Keep San Luis Obispo Unique

1336 Words3 Pages

Keep San Luis Obispo Unique

When I began looking at colleges two years ago, I was attracted to Cal Poly in large part due to San Luis Obispo’s unique small town charm. The downtown area boasts distinctive shops and restaurants, a treat for any visitor. This is coupled with majestic mountains and lush agricultural land to create a stunning city contrasting in size and facade to other California cities such as San Francisco and Santa Maria. I recall mentioning to my future roommate over the summer that I hoped San Luis Obispo would never become too developed.

Last week as I drove down 101 towards the site of the proposed Dalidio Marketplace, I tried to picture how the Marketplace would change the overall impression of the town. Currently the area, located directly off the freeway, holds a few major retailers including Mervyn’s, Bed Bath and Beyond and Sears. This development is well balanced by lush greenery and fertile farmland that San Luis Obispo is well known for.

Despite the excellent impressions of the current appearance of the Dalidio farm from my first visit, I was not truly convinced of the genuine beauty of the landscape until my second visit. The rows of lettuce and cabbage provide striking evidence of San Luis Obispo’s exceptional agricultural economy. This economy is what draws thousands of visitors to the city for events such as Farmers Market.

My thoughts quickly shifted to how this picturesque landscape could be destroyed if the project were allowed to develop. The proposed Dalidio Marketplace located off of Madonna Road adjacent to the SLO Promenade would ruin the distinctive appeal of the city, much as similar projects have done in other small towns.

Currently the site is comprise...

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...om the city. (http://www.savesanluisobispo.org/ christine.htm)

In all, there is no need for the Dalidio Marketplace and its development will only initiate the destruction of San Luis Obispo’s most treasured features. Voters will have the chance to decide on April 26 through a traditional election on the issue. Voters will be able to vote on three questions; to accept or reject the changes to the Master Plan that have allowed the project to move forward, to approve zoning permits given to the developers, and to approve or reject the tax deal with Bill Bird concerning the freeway overpass. (Griffy, Laura. Voters Will Decide the Fate of Marketplace on April 26. The Tribune. 18 Nov. 2004) In order to keep visitors coming and preserve the matchless appeal of the city, San Luis Obispo must vote next April to stop the Marketplace from being built on Madonna Road.

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