Orchard neighborhood residents press Arroyo Grande council on school-area parking and safety; staff to convene multi-agency meeting

Residents from the Orchard/California/West Cherry neighborhood told the Arroyo Grande City Council on Feb. 10, 2026 that parking and speeding near Arroyo Grande High School have become daily problems and safety hazards.

Speakers including Larry Cooper and Jan Radaree said they collected neighborhood petitions — one speaker said he gathered 24 petitions and another reported an additional 15 — asking the city to act on chronic street parking, trash, and drivers speeding through residential streets. Radaree told the council she contacted the school about enforcement and said a school-connected officer indicated the school had told students they could park in the area and was not patrolling the lot; that enforcement claim was not resolved during the meeting.

Several residents described how parking overflow from the high school can block streets and cited a near-miss involving a dog that a speaker said was struck by a car. Andy Dibbern and Matt Anderson described speeding and vandalism-related trash, and said resolving parking would help calm traffic on their blocks.

Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director Bill Robison acknowledged staff had discussed the petition, said staff had spoken with neighborhood representatives and committed to convene a meeting with the school district, police department, public works and community development to clarify roles and develop options. Robison also reminded residents that the school board controls the funding for the School Resource Officer and encouraged residents to raise the matter with the school board as well.

No formal policy was adopted; staff said they would return with options after the multi‑agency meeting.