This week’s San Luis Obispo County government meetings

February 10, 2025

By CalCoastNews staff

How will the Arroyo Grande City Council respond to request to build a three-story hotel north of the village near Highway 101? Will Morro Bay send a latter of support for Assemblymember Dawn Addis’ AB 303

These are several of the issues public officials will discuss during this week’s San Luis Obispo County government meetings.

The Arroyo Grande City Council will meet at 6 p.m. on Feb. 11 in the council chambers.

The Arroyo Grande City Council will discuss plans for a three-story hotel near the village at 400 W. Branch Street, on land currently owned by the city, under item 11-A on the agenda. After negotiating with an interested hotel developer for the potential purchase and development of the project site, city staff is now asking the council to review the proposed plans.

The proposal is for a three-story hotel on 2.5 acres of the 4.25-acre site. The hotel plans include 125 guest rooms, a fitness room and swimming pool and spa.

Plans are for 33 guest rooms on the first level and 46 guest rooms on the second and third floors of the proposed Fairfield Hotel.

The Atascadero City Council will meet at 6 p.m. on Feb. 11  in the council chambers.

For more than a decade, city officials have noted the need to update public safety facilities. On Tuesday, the Atascadero City Council will consider awarding a design and build contract to F&H Construction and LDA Partners team for $31,072,318 for the new and renovated public safety facilities project, under item C-1 on the agenda.

Construction is estimated to begin in Jan. 2026, following the issuance of necessary permits and entitlements. The project is expected to be completed in Sept. 2027.

Total project costs are broken down by each facility as follows:

• Fire Station 1 and emergency operations center – $21,924,235
• Fire Station 2 – $4,927,672
• Police headquarters – $4,220,411

The Grover Beach City Council will meet at 6 p.m. on Nov. 11  in the council chambers.

Under item 6 on the agenda, the council will review and approve changes or amendments to the 2024-2025 mid-year budget.

The city’s top five monetary sources are sales tax, property tax, cannabis tax, service
charges, and transient occupancy tax, which comprise approximately 80% of total revenue. General Fund revenues are projected to end the fiscal year at approximately $18.5 million, which is $82,000 less than budgeted.

Aside from property tax revenues, which are higher than anticipated, sales tax, transient occupancy tax and cannabis tax revenues are lower than projected. This mirrors countywide trends of slowing tax revenues.

The Morro Bay City Council will meet on Feb. 11  at 5:30 p.m. at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall.

Following the Moss Landing battery storage facility fire, Assemblymember Dawn Addis introduced AB 303. In its current form, the proposed legislation, among other things, seeks to create additional requirements for potentially hazardous battery energy storage system facility, such as the facility proposed for Morro Bay.

Briefly, the bill:

• Eliminates the authority of the energy commission to approve any pending or future battery energy storage system.
• Creates new setback requirements for any battery storage projects to be 3,200 feet of a sensitive receptor (e.g., residences, schools, community centers, health care facilities) or on an environmentally sensitive site.
• Contains an urgency clause, meaning the bill would go into effect immediately upon being signed into law.

Under item 7-G on the agenda, the Morro Bay City Council will discuss a proposed letter of support for AB 303.