Higher aesthetic standards

By Sandra (Gore) Nielsen

Do you envision a pedestrian-friendly pier plaza, a charming and well-tended Shell Beach Road, an ocean front free of sewer pumps and industrial signage?

What's the general impression when you drive down Dolliver and park at the pier? Is there harmony in theme, is it a pedestrian-friendly zone, do you want to linger at the pier, are you tempted by art galleries, gourmet tidbits, lush and colorful plantings? Is the signage distinctive, artfully created and unobtrusive?

What do you see when you drive down Shell Beach Road? What is the condition of the road itself? Are the vistas clear or marred by electrical wires? Are the streetlights unique and decorative or industrial and outdated? Are we enhancing the natural charm of a beachside village or allowing massive structures that destroy the neighborhood feeling?

What is your impression when you walk down Ocean Boulevard? Are you concerned about the rapid erosion of the cliffs and wonder what we can do about it? Do you long for street lighting that protects the night sky and for low level signage that harmonizes with the landscape? Do you wonder why anyone would put a pump station on a fragile coastal bluff and then build utility panel that juts into the ocean view?

Let's identify eyesores along our coast and in our community and then clean them up. Let's hold our public works department to the same aesthetic standards demanded of building project applicants. Every time we put up a city sign, let's think about its impact on our viewscape. Let's get all of our wires underground + slowly yes but surely. Our views are just too precious to be marred with this man-man ugliness.

Our city is extremely diverse, with some very unique neighborhoods. Who knows better than locals what areas need improvement? Invite their comments on building plans and projects that affect their neighborhoods. Let's establish neighborhood advisory groups to formulate action plans and facilitate fund-raising for shared-expense projects. We can follow the examples of the community effort of Dinosaur Caves and the privatization of utilities undergrounding in Pismo Heights.

Why can't Pismo Beach win a prize for its downtown and join other forward-thinking communities in our county?