Category: Central Coast

December 15,2014

Cal Poly contributes more than $1.4 billion to the economy of San Luis Obispo and Northern Santa Barbara counties, according to a new analysis prepared for the university. “Cal Poly is a vital and positive economic force on the Central Coast,” said university President Jeffrey D. Armstrong. “It is one of the region’s top employers and most stable employers, helping the area weather economic downturns.” According to the study, Cal Poly students also contribute to the community’s economic vitality. Not only do the more than 19,000 students purchase goods and services from local businesses, they also pay more than $11 million in local taxes while providing more than $2 million in volunteer labor to a host of nonprofit organizations from Paso Robles to Santa Maria. The university “plays a key role in generating, developing and stabilizing the region’s economy,” said the report, which analyzed Cal Poly’s contributions to the region based on economic data collected in the 2012-13 fiscal year. The 60-page study was conducted by San Luis Obispo-based Productive Impact LLC.

November 30,2104 –

Bald Eagle Returns To Sweet Springs Nature Preserve

For the second winter in a row a young bald eagle has returned to the Sweet Springs Nature Preserve in Los Osos in SLO County.The preserve sits on the south bay estuary. The impressive eagle with its distinctive white head was spotted for the first time here last December.The eagle appears to fly back and forth between the large pines and eucalyptus at Sweet Springs and also perches closer to Montana De Oro SP to the south along the estuary.
This eagle,our national symbol, has become somewhat of a celebrity drawing nature photographers like Linda and Tom Dalton who snapped this picture in recent days.Tom Dalton  also shot  some photos of the bird last winter when it appeared more juvenile says Tom.
The bird is seen eating both small birds as well as fish, both in abundance  here, and seems to sometimes duel for both a catch and territory with a visiting osprey, another large bird of prey. Sweet Springs offers a grand view of it all – off a boardwalk dock that juts out out into the south Bay – now often crowded with visitors have come to get a glimpse of the impressive bird.
Known for migratory and resident birdlife, the area is not known for eagles, but it is becoming that way.

Biggest Solar Plant Now Complete

Topaz Solar Farm, built by First Solar in eastern San Luis Obispo County is now completed as well as in-service some months ahead of schedule. The last 40-megawatt phase of the project is done making this 550MW project the first 500-plus megawatt solar farm to come on -line in the US or worldwide. The  $2.5 billion project sports 9 million solar panels over a 9.5 square mile area. Construction began in 2011. Power has been sold to PG&E.

Wine & Olive Oil Ranch To Expand

SLO County has received a request by Willow Creek NewCo. LLC for a Minor Use Permit to allow for the phased expansion of an existing agricultural processing facility (olive oil and wine). Construction is proposed to include demolition and replacement of an existing 6,946 sf barn and two new buildings (2,600 sf and 3,000 sf) that will include processing areas, tasting room, retail sales, commercial kitchen, office, and storage. The project also includes a request for 25 temporary events annually with no more than 200 guests per event and to allow for the processing of off-site olives. Willow Creek is located on Vineyard Drive west of  Paso Robles.

November 21,2014 –

The unemployment rate in the San Luis Obispo County was 5.3 percent in October 2014, down from a revised 5.4 percent in September 2014, and below the year-ago estimate of 6.4 percent. This compares with an unadjusted unemployment rate of 7.0 percent for California and 5.5 percent
for the nation during the same period.
The County gained about 1900 more non farm jobs year over says EDD, the largest segment in hospitality – up 800 in a year. The  jobless rate  has fallen  about two full points in two years.

November 17,2014 –

United Airlines plans to fly all jets in and out of San Luis Obispo over the next year says airport manager Kevin Bumen.“United confirmed that to us this past week”  says Bumen, who attended a flight conference in Alabama last week hosted by their consultant group – Sixel.

United currently flies 30 seat Brasilia (Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia) twin turboprops to both LA and San Francisco daily and would likely replace them with 50 seat Canadair Regional Jets (CRJ) expects Bumen although they could fly 70,78 or 90 seat planes as well. American (US Air) flies the CJR 200 series as well as the larger 86 seat CRJ 900 daily to Phoenix from SLO now.

“We are not sure how fast they can make the change “says Bumen but says United is talking with them over the next week about the schedule.

Bumen met with both United and Alaska airlines at the Montgomery air  conference in hopes of possible daily flights to Denver through United and Alaska Airlines or a partner flying to Seattle starting up next year. “There is still no decision on those options.”

Bumen says the Denver option they have been pursuing for a few years looks more likely based on airlines pulling out of regular flights to Denver from Fresno, Bakersfield, Santa Barbara and Monterey recently.

“That means there are fewer seats in the market” improving chances United will make the decision to start up SLO to Denver scheduled flights.

Meanwhile more passengers are flying out of SLO with traffic up about 13% this year.

Next year could be a big one for the SLO airport now applying for a $20 million federal grant to construct a $30 million new passenger terminal that could be built next year.

November 16,2014

Developer Andy Mangano will start a new Downtown residential project on Marsh St in coming months says his brother Craig who will build the units. The brothers who built the mixed-use development – Marsh Street Commons at Nipomo and Marsh will now construct 7 three-story homes on Marsh just west of Wells Fargo Advisors and east of Santa Rosa. The homes are on zero lot lines in a space now used for a parking lot along Marsh.

Mangano says the new 3000 sf homes will feature roof-top amenities and cost in the neighborhood of $1.6 million each. Called Marsh Street Brownstones, the project is expected to start in April and take 14-18 months to complete.

Marsh St Commons featured 4 lofts and 8 homes on a second story level with a retail street frontage that now includes the new Couch Potatoes store.  The residential units were first to be leased out as more people look to “live Downtown”.

