff routinely working in spaces not designed for the duties they perform.”
“For example, the facility’s briefing room exits into a corridor, where gear is required to be hung on the wall, thereby creating congestion which could hamper emergency response,” the report noted.
The current police facility has 62 parking spaces with an estimated daily deficit of approximately 66 spaces under current staffing levels, according to the city.
In additional, building electrical and mechanical systems are “past their useful life” and don’t meet current California building codes.
The $52 million center would be debt financed to cover full construction costs.
City Council offers input on overhaul proposal
On Tuesday, San Luis Obispo Mayor Erica Stewart advocated for more community input.
“I want to see success for our employees and for the community,” she said. “I think that if we’re trying to build trust with the community and all different lived experiences, it’s vital to have these conversations.”
“I definitely feel that putting a community room in a place of power doesn’t build trust moving forward among people with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences,” Stewart said. “We’re trying to grow together as a community and expand diversity and inclusion and that feels completely opposite.”
Councilmember Jan Marx said that she supports the project, noting that police need parking to respond to emergencies.
In general, she added, the public supports policing to keep the city safe.
Community members criticize project costs
Speaking during public comment, R.A.C.E. Matters founder Courtney Haile said that she opposes the current police station proposal due to its size and cost, as well as the message it sends to underrepresented members of the community.
“Certainly, seismic retrofitting and ADA compliance are reasonable to allocate funds to, but the community room feels a little redundant of other spaces,” Haile said. “ A community room at a police station certainly doesn’t make everyone feel safe. Public safety is a relative term.”
Haile said the proposal doesn’t meet the city’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals.
“This could add to the distrust,” Haile said.
Other public speakers described the cost of the proposed project as excessive considering the city’s needs for affordable housing and homeless services.
“I was shocked to see the amount of debt proposed,” said San Luis Obispo resident Barry Price, calling for more resources to be dedicated to low-income housing.
Carmen Bouquin said that, until San Luis Obispo County’s 10-year plan to end homelessness is met, the proposed police station overhaul is inappropriate. “Most people in SLO are (a) paycheck away from being houseless,” Boquin wrote via Twitter.
“This is a problem,” public speaker Kelly Rose said. “The police budget doesn’t need an increase.”
City manager Derek Johnson said new development fees are specifically targeted to new infrastructure such as police facilities.
He emphasized that the county, not the city, has a budget of $250 million to use toward social services and services for homeless people as well as providing mental health and addiction resources.
Johnson said the city is encouraging a community conversation on how the future of policing should look.
“There is a massive need for affordable housing,” Johnson said. “There are limitations under the state constitution as to what we can do. We are doing more affordable housing than ever.”
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