Concerned Citizens for Avila Newsletter
ALERT
July 14, 2016
Together we can protect the natural environment, 
safety and accessibility of Avila.
Important Board of Supervisors Meeting
 Concerning Avila Traffic
TUESDAY, JULY 19
Arrive by 1:30 p.m.
Board of Supervisors Chambers
1055 Monterey St. , SLO


Avila Beach Drive Congestion on a weekend in June
County  Planning and Public Works will be presenting information on the unique traffic evaluation method used for Avila. As you probably know by now, the current evaluation method hugely underestimates the traffic impacts from new development. Without a change, traffic for all proposed development will be evaluated solely on midweek traffic during the second week of May, regardless of when impacts realistically will occur.
  
Please support removing the traffic evaluation language from the General Plan by attending the meeting and wearing a royal blue shirt.  Speaker's forms are available outside the meeting room and inside at the right front. If you are unable to attend, your email also would be effective, sent to Supervisor Adam Hill, ahill@co.slo.ca.us, and/or the entire Board of Supervisors, boardofsups@co.slo.ca.us.    
 
Concerned Citizens for Avila's position is: Remove the current Avila traffic evaluation language from the General Plan now. Then, traffic evaluation methods can be discussed during the update process, WITH COMMUNITY INPUT, and a more realistic method put in place.
 
A few suggestions about points to make to the Supervisors:
  • We support Planning and Public Works and their proposal and commend them for their work.
  • We agree that using a second weekday in May is inappropriate for the purpose of determining traffic impacts on Avila.
  • Let Public Works do their job. They are the experts on traffic evaluation. No other road in the County is subject to a General Plan requirement restricting how Public Works evaluates traffic.
Get background information  HERE.

Typical warm weekend traffic on Front Street

Parking on the golf course violates County ordinance.
When lot is full, event-goers drive all over town, searching for parking.
(County's Open Space Easement as recorded under Doc. No. 21051)

Cars illegally parked in bike lane on Avila Beach Drive.
$850,000 Budgeted For Avila Update

On June 13, the SLO Board of Supervisors agreed to a budget which includes the $850,000 needed to update the General Plan for the Avila area. This allocation is vital to carry out the long-overdue update CC4A and others advocated for last fall. As a reminder, the BOS voted 5-0 to prioritize the update at their meeting in October, 2015.

We will continue to follow the update process and keep you notified.