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Templeton Life
February 2016
Will A and B measure up?
STEM branching out at THS
Community Spotlight
PR-WIN host forum inviting CALM
New projects and PG&E solar project underway
By Allyson Oken Of Templeton Life
Contributed
An artist rendering of the proposed mental health project on Tablas Road in Templeton. The project was approved by the county’s Planning Commission.
Commission approves controversial health facilities Billig Project moves on to county supervisors
By Allyson Oken Of Templeton Life
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TEMPLETON — The Templeton High School STEM students are busy and expanding their reach — programing an X-Carve 3-D router, creating an interface for the Michelangelo digital 3-D imager and constructing We Share Solar Suitcases and only half way through the school year — Templeton High School’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or STEM program participates are raising the bar. Both the advanced and beginning Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program students are under the direction of educator Jason Diodati, who has introduced them to the world of applied technology, science, engineering and mathematics. Now the program is branching out to share STEM with elementary school students, too. “We still have Engineering 1 and 2, but this year we created a new program called STEM Outreach,” Diodati said. “What we are doing is, we had so much Please turn to Page 3
Inside ... This and That
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Folk from Every Corner
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Chamber 6 Community Calendar
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PRSrt std U.s. postage paid Permit no. 19 paso robles, ca 93446
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — The proposed Assisted Living Facility and Behavioral Health Hospital in Templeton cleared a major hurdle at the county Planning Commission meeting on Jan. 14. The San Luis Obispo County commission approved, 5-0, the construction of the two facilities in Templeton on Las Tables Road. The project will now go before the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors. The decision was the culmination of two Planning Commission hearings that reviewed the Billig Project — submitted with a mitigated negative declaration (in place of a full environmental impact report), a tentative parcel map and conditional use permit for approval in 2014. The issues under review by the commissioners were traffic, structure size, fiscal impact to schools, emergency access, flood control, environmental impact, and if a full EIR was necessary. These issues were all reviewed in a letter submitted by the Templeton Area Advisory Group that was not in favor of the project moving forward. The issue of traffic mitigation was addressed by Glenn Marshall, of San Luis Obispo County Public Works, who explained that the cost of road upgrades are part of a fair share fees schedule agreement with the project holders. “Based on the fee schedule agreement, the Billig Project, as all other projects are responsible for the cost of gutters and sidewalks as well as over $1 million in traffic improvements,” Marshal said. “This will help to fund any road improvements, by enabling staff to seek grants and state funds. The areas of concern are the on-ramp and off-ramp at Las Tables Road. These are owned by Caltrans and even if enough funding were granted, it would still need to be vetted and approved by Caltrans.” A major concern of Templeton residents was the size of the structure. Pamela Jardini, Planning Solutions agent for the Billig Project, said that the project fits the Templeton Design Plan requirements. “The Templeton Design Plan restricts the size, height, parking and setbacks,” Jardini
said. “The overall size of the facility is way under the requirements and the parking exceeds the need based on the land use ordinance and the 162 spaces proposed at the BH and 47 spaces proposed at the AL. The height does not exceed the variance requested nor is it as high as Twin Cities Hospital’s highest structure at 70 feet. This area is also zoned for this use and is outlined for this use in Templeton’s Design Plan.” Whitney McDonald, San Luis Obispo County Legal Counsel, addressed the commission regarding impact to schools, explaining that this was not a matter they could legally take action on. “I would not recommend this provision regarding school financial impact with regard to special needs students because it is not in our purview,” McDonald said. “It is an affect directly related to the student’s disabilities and can therefore not be an added provision for approval of the project.” Emergency access and flood control issues were addressed by both project architect Jan Hochhauser and the project engineer Robert Winslow. Winslow said that there are three access points for emergency vehicles and delivery trucks and that the Templeton Fire Department interim chief in 2014 reviewed the project and outlined the access needed for the trucks in their service. Hochhauser spoke to the flood control issues next, outlining plans for riparian restoration of Toad Creek as well as the fact that project construction will be regulated by California’s Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), who require the most stringent structural guidelines be followed by contractors who build hospitals, schools and other public service buildings and fine those who don’t abide by regulations throughout the construction review process. Winslow also discussed the flood control infrastructure implemented in the design. “We have two systems in place that are redundancies for flooding issues,” Winslow said. “The first system is a water retention system based on a 95th percentile storm or 25-year storm that would retain the water and slowly allow it to percolate into the ground. The second system is a water detention system
By Allyson Oken Of Templeton Life
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Photo by Allyson Oken/ Templeton Life
Templeton High School STEM students Sean Brown, a senior, and Emma Gray, a junior, were selected as participants for a humanitarian solar suitcase delivery mission to schools in Kenya with international charity, Free the Children, PG&E, We Share Solar and Green Tech.
Monthly publication dedicated to covering Templeton, CA
TEMPLETON — A debate on the proposed Paso Robles Basin Water District will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10, at the Templeton High School Performing Arts Center, 1200 S. Mai St. The Paso Robles Water Integrity Network and Citizens Advocating for Local Management of the groundwater basin are spearheading the debate that comes less than a month before a crucial March 8 special election that will go a long way to deciding the fate of the proposed district. Landowners within the proposed groundwater management boundaries will vote on measures A-16 and B-16. Measure A, if approved, would set up a special tax that would fund the new water district. Measure B, if approved, would put the San Luis Obispo County Local Agency Formation Commission’s plan for the district into action. Part of LAFCO’s proposal would involve setting up a board of directors for the new district. Landowners would elect the board as well. The announcement of the upcoming debate came during a Jan. 19 gathering in favor of the measures that was organized by CALM at the Estrella Warbirds Museum. A majority of the candidates running for the proposed board also had the chance to speak on Jan. 19. Local vintner, CALM member and Paso Robles Agricultural Alliance for Groundwater Solutions board member Bob Brown led the meeting. He began by explaining Measure A to the audience of about 75 people, as being a choice to either have local representation or allow the State of California to take control. “Measure A is a special tax that if approved would fund the proposed water district to the tune of $950,000,” Brown said. “That would be vested as a result of the tax proposed by the SLO County Flood Control District that would require a yearly tax be paid by residents of the district, with large landowners with irrigated crops paying the majority and small landowners with 10 acres or less would pay less than $40 a year.” Brown also explained the reasons behind forming a new water district. “The state through the Department of Water Resources has mandated that basins in overdraft manage their water use and implemented the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act,” he said. “This outlines how basins must be managed and as our basin has been graded as a high risk basin we must have a Groundwater Service Agency in place by June or the state or County Flood Control will take over the basin’s