Economic development continues to be a top goal of the current City Council. In the last six months alone, significant strides have been taken to put the foundation in place for future development along the West Grand Avenue corridor.

• The Grover Beach Visioning Project – Nearly 80 residents, business owners, and local employees participated in three separate workshops to set the tone and general parameters for development along, among other areas, the West Grand Avenue corridor, Pacific Coast Highway, and Fourth Street.

• Beachfront Lodge/Conference Facility at Pismo State Beach – The City’s Ad Hoc Committee is meeting regularly with State Parks to make this dream a reality. The City Council approved a General Concept Agreement with State Parks in August, and is in the process of negotiating an operating agreement that will give the City the authority to move forward with project design and environmental review.

• The Grover Beach Visioning Project – involving three separate community workshops – was approved by the City Council to help devise a "road map" for future growth and development within the community (see related article).

• The Buxton Community ID Project – A joint undertaking with the City of Arroyo Grande, this analysis will match the buying practices of residents along the Grand Avenue trade area – referred to as our “lifestyle profile”– to retailers that match our profile. Phase I has been completed and, among other things, identified retail potential in our trade area of nearly $855 million. Phase II will identify those retailers and retail concepts that are consistent with our profile. Study results will be beneficial for existing businesses that may want to expand their retail operations, as well as new businesses interested in coming to Grover Beach.

• Land Use Element Update – Approved by the City Council in July, this update, along with updates to the Recreation Element and Housing Element of the General Plan, will facilitate implementation of the concepts identified through the Visioning Project.

• Streetscape Improvements - Installation of landscaping, lighting, and street furniture has been completed along West Grand Avenue between Ninth and Tenth Streets – including two additional traffic signals and synchronization with two other previously installed signals.

All of these efforts are designed to increase sales tax and hotel/motel tax revenues, which augment the City’s General Fund. The General Fund, in turn, is a source of revenue for a number of City services including repairing streets, providing public safety services, and maintaining parks and recreational facilities.

For more information about any of these activities, including study results, contact Suzanne Bragdon, Grover Beach Economic Development Program, at (805) 473-4520 or sbragdon@grover.org.