Nan's Concerns

By Nan Fowler

We can't afford to ignore the needs of Arroyo Grande

Preserving the Village amid change. Try as we might, we can't stop things from changing. We can, however, channel changes with adequate planning and diligent attention. We don't have to sacrifice our character to change, nor should we. The Village is our essence; small town living is our way of life. These characteristics of our community must be preserved.

Our streets are for driving on. That is the one basic truth that shouldn't be forgotten as we plan improvements to our thoroughfares. Safety and the smooth flow of traffic should be our top priority.

It's all about service. City government's primary purpose is to provide services for the people it serves. Our mission should be to enhance police and fire protection, parks and recreation and other vital functions in a cost-effective, business-like manner.

"Will you have fries with that?" This phrase shouldn't be one that illustrates our local economy. We've welcomed retail development, seemingly without thought to providing real, living-wage jobs. Though "bedroom community" might sound cute, all those cars carrying folks to and from work in distant towns create pollution and congestion, waste resources and degrade our quality of life.