Date: September 14, 2026
To:
The Honorable Mayor, Members of the City Council, and City Manager City of Pismo Beach
760 Mattie Road
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
Subject: Congratulations and Commendation on the Chapman Estate Disposition and Operations Agreement
Dear Mayor, Members of the City Council, and City Manager Garcia, I am writing to extend my sincere congratulations and highest commendations to the City of Pismo Beach for your bold, visionary leadership regarding the future of the Chapman Estate.
The newly published staff report for tomorrow night’s City Council meeting (September 15, 2026) outlines a highly structured public-private framework that represents a workable, positive outcome for all parties involved.
The City’s actions regarding Agenda Item #12.B prove that municipal divestment does not have to mean abandonment or predatory liquidation. By transferring fee title ownership to the Chapman Estate Foundation for $1.00, injecting $200,000 in insurance storm-damage proceeds directly into escrow for immediate cottage repairs, and structuring the $1.66 million past capital reimbursement as a deferred promissory note, you have achieved a masterstroke of fiscal responsibility. This agreement cleanly stops an annual General Fund drain and removes multi-million dollar property liabilities from municipal books, permanently safeguarding Pismo Beach taxpayers.
Furthermore, the concurrent action to designate the estate as a Local Historic Resource is a brilliant legal victory. Unlocking the flexible State Historical Building Code provides the exact regulatory runway needed to safely open the indoor facilities to the public without forcing the destruction of historic architecture.
You have chosen to do the right thing—for the neighborhood, for local taxpayers, and for the preservation of Clifford Chapman's extraordinary community legacy. By choosing a collaborative long-term partnership over an adversarial hand-off, you have set a powerful precedent for how municipalities can creatively save cultural landmarks.
Thank you for your dedicated service, your strategic vision, and your unwavering commitment to the cultural and environmental future of Pismo Beach.
Warmest regards,
Richard Kirkwood