Old Town - San Luis Obispo

""you don't know what you've got Till it's gone"

The present location of the city’s Senior Center is the 1924 Kindergarten building that sits on the park’s edge.  The Center is currently unable to meet seniors’ needs and will be sorely inadequate as the city’s population ages and grows.

Recently the city proposed adding parking spaces behind the Center by paving over existing park area. This ill conceived idea has been brought up before and was voted down.

It was a bad idea then and it is bad idea now.

Here's why the plans to put up a parking lot should not be approved:

Intrusive: The parking lot is larger than the building and introduces unpleasant elements of asphalt, cars, noise, and additional lighting into the green space.  A trash container the size of a car is undesirable next to the main sidewalk into the park.  The proposed new large BBQ area further compromises green space by covering even more grassland with concrete.

Unintended: The land for this park was never meant for parking. This proposal is also in conflict with the Master Plan, which came about through much discussion over many years and favors a community sense of place. The demands of a few should not outweigh the needs of the many.
Natural Value: Community parks like ours are treasures that must be protected from harm and loss. Car-oriented people may not care about having a bit of nature in the city, but it should be considered a central element to the General Plan.

Dangerous: The curved driveway proposed in this drawing is next to the playground. Kids could climb on the boulders, presenting a special challenge for drivers with slower reaction times. The potential impacts of two driveways across sidewalks on two sides of this small park should be considered. The bushes and berms on both sides of the south driveway will impede the vision of drivers coming across the walkway.

Location Options: A growing senior population will continue to put more pressure on services. Traffic and parking around Mitchell Park are manageable most of the time, but become most difficult when seniors pick up groceries once a week. Relocating the Senior Center will benefit both the seniors and the neighbors of Mitchell Park.

Transportation Options: It has become clear to almost everyone that planning for sustainability includes reducing cars, car-related infrastructure, air and water pollution, and over-reliance on fossil fuels. Helping seniors with transportation options is a much more sensible solution.