Message From the City Manager
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Greetings City of Grover Beach,
February is a great month to show our love for our community! Grover Beach is a community with boundless opportunities and a wonderful place to live, work and play. One of the great aspects of our City is our strong local business community who put their heart and soul into their businesses and contribute so much to our economic vitality. To help show our support, the City has teamed up again with the South County Chambers of Commerce on another round of the popular “Buy Local” program. This time, the focus is on restaurants and other food and beverage establishments. If you spend $100 or more at a Grover Beach restaurant, brewery or winery, you’ll get a $25 gift card to another such business. The program runs through March 17, and more information can be found on the South County Chambers of Commerce’s website.
Housing and Homelessness is one of the City’s top priorities and we are making substantial progress in addressing this critical need. The City continues to support the 5Cities Homeless Coalition (5CHC) on their “Cabins for Change” temporary housing facility on Long Branch Avenue, which is the first emergency shelter space for homeless individuals in South County. The facility’s 20 units are now fully occupied and clients not only have a roof over their heads, but receive services and a pathway for self-sufficiency and permanent housing. The City is also working with 5CHC on another facility on South 4th Street and Barca Street to provide additional shelter spaces in a managed and secure environment. We are also working on a camping ordinance to restrict camping on public property in a more enforceable way. The Planning Commission recently approved 45 new housing units in our community, including a multi-family mixed-use project at 402 West Grand Avenue. This project will convert a long-vacant lot into a four-story building with 37 housing units and a ground-level restaurant that will help activate our main commercial corridor. Step by step, we continue to make progress in finding solutions to our various housing needs.
Lastly, I wanted to touch on our financial status following an update provided to the Council on February 14. The City is in a strong financial position with projected surpluses over the next five years based on current services, along with prudent reserves that provide funding for emergencies or unforeseen needs. Under the Council’s leadership, we have worked hard over many years to create a financially sustainable budget that funds services and projects to address community needs while not overextending our costs beyond our ability to pay for them. We have significant needs on the horizon, most notably regarding fire and emergency medical services, so this fiscal discipline will be important in meeting the needs that are consistent with our Council Goals. Speaking of goals, the Council will be holding a goal-setting workshop for fiscal years 2023-25 on Monday, March 6 at 3 p.m. at the Ramona Center. The public is invited to attend and provide input.
Thank you for showing your love for our community and helping make Grover Beach an even better place. Let us know how we can help you and if we can answer any questions about City services or projects at (805) 473-4567 or gbadmin@groverbeach.org.
Sincerely,
Matthew Bronson
City Manager
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Local Business Highlight: Perfetto Caffe
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Perfetto Caffe is a traditional Italian caffe that serves delicious coffee, paninis, salads and more right here in Grover Beach! In the last month, Jami and Brian became the new owners of this Grover Beach staple from Genarro and Laura, who still live in town. Jami and Brian are excited to keep the coffee shop the same as it's always been, and they’ve even brought in scones, biscotti and homemade soup. The South County Chamber of Commerce will be doing a ribbon cutting to celebrate the new owners soon!
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Grover Beach Planning Commission Approves Next Steps in Mixed-Use Development Project |
On February 7, the Grover Beach Planning Commission approved a Development Application for a new mixed-use development at the corner of West Grand Avenue and 4th Street. This project will include 37 residential units and 4,700 square feet of ground floor commercial/retail space. The development will act as a pedestrian-friendly gateway that welcomes residents and visitors to the community.
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Grover Beach’s Strong Financial Forecast Paves the Way for Addressing Community Needs |
On February 14, the Grover Beach City Council received the City’s Mid-Year Financial Review for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23, which highlighted Grover Beach’s strong financial position heading into the upcoming budgeting process. The City’s favorable mid-year budget projections and five-year financial forecast will allow the City to address key initiatives that benefit the community.
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Staff Spotlight: New Grover Beach Employees |
The City of Grover Beach recently hired some amazing new employees, and we are excited to introduce them to the community!
The Grover Beach Police Department recently hired Kameron Day, their first GBPD college intern. Kameron is a local resident in his final semester of a criminal justice undergraduate degree. Kameron will be working with GBPD over the next few months to learn about the law enforcement profession and help staff with a variety of tasks.
In January, the Grover Beach Police Department welcomed Officer Cian Lenehan. He joined GBPD as a lateral Police Officer after working several years in Santa Barbara County. He was officially sworn in by Chief Peters at the February 13 City Council Meeting.
