The San Luis Obispo Sub Section of the APA has been helping move San Luis Obispo County toward being a model of community health. We joined a coalition of local organizations who have come together under the banner of Healthy Eating, Active Living — San Luis Obispo (HEAL SLO) as a result of the May 2011 remarks of Dr. Richard Jackson of UCLA during his “Designing Healthy Communities” presentation at Cal Poly.

29% of Local Kids Ages 3-5 are At-Risk or Overweight

With an ultimate goal of bringing together the comprehensive range of voices and efforts related to Community Health, HEAL SLO has over 40 member organizations.

A LITTLE HISTORY

In 2005–2006, the Public Health Department found that 29 percent of local, preschool children, 3–5 years old, were at-risk or overweight.  In 2009, Cal Poly, in partnership with the Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Program of Public Health conducted a study at 16 preschools measuring the height and weight of 512 children.  Data revealed that 37 percent of SLO County preschoolers were overweight or obese. Data from the California Department of Education, 2005-2006, show that 32.1 percent of SLO County 5th, 7th, and 9th graders are at risk or overweight and 68.4 percent are not physically fit.  According to the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) results for the Gold Coast Region in 2001-2005, 56.6% of adults were overweight or obese.

The severity of the obesity epidemic and the costs that will come with it later on in life inspired community action, including the Healthy Eating, Active Living – SLO (HEAL-SLO) Coalition.

HEAL-SLO was founded in 2005 comprising of loosely knit individuals.  Urged by Health Commission, PHD, and Community members, the Board of Supervisors endorsed the creation of a Childhood Obesity Prevention Task Force (COPTF) in Feb. 2006 to develop a county-wide strategic Action Plan(http://www.sloccf.org/forms/Giving-CN-ChildhoodObesity.pdf ).  County leaders funded SLO County Community Foundation to convene and facilitate the Task Force.

In 2007 the Community Action Plan was completed and made as a guide for collaborative efforts, which included recommended actions and funding for a Health Educator position housed within the Public Health Department to coordinate and maintain a functioning county-wide coalition.  The previously loosely knit individuals and the COPTF group solidified as the collaborative called HEAL-SLO through this process.

The HEAL-SLO coalition has been voted the lead umbrella organization for childhood obesity efforts in San Luis Obispo County and is made up of diverse groups and agencies. Its core mission is:

“To increase healthful eating and regular physical activity among children in SLO County by working at each level of the socio-ecological model, such as through policy, behavioral and environmental changes to promote and support a healthy lifestyle.”

When Dr. Richard Jackson, MD., spoke to us about healthy communities, he struck a chord among organizations with common goals, many of whom do not always work together and / or share their parallel efforts. The morning after the forum a room full of representatives from related organizations gathered, including:

• County Health Department
• County  Planning and Building Department
• Elected officials from SLO County and City
• Bike Coalition Members
• Cal Trans
• Lucia Mar Unified School District
• Cal Poly Center for Sustainability and STRIDE
• SLO Council of Governments
• Air Pollution Control District
• APA

OUR CURRENT EFFORT

Since that time a small working group has continued to meet, intrigued by the opportunity to leverage the gathering of this comprehensive range of organizations. Our “healthy communities” group represents a wide range of related  including food production, food preparation, exercise, land uses, circulation, health care, a range of age groups, environmental protection, air and water quality and more ………

The group currently includes representatives of:

• County Health Department
• County Planning and Building
• Cal Poly STRIDE (Center for Transitional Research In Diet and Exercise)
• Cal Poly Center for Sustainability (College of Agriculture)
• CCAN (Central Coast Agricultural Network)
• SLO County Community Foundation

In recent months, the group has come to realize that there is an opportunity to provide County decision-making bodies with comments for new discretionary land development proposals and for policy documents such as Community General Plans from the Healthy Communities perspective. To that end, group members from County Planning and Health Department have met with members of the Board of Supervisors and the County Health Commission with the result that there is support for the concept. The idea is that a Sub-Committee of HEAL SLO, providing comment via the Health Commission, will be passed along to County Planning and Building Staff.   There is interest in providing similar input for projects and policy documents that are being proposed within the seven incorporated cities as well.  This option will be discussed with the individual cities at a later date.

