Morro Bay officials have decided to consider a decades-old law that prohibits most development near the power plant —a move that signals support for some growth in the seaside town. The City officials have asked the voters to approve a revision to Measure D, an initiative passed in 1981 that created the commercial fishing district north of Beach Street. The move requires that any development on the Tidelands between Beach Street and Target Rock must primarily serve licensed commercial fishing or noncommercial recreational fishing activities.
This step prohibits new restaurants, cafes, gift shops or other retail businesses that serve the general public. Those amenities are mostly clustered along the Embarcadero. It si informed that the proposed changes would still prohibit new development of restaurants, cafes or gift shops but would al-low more flexibility for fishing-related businesses to expand retail services, such as offering passenger-for-hire boats.
According to the City officials the decision to revisit the laws can help to revive an economy harmed mainly by the decline of the fishing industry. They’ve identified possible remedies that include boosting tourism and organizing more festivals to cater to locals and residents.
Mayor Janice Peters told that the main aim of the decision is to put protection on the fishing industry but allows some other subsidiary uses that are appropriate without going too much into retail. Jeremiah O’Brien, a member of the Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Association, opined that there would be a change that would have an adverse effect in the future.
