Say ‘No’ to Panorama SOI

I oppose a Sphere of Influence for the Northern Morro Bay Hillside for the following reasons:
• The Sphere of Influence is a halfway step to Annexation into the City. The City of Morro Bay has admitted this in City Council Meetings.
• The Green Belt has been a long standing trait of Morro Bay. Agricultural and wildlife usage fits in well with the City’s natural and quaint appearance.
• The hillside has a longstanding problem of landslides and slips. They are easily observed. This factor makes the City’s intended development inappropriate and dangerous usage.
• The City has been unable to financially maintain adequate levels of serve within present city limits; it would be even less likely to maintain a larger area. For example, the city admits it is unable to attract/maintain first responders, primarily police officers. Additionally, the slow responses of first responders due to responses originating from the center of town is unacceptable.
• The City lacks a water supply that would adequately supply a larger population. Currently, the city receives 5% of its allotted State Water. Notices alert water users we are on a Severely Restricted Mandatory Water Conservation.
• The City is consistently unable to adequately maintain and make improvements to the roadways. One example, is Panorama Drive, a one lane road that has mostly “potholes” which reach down into the dirt. There is no indication the City intends to patch these holes, let alone widen the street to make it passable for current traffic, new residents, and first responders going into the hills.
The City proposes this SOI in the name of land conservancy, however, there is a veiled intent to promote housing development of expensive homes with panoramic views of the coastline.
I encourage a “NO VOTE” by LAFCO based on the practical concerns presented above.
Dan Sedley,
Morro Bay