Rezoning of Morro Bay Power Plant Proposed to Eliminate It
A proposal that the property on which the Morro Bay Power Plant is located be rezoned to eliminate the old plant was presented to the Morro Bay City Council and the audience at the Council's regular meeting on Tuesday, February 26.
It was submitted by Barbara Doerr, a Morro Bay resident, who called for a plan to "Rezone Power Plant property to non- industrial uses such as coastal-dependent, visitor serving commercial recreation, fishing/boating support services, local recreation, educational, and habitat restoration."
She described the rezoning benefits this way:
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to ensure clean, economic development on this massive and important coastal site when the current power plant has reached the end of its useful life. This will stop its replacement with another power plant that pollutes the air and water, creates unwanted noise, discourages viable, clean, visitor-serving economic development, and generally creates a large scenic blight in our beautiful waterfront area.
She offered these "ideas (on) how to achieve it:"
Step 1: Committee:
Begin process by (City Council) establishing a committee to hold public input meetings to identify desirable new land uses which are complementary to existing waterfront uses. Give committee clear direction to identify clean, non-heavy industrial uses for the future. For example, appoint a ten member committee which could include representatives from:
(1)Harbor Advisory Board
(2)Recreation Commission
(3)Chamber of Commerce/Tourism
(4) Former member “Futures Committee”
(5) Environmental Group
(6) Fishing Industry
(7) Education (High School or Del Mar)
(8) Public
Step 2: Committee Task:
1) Hold public workshops.
2) Create a list of new land use categories; create lists of desirable uses within each land use category.
3) Identify allowable public-serving uses and habitat areas.
4) Create conceptual land use maps.
Step 3: Present to City Council:
This preliminary Committee work product is a low cost, public involvement-intensive starting point to begin the formal City process to rezone, update General Plan, and Local Coastal Plan for Power Plant site.
Doerr is a member of the Coastal Alliance on Plant Expansion (Slo Coast Journal - November).
The rezoning proposal among many others are scheduled to be considered by the Council at its annual public Goal-Setting Workshop on March 11 and 13. There will be two half-day sessions — one in the afternoon and one in the evening.The Workshop sessions will be held at the Morro Bay Community Center Studio Room and are scheduled for Monday, March 11, from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. and Wednesday from 1:00 - 4:30 p.m.
If you cannot attend, there are other ways you can provide input: complete and submit the Public Input Form, Morro Bay.
