Report your storm damage to San Luis Obispo Office of Emergency Services

San Luis Obispo County officials are asking residents to report any damages sustained to homes which will help determine the amount of damage to the county. 

This information will be used to pursue recovery funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) known as Individual Assistance.

“It’s unfortunate that we once again find ourselves in the situation where we are asking residents to report their storm damages,” said Emergency Services Manager Scott Jalbert, “reporting your damages on RecoverSLO.org will help us to assess the overall impact this storm had on our community.”

There is a location on RecoverSLO.org for the public to report any damages sustained to homes which will help determine the amount of damage to the county. This information will be used to pursue recovery funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) known as Individual Assistance.

Arroyo Grande considers homeless parking in church lots

The City of Arroyo Grande in California is considering implementing a safe overnight parking program to offer a safe place to park and sleep overnight for homeless people living out of their cars. 

The proposed program would allow for up to six parking spaces in existing church parking lots, with guests only allowed to park overnight between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. 

The program also calls for strict limitations on noise coming from parked cars and access to bathrooms, drinking water, and trash, and parking spots need to be at least 300 feet from nearby homes. 

The proposal aims to address homelessness, but services are limited, and sleeping in cars does not offer services to help change the circumstances of the homeless.

Grover Beach makes it easier to build ADUs

The City of Grover Beach, California is making it easier for property owners to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) through the creation of pre-approved ADU plans. 

The plans, reviewed and approved by the City, aim to simplify the permitting process for residents and expand access to affordable housing. ADUs are small living spaces for one or more individuals on the property of a single-family residence, and all units must include a separate entrance, permanent kitchen, sleeping area, living area, and bathroom. 

The state of California has also promoted ADUs and junior accessory dwelling units (JADUs) to increase access to affordable housing.

Seismic retrofit of Lopez Drive Bridge begins

Work begins Monday to prepare Lopez Drive Bridge in Arroyo Grande for a seismic retrofit.

This first phase of work consists of installing environmental equipment to allow for retrofitting work to start later this spring.

Work is expected to run from Monday, Jan. 30 through Wednesday, March 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Friday, weather permitting.

County awards $33 million contract to build new probation building

County supervisors awarded a more than $33 million contract to a Lodi construction firm to build a new Probation Department Building.

The new facility will be approximately 30,000 square feet and located near the current facility on Bishop Street in San Luis Obispo, referred to as Casa Loma.

The design and permitting process should take minimum of about nine months, so the project is expected to break ground in early 2024.

“County staff, consultants, and F&H Construction, the design-build entity selected to work on this project, are excited to be part of this and will make sure the project is delivered successfully,” said Robert Ruiz, County of San Luis Obispo Project Delivery Division Manager. “It will be built to meet quality standards including energy efficient, security, and technology features to allow the Probation Department to serve this county for decades to come.”

Los Berros Road may get future improvements

Road improvements could be on the horizon for Los Berros Road in Arroyo Grande.

In late September, the San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Works conducted exploratory potholing to locate underground utilities on Los Berros Road between Quailwood Lane and North Frontage Road in Arroyo Grande. 

Traffic was reduced to a single lane where necessary. 

Utility information gathered will be incorporated into a project design currently being developed to construct future road improvements at this location. The project will include roadway widening, new bike lanes, and a dedicated left-turn vehicle lane at the intersection of Los Berros Road and Dale Avenue.

Please refer to the map for the project locations.

Drought: Learn rain barrel basics in SLO workshop

As California continues to grapple with the effects of historic drought throughout the state, the County of San Luis Obispo is inviting residents to learn more about rainwater harvesting and rain barrel installation.

“With severe drought persisting across the state and a still uncertain outlook for the coming winter, now is a great time to install a rain barrel,” said Kate Ballantyne, Deputy Director of County Public Works. “The county is pleased to be working with our local partners to encourage all forms of water conservation, as it’s unlikely a single rainy season will replenish our local reservoirs.”