The top three things I hear people complain about in Paso Robles are the parking (lack thereof), water, and some of the streets that need repair. I do agree that we have a water issue and I also agree there are many streets that need to be repaired but I have changed my mind on the parking issue downtown.<\/p>\n
If I recall correctly, there was a group years ago that did a study of Paso\u2019s parking downtown and when the study was complete the overall point was that we do not have a parking problem, we have a walking problem.<\/p>\n
There have been many ideas brought up over the years about turning this site into a parking structure or that site into a parking lot but none have come through. The thing is, people will always complain. \u201cThere isn\u2019t enough parking downtown\u201d. \u201cA parking structure would be ugly and we need to keep Paso small\u201d. \u201cWe\u2019re growing too fast\u201d.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard all of this and more. It\u2019s probably similar in many towns around the country. Here\u2019s the deal, cities grow. Ideal little towns like Paso grow because, well, they are ideal. It\u2019s a beautiful area with wine, food, art, live music, and amazing outdoor activity. It\u2019s centrally located between Los Angeles and San Francisco. We\u2019re not far from mountains, skiing, camping, beaches, and so on.<\/p>\n
I agree that we don\u2019t want to grow too fast but I also disagree with a no growth policy. I also believe there is a way for everyone to come together productively rather than simply complaining. With that comes the need to be open minded and know that we can\u2019t always get our way and should work together in order to move forward and on to the next issue.<\/p>\n
That said I know the complaining and bickering will continue because some people are stubborn and refuse to educate themselves on the issues. I know that open mindedness is rare and selfishness is not. There is a bigger picture here and it is not just about you or me. It\u2019s about honoring the history of Paso while responsibly building Paso from here on out in order to maintain the character unique to this area. This is possible but in the end probably won\u2019t happen because people often refuse to work together.<\/p>\n
I hope I\u2019m wrong though.<\/p>\n
So back to the parking. I too used to get frustrated driving around the park because I wanted to park directly in front of where I was going in to eat or shop. First world problems eh?<\/p>\n
Here are some solutions for those that complain like I used to:<\/p>\n
1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Don\u2019t go downtown<\/p>\n
2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Get a ride from someone so you can just be dropped off<\/p>\n
3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Park a block or three away from the park and appreciate the walk. You love Paso right? Enjoy the stroll in our beautiful downtown. Change your negative perspective into a positive one.<\/p>\n
4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When you go to San Francisco you know you will be walking, so adjust your thinking on Paso.<\/p>\n
5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Go downtown earlier so you\u2019ll have more parking options<\/p>\n
These are just a few options but I\u2019m sure there are more. Here\u2019s what I know, complaining about parking (or anything else for that matter) is not making the situation better. If you have an issue with parking and feel you might have a good idea to solve it\u2026go to the City Council. Whether we like it or not that is the system in which we live and you can choose that path to voice your thoughts.<\/p>\n
The takeaway: Complaining, in general, sucks and seems to be a waste of time. Complaining does not solve anything but it does show you for who you are. We all live in this community together\u2026let\u2019s find a way to make things work. Downtown parking is the least of our worries\u2026unless of course you\u2019re lazy or feeling entitled today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The top three things I hear people complain about in Paso Robles are the parking (lack thereof), water, and some of the streets that need…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4338,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","filesize_raw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4336","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wine-tourism","8":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n