Editorial: For SLO’s prosperity, vote no on Measure H
In recent years, a relative bright spot for the San Luis Obispo economy has been a spurt of development along Broad Street and Tank Farm Road in the area south of the city center.
Although this area is quite a distance from the Cal Poly campus, it has become a bit of a hub for new and entrepreneurial ventures, especially in the technology area.
The nascent trade corridor has the advantage of being close to the San Luis Obispo Airport and business services such as banks, law firms and advertising agencies. Moreover, the recent environmental cleanup of a Tank Farm Road property owned by Chevron has added attractive open space and new options to the entire south side of San Luis Obispo.
It should come as no surprise, therefore, that anti-growth forces in San Luis Obispo are alarmed that the free enterprise system might actually find a place to flourish on the Central Coast. They are pushing a ballot measure known as Measure H that would put a permanent damper on economic opportunity in south San Luis Obispo.
Specifically, Measure H would bar the extension of Prado Road from a point near Higuera Street all the way to South Broad Street. For those who don’t know the city very well, Prado Road runs parallel to Tank Farm and extending it would create a new traffic connection between Higuera Street and Broad Street.
The no-growth forces bill their effort as a way to safeguard playgrounds from too much traffic, but that’s nonsense. Measure H will deter Cal Poly graduates and homegrown entrepreneurs from creating new companies and new jobs. It should be soundly rejected by voters, especially Cal Poly students who want to follow the time-honored tradition of building a future on the Central Coast.
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