This is an exciting opportunity to “put legs” on our efforts as planners to help foster  more Healthy Communities, integrating physical form and land use with the social fabric, public psyche, food producers and health / exercise advocates that give communities life. It also provides a whole new perspective on the Health Commission, giving it a real voice and responsibility to have a more positive impact on community health.

Stay tuned for updates and opportunities to assist with this community effort.

Urban Blight Along Oxnard's Coast

By Bill Fulton on 30 December 2011 – 2:58pm

In January I will take over the driver’s seat for the Section. Over the last year in the Director-Elect role, I’ve received great mentoring from previous Section Directors.  This has been invaluable and it is clear to me I have big shoes to fill over the next two years.

My tenure is aligning, by coincidence only, with an opportunistic time for the Section. Due to a remarkable dedciation and performance by our local Host Conference Commitee, the Santa Barbara state conference in October was a huge success exceeding expectations not only in the conference sessions and events, but in revenues generated for both the state chapter and our local section. It is these revenues, coming every 8-9 years that funds the activities at the local level. Therefore the Section Board and membership will have an opportunity to relook at current programs and activities for continuance and also new endeavors that advance APA values and objectives.

Beyond the revenues coming to the Section, the Board embarked on a survey effort last fall to solicit membership feedback and thoughts. Three themes emerged from the survey: the membership is seeking more professional development opportunities, receiving information regarding local and regional planning issues, and engaging in more pubilc educartion and outreach efforts.

With this feedback, the Board has spent the last 2 meetings brainstorming on ideas and new approaches that can achieve these membership objectives. Separate work has been done at the subcommittee level focusing on ways to outreach and grow the membership and another subcommittee focusing on use of conference funds. Our next Board meeting on January 28th in Santa Barbara will continue this discussion by setting a work plan and action items.

There are also programs and activities at other sections around the state that are a resource for new ideas for the Central Coast. As Director, Kim worked with other section directors to engage in a “best practicies” discussion and to begin compiling that into a manual. I will continue this effort on the manual and hope we can implement some of these ideas throughout all of our subsections.

As we do activities in 2012 it is critical that members continue to provide feedback on how the organization can best meet your needs. As Director, I will be working with Board to ensure we can maintain and enhance our value to each individual member.

Happy Holidays and see you at our activities/events in 2012!

Dave Ward

Director – CCAPA Central Coast

Planning Manager, City of Ventura

By Bill Fulton and Josh Stephens on 11 November 2011 – 12:42pm

Article by the Santa Barbara Independent, Published Thursday, November 3, 2011, By Nick Welsh

It wasn’t a pretty picture, and there were no quick fixes in sight. Four of the five county supervisors found themselves struggling to limit the damage caused by the financial flameout of a politically connected nonprofit housing agency that owns 250 affordable rental units and runs two homeless shelters located in Lompoc. The fifth supervisor, Joni Gray, recused herself because of a conflict of interest. Her law firm, she explained, provided legal representation to the Lompoc Housing and Community Development Corporation — which announced last week it was going out of business after 21 years in operation.

What Gray could have also have noted — but didn’t — was that her longtime administrative assistant Susan Warnstrom was president of the board for Lompoc Housing, which owns 35 residential properties, a vintage movie theater, one commercial property, and two shelters with a 75-bed capacity. Because the County of Santa Barbara is the lead agency through which millions of state and federal money had been funneled to Lompoc Housing, the county could find itself on the hook to pay back as much as $1.4 million. In addition, the county stands to lose $2.89 million it directly invested in the nonprofit housing development corporation. Among the many questions confronted by Supervisor Gray’s colleagues was where this money might come from (it remains unclear), what can be done to protect the affordable housing stock and homeless shelters from foreclosure (not much), and why there hadn’t been any warning flags. It turns out there had been.

Lompoc Housing is required to submit financial reports to county administrators every year. But the last such report Lompoc Housing turned in was five years ago. Efforts to work with the agency have been a collective exercise in frustration for the supervisors and for county housing administrators. Conspicuously absent from the deliberations were Warnstrom, Lompoc Housing executive director Sue Erlich, or any members of the board. According to Terri Nisich, assistant county executive officer, they’d been invited. A San Francisco-based attorney retained by Lompoc Housing — Stephen Taber — offered to attend telephonically, but was told not to bother.

