February 16, 2022
Pismo Beach City Council
Dear Council Members:
We listened and I participated in public comment on proposals for James Way Beautification last night (February 15).
We have lived in the community at our current address for over twenty years. We value our bay view and our neighborhood. We especially like to walk the beaches, the boardwalks, and parks with views in Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, and beyond.
I will revise my prepared remarks in view of later discussion by the Council.
A major high pressure gas line runs continuously along the non-ocean side of James Way. I have asked about what problems this might pose to proposals for new plantings—and the cost. I have not heard back. I did note that despite the costliness of this project you have not included any revisions to the non-ocean side. We appreciated Ben Fine’s comments that the broken and empty planter boxes some of which have exposed rebar rods could be removed on the more inland side of the road. Certainly, the Council could do that. And, I welcomed that from the start.
In future landscape planning, I wonder whether the city should obscure the street facing landscaping of New Life Community Church? New Life’s landscaping is attractive and well-maintained.
On the specific proposals, I believe Florida palm trees are not a good choice. They are overused by developers and tend to grow tall, and like other palm trees will proliferate from their seeds. There are many examples of the unplanned proliferation of these palm trees in the yards of several homes adjacent to James Way! My husband and I have had first-hand experience with the unplanned growth of such seedlings. The more modest-sized “pear trees” are probably a better choice—but WHY SO MANY TREES? We appreciated the council members who appeared to care about the views that might be obscured if errors are made in plantings. After all, the homes in this area are situated differently than in Shell Beach. James Way is not Shell Beach Road.
Benches: The Council seems determined to place benches every few feet.
What I have also discovered in the discussion on benches is that Council members appear to be oblivious to, or determinedly avoiding discussion of, the growing problems with the transient population along both sides of Highway 101 and the spread of these problems into the shopping centers, and to the residents of the Five Cities area whether in Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, or Pismo and gradually along James Way. (I have cited statistics and reports from the Pismo Police Department and Fire Department that demonstrate the problem.) The Council (and City Manager) must keep the quality of life of the RESIDENTS uppermost in their minds.
Sincerely yours,
Earlene Craver Leijonhufvud