Protecting our Unique Village District

By Tony M. Ferrara

The Village has been a "hot topic" lately. An issue before us is, should we have more stringent architectural standards, or should we leave the development guidelines we now have, in place?

I view the Village as one of Arroyo Grande's valuable landmarks. It draws both tourists to our City and provides a pleasant place for City residents to meet, gather, shop and live. I cannot imagine Arroyo Grande without a vibrant Village district. Yet I fear that there is a potential for this to occur.

The existing development guidelines for the Village resulted in the construction of the controversial Village Center project at the West Gateway to the Village. The architecture is wrong, the palm trees are inconsistent with surrounding landscaping, and the project obscures the church that for years stood as the first structure in view when entering the Village from the West. The existing guidelines provided enough "flexibility" for this project to be built as is. This, in my view is unacceptable.

Working together with businesses, residents, and community groups, I believe we can improve our current guidelines. The City must take an active role in developing a more comprehensive plan to ensure the Village prospers economically and also maintains it's historic character and charm.

Other cities and towns have accomplished this by implementing development standards that work. We can do this as well.