Cave Landing Public Workshop on April 25th
Author: Nick Franco
Date: 4/18/2018 11:21 AM
The workshop will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25th at the PG&E Community Center located at 6588 Ontario Road in San Luis Obispo.
San Luis Obispo County Parks will hold a Public Workshop to hear input into what steps the County should consider pursuing to create a safer parking area at Cave Landing to protect the public access to the beach, cave, trails, coastal views, and night star viewing. The workshop will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25th at the PG&E Community Center located at 6588 Ontario Road in San Luis Obispo.
Cave Landing includes numerous unimproved trails, including a trail from the unpaved parking area to Pirate’s Cove beach, and other trails along the bluff. The parking area is deeply rutted with significant erosion and often congested during the summer. The secluded nature of the area has led to its use for night time parties, public drunkenness, drug use and petty theft, and there have been numerous injuries and medical responses. The site also contains sensitive archaeological resources and is a Native American sacred site.
The County attempted to develop the site as a part of the County Park System in 2014, but was denied the permit for the complete project primarily to concerns that the project involved too much development for the site. Since 2014, the Whale Cave Conservancy volunteers have regularly removed trash, but are unable to keep up with the volume of trash generated. There has also been an increase in graffiti that degrades the natural rock formations. The site’s reputation as a party spot has continued to grow.
In response to public concerns, the Board of Supervisors established an ad hoc committee of Supervisors Peschong and Hill and directed County Parks to bring to the Board potential solutions to the issues at Cave Landing. This workshop will hear from the public about what needs to be addressed, what needs to be left alone and brainstorm potential solutions.
“I know that the public wants to protect this beautiful area. I support bringing it into the County Park System as a Natural Area rather than a traditional park,” said Nick Franco, County Parks Director. “We need to hear from the public what they feel is acceptable for us to do and, more importantly, what is unacceptable to do at Cave Landing in order to address the issues there without damaging the natural and wild character of the coast.”
