The first public workshop to discuss the proposed Palm Nipomo parking structure was held at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (formerly San Luis Obispo Art Center) on Wednesday evening, Oct. 20 and was attended by 37 interested stakeholders.

In addition to representation from the local neighborhoods, San Luis Obispo Little Theater, San Luis Obispo Downtown Association, Obispo Beautiful Association, Historical Society, and Art in Public Places were among the organizations represented. The Planning Commission, the Architectural Review Committee and the Cultural Heritage Committee also had members in attendance. Several journalists from the news media attended as well.

The workshop focused on describing the history of the project, including various parking structure designs previously considered by the City Council, project goals, funding, why now and why here, the configuration of the site, and the adjacent uses. Presentations by City Staff and consultants included a discussion of the Downtown Plan, a review of the surrounding uses, and a visualization of how the massing volume allowed under current zoning would appear from various locations in the neighborhood.

The presentation moved on to a discussion of opportunities and constraints such as location, desirable number of parking spaces, height restrictions, access, and possible additional uses on the site. The workshop attendees participated in these presentations by asking questions, offering additional information, and suggesting design ideas.

For more information on the project and the workshop, please visit: http://www.slocity.org/publicworks/palmnipomo.asp

The next workshop is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2011 and will focus on a presentation and discussion of several design options.