Megan Martin took over the Community Development Director position in January 2023. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Earth Science from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Master of City and Regional Planning from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Before coming to Grover Beach, Martin served as the Planning Manager for the City of Pismo Beach. Prior to her work in local government, Martin worked in the private sector as the Director of Entitlement and Compliance under Jamie Jones of Kirk Consulting. Additionally, Martin served as a Supervising Planner for the Cannabis and Long Range Planning Divisions with the County of San Luis Obispo.
Crystal Neal is the new Administrative Assistant in the Administrative Services Department. Crystal is a lifelong resident of the central coast and mother of two amazing children. She brings over twenty years of customer service and education in administrative and business services to the City. "I am so proud to be a part of The City of Grover Beach and look forward to meeting more people in the community," said Crystal.
Lorena Zarate is the new Finance Manager for the City of Grover Beach. She is a central coast native who graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting. She received my CPA (Certified Public Accountant) license in 2013 and has professional experience practicing accounting in corporate taxation and the private sector. For the past three years, she was the Finance Director for the City of Guadalupe. Outside of work, Lorena likes to spend time with her young daughters and read books.
Join us in welcoming Kameron, Officer Lenehan, Megan, Crystal and Lorena. We can't wait to see what they do for our community!
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Upcoming Meetings & Events |
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City Hall Schedule
February 27 @ 6 p.m.
Council Goal-Setting Workshop
March 6 @ 3 p.m.
March 7 @ 6 p.m.
March 13 @ 6 p.m.
Parks, Recreation and Beatification Commission Meeting
March 16 @ 6 p.m.
March 27 @ 6 p.m.
April 4 @ 6 p.m.
April 10 @ 6 p.m.
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Volunteer Recognition Dinner |
The Parks and Recreation Department hosted its annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner on Friday, February 10. The evening was full of camaraderie and recognition and featured a delicious taco dinner catered by Tio Pepe's. During the event, Mayor Karen Bright, Parks and Recreation Program Director Kathy Petker and Chair of the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commission Kassi Dee announced the volunteer awards for 2022. Thank you to all our volunteers who help make this City a better place to live and recreate!
A huge congratulations to:
Volunteer of the Year: Joe Knudsen
Sponsor of the Year: Daryl Cameron
Business of the Year: Spoon Trade
Community Organization of the Year: Grover Beach Rotary Club
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Frequently Asked Questions |
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What is the Buy Local program? |
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In partnership with the South County Chambers of Commerce, the City of Grover Beach is relaunching the Buy Local program with an emphasis on City’s restaurants, wineries and breweries, as part of the City’s ongoing efforts to stimulate the local economy and show support for Grover Beach businesses.
From February 12 through March 17, if a diner cumulatively spends $100 or more at a Grover Beach restaurant, brewery or winery, they will be eligible to receive a free $25 gift card to another local restaurant, winery or brewery. To claim the gift cards, customers need to upload their receipts totaling $100 or more to southcountychambers.com or mail receipts to South County Chambers of Commerce, PO Box 672, Arroyo Grande CA 93421.
We have so many amazing local dining options in Grover Beach, so get out there and show them some love!
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Updated Fence Height Ordinance |
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The City of Grover Beach recently updated its fence height regulations to establish a balance between privacy and community appearance while maintaining adequate light, air and public safety.
Where can I place my fence?
Residents can place their fences in the "setback," which is the distance that a home or structure must be placed from the property line on all sides. Setbacks are dependent on zoning.
How tall can my fence be?
Within the setback at the front of the house or structure: 3.5 feet tall
Within the setback along a street (corner properties): 6 feet tall
Within the setback in between houses or structures or at the back of a house: 7 feet tall
Corner Lot Regulations:
On corner lots, property owners can designate one side of the property as the front setback and another side as the street side setback. Fences near corners may be limited to 3 feet in height to provide safe pedestrian and traffic visibility.
Fence Transparency:
The maximum height of a solid fence at the front of a house or property is 3.5 feet, however, a fence may be up to 6 feet in height if the top 2.5 feet is a minimum of 75% transparent. The transparent portion needs to allow air and light to pass through it.
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Work with us! City Employment Opportunities Include: |
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City of Grover Beach
154 S 8th Street
Grover Beach, CA 93433
(805) 473-4550
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