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County to study build- out of park

By Mike Hodgson

Two plans that would provide maximum recreational facilities in Nipomo Community Park are being sent to the San Luis Obispo County parks staff for an initial environmental study.

After spending more than two hours of public comment and discussion, the County Parks Commission voted 5-0 Thursday to have the staff prepare an initial study of plans calling for full build-out of the park, said 3rd District Commissioner Terry Eberhardt.

He said the commission decided to go with the 2006 master plans, which call for a recreation center, gymnasium, community center, swimming pool, skate park, amphitheater, playground, trails, multiple-use sports fields and basketball, tennis and handball courts.

“The commission recognized the needs are there for all the elements that were proposed,” Eberhardt said. “I think the Parks Commission understood the community’s needs in the Nipomo area and would like to see all of them built in the park.”

He noted members of the public who spoke about the proposals Thursday were evenly split between wanting full recreational amenities and maintaining a more passive park.

“It was a tough decision in many respects, because the commissioners respect the opinion of the people in Nipomo who want to keep the park an open-space, rural park,” he added.

“But (commissioners) saw these needs, and they’re concerned about balancing that.”

Eberhardt said the commission decided to study the full build-out because if the community eventually decides againt some of the amenities, they can just be eliminated.

But if some facilities were left out of the initial study and the community decided later to have them built, the county would have to go through the entire review process again.

The decision was applauded by those who have long supported full recreational facilities in the park at West Tefft Street and Pomeroy Road.

“I was so happy just because we’ve been beaten down so much in the past,” said Becky Crowe, executive director of Nipomo Recreation Association, which wants a recreation center in the park. “I could see (the commission) understood the importance of recreation to the community.”

Morro Bay Police Chief John DeRohan, a longtime Nipomo resident who for years was president of Nipomo Little League, spoke at the meeting and said later the commission chose a good plan.

“We need more recreation programs for youth to keep them out of gangs, to keep them out of methamphetamine that is such a big problem now,” DeRohan said. “My big thing is keeping them from falling in with the wrong crowd.

“When you look at the alternative (plan), it has a recreation center and sports fields and it preserves open space. I think that’s a big win-win for everybody.”

But not everyone was pleased with the commission’s decision.

Ed Eby, chairman of the South County Advisory Council, which reviews projects and provides community input and advice to the County Board of Supervisors, said a full project is not what the council wanted.

“SCAC asked for a very much simpler configuration,” he said. “We wanted a rural-friendly park and not so much brick and concrete and lights. The parking lot is going to be four times the size of Vons’ parking lot. We thought it was too much for a natural park.

“We wanted them to leave out the gymnasium, leave out the pool, leave out the skate park, leave out the preschool — and the 24 acres of lighting and 720-car parking lot.”

But Eby, who attended the Park Commission meeting, also said he and others are uncertain exactly what the commission’s decision was.

“We’re trying to get it in writing,” Eby said. “I think the staff desires (the study) to be a mitigated negative declaration, but you don’t order someone to do a study that will come out a negative declaration.

“After you do the initial study, then you come to the conclusion whether it should be a negative declaration, a mitigated negative declaration or a full environmental impact report.

“I don’t think they know (the California Environmental Quality Act) law that well,” he added.

Second District Commissioner Pandora Nash-Karner said once the study is completed in six to nine months, the plan will go back to the community to pick the priorities.

“The hard part is, when we started this project four years ago, there were people in positions of decision making who gave us one set of marching orders,” she said. “Now there are new people who have a whole different set.

“We need to engage the community to come out and tell us what they really want.”

Neither she nor Eberhardt were completely clear on the final steps but believe the plan will have to be approved by the commission, then sent to the Board of Supervisors for final approval.

March 30, 2007