SLO County News BlogGolf, Wine, Real Estate, Business & Travel NewsECOSLO to watch over Pirates CoveSunday, March 27, 2005The Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo could become the newest steward of more than 26 acres of open space at Pirates Cove.Pirates Cove is located between Cave Landing Road and the coastal shoreline south of Avila Beach and owned by San Miguelito Partners, a development company that has proposed developing some of the bluffs area for homes. San Miguelito Partners offered the county the 26-acre open-space parcel in the late 1990s as part of the development plan, according to Pete Jenny, county parks manager, who said the county never accepted the offer of dedication. "We're struggling to fund (county parks) today," Jenny said. "That's why we've never taken the offer of dedication. This offer of dedication has been hanging out there waiting for the county to accept." Because the county lacks funding to assume the maintenance and management responsibilities at Pirates Cove, county crews aren't sent to the site to pick up trash or keep the area maintained. "It hasn't been managed by anyone," Jenny said. "Someone has to accept that responsibility. " ECOSLO is ready to accept that responsibility if the nonprofit organization gets the green light from the County Parks and Recreation Commission when it meets Thursday evening in San Luis Obispo. The proposal in front of the commission requests that the county accept the offer to dedicate the land from San Miguelito Partners and then transfer it to ECOSLO. Jenny doesn't think the commission will turn down the proposal but also said he couldn't speculate how the body would vote. "Everybody acknowledges that this is a great idea," Jenny said about the proposed maintenance partnership for Pirates Cove. "It needs to have a better level of oversight and management. I can't see them turning it down, but I don't really know." He added that the only drawback to the proposal would be if ECOSLO were to close its doors; then the county would be handed the management and maintenance duties of the area. Pam Heatherington, ECOSLO executive director, said a collaboration between the county and ECOSLO to manage Pirates Cove would be a "win-win situation" for all involved. "We've offered to take the property off their hands," Heatherington said. "Looking at these types of partnerships is key (when there's no funding); it will help to maintain that greenbelt that so many people in this county embrace." If the offer is accepted by the county and the land transferred to ECOSLO, the nonprofit organization doesn't plan to institute any drastic changes to the area, which the agency feels is an important county ecological resource. "It would remain a rural beach," Heatherington said. "The only thing that we'd probably change is (we would be) closing the gate at night." The County Parks and Recreation Commission will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday at the San Luis Obispo Veterans Hall, 801 Grand Ave. Consideration of the Pirates Cove dedication offer and management plan is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ECOSLO could keep watchful eye over Pirates Cove area Times Press Recorder, April Charlton To see more of the Times Press Recorder, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to www.timespressrecorder.com. (c) 2005, Times Press Recorder, Arroyo Grande, CA. Read More
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