While Lompoc Housing’s problems clearly predated the stock market crash of 2008, its property values plunged as the housing bubble burst. Nisich said officials with the nonprofit explained they lacked the revenues to hire an accountant and also make the necessary repairs to maintain their properties. In January, county officials called on counterparts with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to intervene. In March, County Auditor-Controller Bob Geis recommended that Lompoc Housing be denied any additional funding until its financial house was put in order. By August, it appeared as though the Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation — which had a solid history with affordable-housing developments — might take over the troubled operation. The Cabrillo investors walked away when Lompoc Housing officials failed to provide the necessary financial documents. At the end of September, one of Lompoc Housing’s major creditors — Pacific Western Bank — foreclosed on nine of the rental properties.

How could the homeless shelters be spared a similar fate, the supervisors asked, and the beds be preserved? The best way, they were told, was for the County of Santa Barbara — as the chief creditor for those properties — to initiate judicial foreclosure actions against the shelters. That way, the county could exert a level of control over the disposition of Lompoc Housing properties that has eluded it thus far. Preliminary discussions between Lompoc Housing and other shelter operators — Casa Esperanza and Good Samaritan — have been decidedly one-sided and fruitless. One speaker who’d worked with Lompoc Housing in the past explained there was a strong interest in maintaining “local control” and not becoming a “territorial outpost” for other shelter operators.

When asked about preserving the affordable housing stock, Nisich sought to reassure the supervisors that Pacific Western had expressed an interest in preserving the 142 affordable housing units in the nine foreclosed properties. A decidedly un-mollified Supervisor Janet Wolf shot back, “An interest?” Wolf expressed her unhappiness many times. Supervisor Doreen Farr said she was tired of having been asked “to go the extra mile” by an agency that couldn’t provide even the most rudimentary financial documents.

Supervisor Salud Carbajal cautioned against “playing the blame game” and expressed hope that all the stakeholders could get together to think creatively of how to “salvage” what has been a substantial investment of state and federal dollars into affordable housing. The stakes, he said, were too high for what he described as “the sterile, generic, matter-of-fact” discussion about “passing the baton.” But perhaps Supervisor Steve Lavagnino put it most succinctly: “Now we’re being asked to fix the patient,” he said, “but the patient is already dead.”

By Beth Collins-Burgard and Dylan K. Johnson, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP

A new CEQA mediation provision applicable to Notices of Exemption (NOEs) and Notices of Determination (NODs) filed after July 1, 2011, creates a potential trap for unwary lead agencies and applicants undergoing the CEQA review process.  Under the guise of supporting mediation and reducing CEQA litigation, Senate Bill 1456 (SB 1456), specifically the addition of Public Resources Codes section 21167.10, provides a method for project opponents to toll CEQA’s long-established and very short statute of limitations periods, potentially for indefinite periods of time and for all future project opponents.

CEQA includes short statute of limitations periods to create more certainty for agencies and permit applicants.  When a lead agency approves a project, the agency typically files either an NOE or NOD notifying the public of the agency action.  An NOD triggers a 30-day statute of limitations period and an NOE triggers a 35-day limitations period.  Petitioners can only file a CEQA challenge to an agency action within those limited time periods.  After that, their claims are barred.

The new statute creates a mediation mechanism.  It allows any person seeking to challenge an agency action under CEQA to submit, within five days of the lead agency filing its NOD/NOE, a request to the lead agency for mediation.  This request is designed to be submitted before the party files litigation.  If a lead agency “accepts” a request to mediate, CEQA’s statute of limitations is tolled “until completion of the mediation.”  (Pub. Res. Code § 21167.10(d).)  The statute does not define “completion of the mediation.”  Even worse, no mechanism is created for any party to terminate mediation and end the tolling period.  Further, the statute provides no time limit for the tolling period and appears to extend the tolling period to the parties who did not request mediation.

This new CEQA mediation provision introduces a host of potential problems for lead agencies and permit applicants.  If a lead agency “accepts” a proposal to mediate, that agency could end up mediating with one group while a separate group waits in the wings, preparing its own challenge during the tolling period.  Alternatively, a lead agency could find itself unable to terminate a mediation, even if it has determined that no resolution is possible, because there is no mechanism in the new section for the agency to restart CEQA’s statute of limitations period.  It is conceivable that an agency could declare that the mediation is completed, but the potential challenger disagrees and asserts that mediation should continue.  Finally, the new mediation mechanism has no finality:  an agency could successfully mediate with a group of opponents, only to find itself facing a lawsuit from one dissenting member because the statue of limitations period was tolled during the mediation period.

