Debate Over Paso Robles Water Ordinance
SLO County Board of supervisors decided to wait this week regards any urgency ordinance covering Paso Robles area groundwater. The urgency measure would require all four sitting members to agree to pass any new law and the board appears to be split.
Pressure to do something has mounted after reports of rural land owners wells going dry this summer.
Supervisor Adam Hill said it was clear to him that “people are over pumping the basin” and this is why groundwater levels are dropping. “It’s a common pool”.
The regions’ groundwater has been dropping for the past two decades even as new plantings of vineyards are helping the area economically -but drawing on the aquifer in another drought year.
Calls for a two year urgency measure may yet bring this issue to a head August 27 although there is debate over how large an area should be targeted.
“The Paso Robles area is where all the wells have been impacted “says supervisor Frank Mecham arguing for a smaller footprint for any urgency ordinance and not the entire North County.
Supervisor Debbie Arnold who represents the Paso area says she wants to see what impact the importation of Nacimiento Reservoir water will be on the worst part of the problem identified in red on this map. (see map).She also asked why staff had suggested ag ponds be banned in a version of the ordinance since this helps irrigate “more efficiently.”
The City of Paso Robles has only taken its first drop of Nacimiento Lake water last month as it was waiting to complete their new wastewater treatment plant now scheduled for 2015 – until they took an allocation.
The city has a 4000 acre/ft annual allocation approved in 2004 but unused until this summer.
But it is now taking some water to recharge their aquifer right into the sandy bottom of the Salinas River where it soaks down in a hurry. The city plans to continue this practice in the summer months hoping to rebuild groundwater near their muni wells.The application spills 2000 gallons a minute.
Airport To Get New Car Rental Facility
SLO County has filed an environmental document to build a Rental Car Quick-Turnaround (QTA) facility on an approximate 3 acres at the airport.
Airport manager Richard Howell says the facility has been in the works for years and is now expected to open by this time next summer. Howell will be leaving the job next month after 5 years here.
The proposed project includes the development of the following:
– a 1,200 square foot accessory building for storage; towel wash and dry; employee break room and restrooms;
– four covered manual car wash bays (approximately 2,900 square feet total) with state of-the-art wash water recovery and recycling systems
-98 car parking stalls, including two handicap/disabled van accessible spaces; and • a 6,000 gallon above ground auto fuel tank with associated infrastructure (required by the rental agencies).
The purpose of the project is to provide a safe and efficient Rental Car QTA facility that will serve the passenger needs of the existing and future terminal building. The need for the Proposed Project will be to clear the existing location near 965 Airport Drive, which lies on a broken concrete slab and WWII era hangar area on the east side of the Airport. In addition, the existing location would be used for future development of a new terminal building at the Airport. The new Rental Car QTA facility will reduce rental car trip distance from 800 feet to 400 feet, which would affect an average of 73 round trips per day.
The SLO County board of supervisors approved a $1.6 million loan last year to be repaid form from revenues.The airport rents around 20,000 cars a year.
Quick Takes:
The median price of a home in San Luis Obispo County climbed to $415,00 in June 2013 up 12.39% from a year ago. In SLO City the median rose to $547,000 -up 12.3% from a year earlier.
SLO County’s hotels were busier this June than last. Hotel occupancy was up 2.3% form a year earlier and room revenue was up an even stronger 7.1%. On a year to date basis room revenue was up 9.3%.
Construction is underway at the new 39,000 sf SESLOC Federal Credit Union complex on Broad across from Vons in San Luis Obispo. The building has 8858 sf for lease on the ground floor.The building is expected to be completed in summer 2014.