The Brownstone design is popular on the East Coast.

Across from Marsh St Commons the former Couch Potatoes space and three other storefronts, now empty, are getting a makeover says realtor and owner of the property  John Rossetti.

Once remolded the 4 stores totaling 8500sf will be leased .Called The Collection On Marsh– the spaces will be ready to lease out by January says Rossetti.

Arroyo Grande Village Office Expansion

The Mangano brothers are also working on restoration and expansion of an existing  office building in the Arroyo Grande Village says Craig Mangano. The historical office is at 139 Branch St.

Built in 1968 another piece of San Luis Obispo restaurant history is about to go by the wayside as a former Dennys next to Hwy 101 will be transformed into a car wash. The building on Calle Joaquin – off the Los Osos Valley RD offramp – has been a classic roadhouse coffee shop for decades operating as a Dennys, a waffle shop,and as the SLO Coast Dinner to name some. Its been vacant for a while now.

It will catch your eye still due to that wavy roof line popular in the 1960s designed to get speeding motorists attention so they pull off for a “Grand Slam”,country fried steak or hamburger.

Now the place will be reborn as a car wash once it is approved by the city Architectural Review Commission November 17. The building is being remodeled by AuzCo Development LLC and architect George Garcia who is proposing to keep the 60s roof style with its single crown and sheet metal fascia. But instead of those red leather seats they will put in a car wash tunnel with sheet metal projections added at both ends. The car wash will also feature a dog spa wash at one end so both the Chevy and Fido can get a scrubbing.

Why did this place fail as a restaurant? For starters people are not going out for a big breakfast so much any more.Beyond that a Yelp posting from 2013 raises the visibility issue.

“I spoke to one person about what I think is the biggest problem here – the fact that despite being right next to a major highway, SLO Coast Diner has no exposure, due to extensive overgrowth of trees and shrubs. The woman I spoke with said that the local city will not allow them to cut the brush down, and will not have it done themselves, and the city gave no reasons why. What?! How does that help the local economy? Makes no sense to me and I told her they should get a petition going for locals to show support for the business.”

This part of the city is now SLO’s auto row with the dealers and car service places.Now the interchange will be widened. But there is no public car wash nearby and certainly not one with a nostalgic roof top like this.

November 13,2014 –

McDonalds Restaurant has filed a preliminary permit application to open a location across the street from the SLO Airport. The application includes a request to operate a drive-thru as well as sit-down eatery.

“We just filed a traffic study with the county” says a spokesperson.

Unlike the city – the county allows drive-thru operations in their jurisdiction. McDonalds has said that a drive-thru is a large part of the business at a typical store.

Meanwhile the fast food chain is still working on plans for a McDonalds in Los Osos.

November 7,2014

San Jose-based Shoe Palace – an athletic footwear and apparel retail chain has filed tenant improvements for 837 Marsh St in Downtown San Luis Obispo. The property owned  by the city is in the same building as the parking garage and has been marketed by Copeland Properties who have the lease.
The shoe retailer launched in 1993 now has over 50 locations in multiple states.
The vacant 15,000-square-foot retail space has been empty since 2012 when Sports Authority relocated to the Madonna Plaza.

“We should be open in about a month” said a spokesperson .

November 3,2104 –

New VW & Ford Showrooms In Works

Perry Ford and Perry Volkswagen are planning on constructing two new car showrooms and service facilities on their 5.5 acre property on Los Osos Valley Rd in SLO City. VW general manager Shawn Taylor says the company is in the bidding process to build the two facilities that will sit side by side on LOVR. ”We hope to be in the buildings by the end of  2015” says Taylor. Bids call for demo and construction of the VW facility first to be followed by the Ford showroom.
Both car makers are fighting tough competition from other brands in  both California and the nation this year. The California New Car Dealers Association says Ford’s market share in the state as of the second quarter dropped year over year from 11.6% in 2013 to 10.5% in 2014. VW fell from 3.4% to 2.7% market share over the same period in California. Ford made news in the past month with the rollout of an aluminum body Ford F-150,the nation’s best selling pickup truck. The new lighter truck will offer improved gas milage.

In SLO County car sales were up 5.6% in the 1st quarter of 2014, a major source of sales tax income to the city.

Monterey Bank Announces New Branch In SLO

October 31, 2014. 1st Capital Bank (OTCQB: FISB) today announced third quarter and year to date financial results through September 30, 2014. The Bank achieved record levels of loans, shareholders’ equity, and tangible book value per share at September 30, 2014.

The Monterey-based bank said it has received approval from its regulators to open a full service branch office in the City of San Luis Obispo, about 80 miles south of the Bank’s King City branch office along the 101 freeway corridor. The Bank is currently awaiting local permitting approval for the new branch office and related tenant improvements. “At this time, we anticipate opening the branch office late in the first quarter or early during the second quarter of 2015. In recent months, the Bank has been successful in attracting a sufficiently large base of business and professional clients from San Luis Obispo County to justify proceeding to open a branch office.”

On November 7 the bank will get a public hearing over their plan to use a building at 142 Cross St #130 without an environmental review.
The site  is off Tank Farm Rd  around the corner from Trader Joes.

1st Capital says they” significantly repositioned its balance sheet during the third quarter of 2014 with the objectives of improving its prospective earnings capacity and preparing for the addition of a fourth full service branch office. As subsequently expanded upon in this earnings release, the Bank increased its loan portfolio by 7.8% during the third quarter of 2014 while reducing its positions in cash equivalents, time deposits at other banks, investment securities, and bank owned life insurance. In addition, the ratio of shareholders’ equity to total assets increased from 8.69% at June 30, 2014 to 9.08% at September 30, 2014, which better positions the Bank to capitalize the projected growth resulting.”