Grover Beach, like every other city in the state, needs more affordable housing. “Affordable” being the operative word. We don’t need luxury high-rises, destined to be second homes or vacation rentals; we need housing for the renters, families, seniors, and workers who live here full time.
But don’t be misled: Measure F-26, on November’s ballot, does not address this issue, and does not undo the high-rises that have already been built on west Grand Avenue. The ballot measure is a poorly worded example of good intentions without the facts. All it does is put the city at risk of housing element decertification, meaning the city would lose eligibility for millions of dollars in state and federal grants that do support affordable housing, infrastructure improvements, and local services for our neighbors who live here full time. It also means we may be forced to accept taller buildings outside the commercial and industrial zones, in our neighborhoods.
F-26 proponents say the City Council wasn’t listening to their concerns. But they refused multiple chances to negotiate directly with the City Council. One that would not actually make things worse!
The state’s mandated laws are the problem: They allow builders to bypass environmental review and don’t require as much affordable housing as we need, while giving builders nearly carte blanche on their building plans. But we do have some control at the local level, if the Planning Commission has the courage to push back on these plans. Did F-26 proponents address their concerns to the Planning Commission? Surely these big black boxes weren’t the best we could do.
The City Council formed an ad hoc committee to explore sensible building controls that meet community expectations without jeopardizing the city’s compliance with State law. Get this: The proponents refused to meet or negotiate in good faith with it.
Vote No on F-46 and if you, like me, signed their initial petition because you don’t like tall buildings, tell its proponents to meet in good faith or shut the heck up!
Betsey Nash and Marci Powers
Grover Beach
This article appears in Oct 8-15, 2026.
