The Grover Beach City Council is closing out the year with the adoption of two significant plans, the 2020-2028 Housing Element and the Ramona Garden Park Master Plan. Both plans provide a long-term road map for addressing important community needs and priorities, and these Council actions allow City staff to take the necessary next steps toward turning these plans into reality.
“It has been a privilege to work with my fellow council members on developing these plans with community input and seeing them through to adoption,” said Mayor Jeff Lee. “We are excited to positively impact our future in Grover Beach through the updated Housing Element and Ramona Garden Park Master Plan and look forward to the implementation of these important planning tools.”
In addition to its connection with the City’s Housing and Homelessness Major City Goal, the 2020-2028 Housing Element is also one of eight State-mandated elements of the Grover Beach General Plan. This new Housing Element will encompass all housing policies and programs that will be implemented through the year 2028 and will serve as a critical blueprint to providing affordable housing opportunities to the Grover Beach community. It is expected that the State Department of Housing and Community Development will certify the new Grover Beach Housing Element before the end of the year. This certification will allow the City to begin implementing the new Housing Element, which includes pursuing affordable housing on opportunity sites such as the Cleaver property on South 13th Street and pursuing Land Use Element and Development Code amendments to reduce barriers to housing production to enable the city to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation requirements.
The Ramona Garden Park Master Plan will enhance and showcase the park’s natural beauty, better serve the community by improving accessibility, improve functionality for special events and better integrate the park with the adjacent area. Features of the Master Plan include a play area inspired by the Central Coast landscape, an expanded stage and amphitheater area to accommodate a wider array of events, an enhanced entry plaza that formalizes entry into and strengthens the park’s connection with downtown, a prominent Veterans’ Memorial display, and a new outdoor classroom area. The Clark Family, whose generosity has supported the park and the city in general, will also be recognized through these improvements. Although implementing the plan will be a multi-year process including seeking grant funds to augment City funds, these updates will help create a comprehensive educational, recreational and social park facility that will serve the community for many years to come.
Adoption of these plans are only two of the many actions taken by the City Council this year. Examples of other milestones achieved by the Council include:
- Providing COVID-related business assistance through grants and outdoor dining programs
- Reaching a notable infrastructure milestone with completing approximately 50% of all local residential streets identified for maintenance and repair through the Measure K-14 street repair program
- Installing new sidewalks near Grover Beach Elementary School to improve pedestrian accessibility
- Welcoming a transoceanic fiber optic cable landing in the city that will help ensure high speed
internet connectivity for the region - Preparing to transition most of the City’s residences and businesses to green energy in 2021 through membership in Central Coast Community Energy
While 2020 has brought about unprecedented and difficult times in our community, the City Council and City staff remain focused on ways to continue improving Grover Beach for years to come.