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Arroyo Grande considering expanded homeless parking program

March 1, 2023

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

At a time San Luis Obispo County is planning on shutting down its homeless parking site, the city of Arroyo Grande is considering creating a formal overnight parking program.

Previously, the city approved a temporary homeless parking program at St. John’s Lutheran Church on Valley Road. The program allowed for individuals sleeping in their vehicles to occupy a total of four parking spaces in the church’s lot. Officials required individuals to be in case management with the 5Cities Homeless Coalition in order to access the parking spaces.

On Tuesday evening, Arroyo Grande staff planned to present a draft homeless parking ordinance during a city council meeting. However, the council continued the hearing to a future meeting because of time constraints.

The proposed ordinance would allow homeless parking at churches that obtain permitting from the city. Plans call for a maximum of six overnight parking space at each participating church.

Staff proposed 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. as possible operating hours for the overnight parking sites. The parking sites would need to have bathrooms; trash and recycling facilities; exterior lighting; and security monitoring.

The ordinance will need to go before the Arroyo Grande Planning Commission prior to returning to the city council for approval.


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Cities across America are rethinking homeless camps…. there is nothing compassionate about them…


5

Don’t condemn until you walked in their shoes. If you lost everything or got sick with no hope in site you may go to drugs and then your hooked on them. You mention a lot of trash there do you not think there would also be a lot of trash around the whole city if you were not required to have garbage pickup? Heck in SLO you have to hide your garbage cans from view.So why can’t you apply the same rules and service to these homeless areas and the Supervisors feel they need 20% plus raise so use that money to hire a person not 30 more people to manage the sites.As i said before you just don’t like to look at it and that’s a fact


-9

Requirements on case management participation is a good as well as the limited number of spaces. More likely to serve families on hard times than the anti-social will-nots. Also good collaboration between city and local churches – they’re just as up for the job as any non-profit.


5

Didn’t SLO just shut theirs down? Due to hard lessons (hopefully)learned… AG just wants to learn for themselves?

There’s no “saving” these people; they use and abuse. It’s what they do.

Imagine having burned every single bridge you’ve ever made. Not a single friend, family member, employer, not even a state agency will house you because you consistently choose drugs/alcohol or violence. Over a roof above your head! Despicable.

Being homeless isn’t a crime but getting there is.


10

“There’s no “saving” these people; “

“Being homeless isn’t a crime but getting there is.”

“Imagine having burned every single bridge you’ve ever made.”


BS and fu, plenty of people have been homeless and became useful members of society. I was homeless and broke (never a junky or drunk), yet years later fully employed home owner, licensed contractor etc.


The Imagining is in the mind.


The rights one size fits all solution for homelessness is bullshit and they want it to fail so as to punish the “ Despicable.”. What a bunch of sadists.


5

Please go look at the homeless parking site at the sheriffs main station before making any decisions. Trash piled up everywhere and looks like the dump. Is this the way we want our streets & neighborhoods to be like?


16

The city already has a homeless parking area behind WalMart.


3