Visitor Center : A Cal-Poly senior published a feasibility study for us as his senior project. We will consider how to get community support and funds for the project. The SLO County Board of Supervisors recently approved the community’s requested zoning changes, after a 3 year process. Industrial zoning will be removed from the downtown core.

Gateway Signage Project: San Miguel is the northern entryway to San Luis Obispo County. The two main entrances to the town have been neglected and home-made signs placed at will along Mission Street. A volunteer clean-up was organized, removing the old signs and dead vegetation. Our long-term goal is to provide a tree-lined sidewalk from the Mission to the downtown making the walk inviting to visitors. This would help support the downtown businesses and promote economic revitalization. Two Cal-Poly seniors recently completed a feasibility study for this project. Once we have this study, we will begin to develop the funding for this project.

Community park: There is one community park in the center of town with a swimming pool maintained by the county. The park is currently cut in half by a street. We are recommending that the street be closed and traffic directed around the park. This would allow us to have better recreational facilities and make the park more useful. SMRC is currently working with SLO County Parks and Recreation to purchase a piece of property in probate that would expand the footprint of the park making it more useable. SMRC will demolish the structures, remove debris, an abandoned car and a dead tree, to make the property useable by the County. SMRC will receive half of the realtor’s commission once the sale of the property is completed.

Tourism Development: Our plan is to develop the downtown as a destination, capitalizing on the wineries and ranches surrounding us. We can develop as a horse-friendly place, develop equestrian, bike and walking trails, and build on the various features of San Miguel’s history. While the Mission is being restored and seismically retrofitted, San Miguel can ready itself for the influx of tourists. Currently construction for the first big mixed use/ commercial retail building is underway. San Miguel will have its 1st bank in nearly 50 years as the anchor tenant! SMRC is working with the developer to bring in small businesses as tenants.

Salinas River Trails: The town is dissected by the railroad and river. To date, this has hampered development, but with proper planning, we could use both as an asset. The Regional Water Quality Control Board awarded $87,000 to the Las Tablas Resource Conservation District. The RCD is working with SMRC and our County District Supervisor on a plan of how to best utilize the funds within the strict parameters by the RWQCB. We have requested funds be used to create a trails plan, staging area for hikers, bikers and equestrians as well as targeting erosion control with riparian habitat restoration.

Advocacy with the County for Infrastructure Improvements: The community struggles with flooding in the downtown, which is a deterrent for economic revitalization. “Safe Route To School” funds were used to construct a raised sidewalk, curb and gutter for school children on 16 th street. SLO County received CDBG funds for replacing the sidewalk, providing park benches and landscaping, and diagonal parking for 1 block of the downtown. Construction will begin in January or February 2007. SLO County is making progress and promises funding to implement a drainage plan for San Miguel. Some construction is already underway.