In short, the new statute is fatally flawed, and a public agency that has approved a project creates significant risks for itself and the permit applicant by agreeing to mediation under this new procedure.  In our opinion, public agencies should never accept a mediation proposal.  It is much safer to require that project opponents formulate their claims and file their lawsuit.  At that point, the agency and permit applicant will know exactly what parties have a potential claim against the project and the parties with whom they should mediate.

It bears noting that for years CEQA has included an expedited settlement procedure.  Public Resources Code section 21167.8 requires that a settlement conference be scheduled and held not later than 45 days from the date of service of the petition upon the public agency.  The settlement process is facilitated by the fact that the petitioners are known and have articulated their claims and although the agency may not be finished compiling the administrative record, the process is well underway, so the parties can evaluate the strength of the evidence in the record.  By contrast, the new mediation procedure set up by SB 1456 could lead an unwitting public agency into years of fruitless mediation with a party who  never intended to sue the project, but managed to accomplish significant delay by the simple expedient of requesting mediation.  A lead agency would be wise to avoid accepting a request to mediate under section 21167.10, lest it and the permit applicant be trapped in an interminable CEQA limbo.

By Nick C. Tonkin · November 4, 2011, The Daily Sound

The New Noise Festival, in conjunction with First Thursdays and several non-profits, has place donated pianos on every block of downtown State Street.

The concept is simple. There’s a piano, painted by a local artist, people can sit down and play whatever they like. No sign ups required (some locations have performances scheduled).

In front of a piano with the words, “Truth Wisdom For Everyone,” painted on the front, Julie Briscoe plays a tune alongside her 19-month-old daughter, Brook. Brook can push the keys well for someone still using a stroller.

“She sees a piano and she always wants to play with it,” Briscoe said.

Briscoe said the projects important because pianos, being large, heavy, and often expensive, aren’t the most accessible instrument for casual players.

“People don’t just go and buy one unless they’re planning on playing it on their own,” Briscoe said. “So it’s nice for people who’ve never been exposed to have the opportunity to do this.”

Some players just remember old lessons. Will Freeland, a Montecito Bank employee, only recalls two tunes, but he said it’s fun to sit down at the decorated piano during his lunch break to see how much he can remember.

He used to be in a jazz choir in his younger days and performing outside had always been a favorite activity. He’s still a fan of street musicians and considers sidewalk performers an integral part of State Street’s character.

“It’s a fun part of Santa Barbara,” Freeland said.

The pianos also attract their share of aspiring musicians. Illan Moreno, normally a guitarist, sits at a Paseo Nuevo piano carefully singing a piece he wrote himself. Moreno, unaware of the half-dozen tourists that have stopped to take his photo, said the pianos are great for anyone who just wants to play.

“It lets people express themselves and let other people know who they are,” Moreno said.

For some musicians, it’s already paid off. A small crowd formed around Susan Marie Reeves and her daughter Sierraat and a gray piano at the Figueroa Street intersection. They’d just been out to grab some coffee at French Press.

But Sierra’s playing caught the attention of a Jeanine’s employee. The employee went to the manager, who offered to let the duoplay the café later.

“It’s awesome,” Reeves said about the project. “We’ve already got a gig.”

APA PRESS RELEASE

WASHINGTON, DC — The American Planning Association (APA) today announced the country’s 10 Great Neighborhoods, 10 Great Streets, and 10 Great Public Spaces for 2011 through the organization’s national program, Great Places in America.

Launched in 2007, Great Places in America recognizes unique and exemplary streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces — three essential components of all communities. These authentic places have been shaped by forward thinking planning that showcases diverse architectural styles, promotes community involvement and accessibility, and fosters economic opportunity.

“We’re recognizing 30 special and unique places this year located across the continent and on two islands — Nantucket and Maui,” said APA Chief Executive Officer W. Paul Farmer, FAICP.

“From Providence, Rhode Island’s historic College Hill neighborhood and  St. Louis’s revitalized Washington Avenue to Tacoma, Washington’s Point Defiance old-growth forest and park and Colorado Springs, Colorado’s Garden of the Gods Park,” Farmer continued, “our 2011 Great Places reflect a tremendous amount of history, diversity and economic vitality. We hope they inspire others to envision, plan and create their own great places.”

APA Great Places offer better choices for where and how people work and live every day. They are defined by many characteristics including architectural features, accessibility, functionality, and community involvement. To date 140 places have been designated in 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Great Places in America is just one of the ways APA recognizes and celebrates National Community Planning Month (www.planning.org/ncpm) each October. The special month is designed to recognize and celebrate the many residents, leaders, officials, and professionals who contribute to making great communities.

The 2011 designees, listed below, are not ranked. Additional details about each designee, including characteristics, maps, photos and the features that lead to the awards, are available at www.planning.org/greatplaces.

2011 Great Neighborhoods

Highland Park, Birmingham, Alabama
Northbrae, Berkeley, California
Ansley Park, Atlanta, Georgia
The Pullman Neighborhood, Chicago, Illinois
Gold Coast & Hamburg Historic District, Davenport, Iowa
Hattiesburg Historic Neighborhood, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Dundee-Memorial Park, Omaha, Nebraska
German Village, Columbus, Ohio
Swan Lake, Tulsa, Oklahoma
College Hill, Providence, Rhode Island

2011 Great Streets

Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California
U Street N.W., Washington, D.C.
Front Street, Lahaina, Hawaii
Main Street, Galena, Illinois
Main Street, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Washington Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri
Market Street and Market Square, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Downtown Woodstock Streetscape, Woodstock, Vermont
King Street, Alexandria, Virginia
Davis Street, Culpeper, Virginia

2011 Great Public Spaces

Fairmount Park, Riverside, California
Garden of the Gods Park, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Monument Circle, Indianapolis, Indiana
Gray’s Lake Park, Des Moines, Iowa
Rice Park, St. Paul, Minnesota
Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, Nashville, Tennessee
Fair Park, Dallas, Texas
Maymont, Richmond, Virginia
Point Defiance Park, Tacoma, Washington
Milwaukee RiverWalk, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

What Makes a Great Place?

Probably we all can think of a street, neighborhood, or public place that is unique or memorable, but what makes it special? What elements combine to produce a place that not only works for people in the community but rises far above the ordinary?

APA’s selection guidelines will be considered in addition to other important factors such as geography, population, demographics, and setting (urban, suburban, rural). Consider these guidelines not as a checklist of “must-haves,” but rather as important principles from which we will base our judgments.

By Leanne Singleton, Pacific Municipal Consultants

Planning plays a vital role in the day-to-day happenings of citizens in every community.  Where do we live? How do we get to work or school? How can we protect our natural resources? And what will our community look like in the future?

October has been designated as National Community Planning Month by the American Planning Association (APA) as a way to highlight the role of planners and planning in each community. This year’s theme is “New Ideas for America’s Future,” acknowledging that planners help envision the future and address the needs of communities. The month-long celebration is an opportunity to recognize how planning shapes communities on the Central Coast, and the work of planners and the planning profession in creating communities of lasting value. Events are being held across the country.

To find events and learn more about National Community Planning Month, visit http://www.planning.org/ncpm/

The American Planning Association represents more than 40,000 members including professional planners, academics, business leaders, students and engaged citizens. APA advocates for good planning practices to keep communities safe, healthy, and prosperous.

Celebrating Community Planning Locally

October has been designated as National Community Planning Month by the American Planning Association (APA) as a way to highlight the role of planners and planning in each community. This year, we will be celebrating National Community Planning Month by bringing planning to the community at the San Luis Obispo Farmers’ Market! Join us on Thursday, October 20th from 6:00 – 9:00 PM as we engage children, students, and the community with activities to help explain what planning is, how planning influences everyday activities, and what residents can do to become involved in planning for their community. The SLO Farmer’s Market draws a diverse crowd every week and we’re looking forward to sharing with them the benefits of community engagement and local planning. Activities at the booth for kids and adults will include:

-  Build you Dream City (out of Legos!)

-  My Favorite Place in Town is…

-  Planning word search and other games

-  What is Planning?

-  What’s going on in your community?

So the question is, how will YOU celebrate planning in your community this October? If you’ll be in SLO on October 20th, be sure to stop by and bring your friends and family to join the fun.

Get Involved!

We’re looking for volunteers to staff the Farmers’ Market Booth and for descriptions of current planning efforts in communities on the Central Coast. If you’re interested in volunteering or want to share local planning efforts, please contact Leeanne Singleton, lsingleton@pmcworld.com.