I have known Charles Varni for about 10 years, first as a neighbor and later as a fellow supporter of Oceano’s quality of life. I’ve attended numerous meetings with him and have always found him to be respectful and interested in other people’s opinions, inviting exploration of divergent ideas. The Oceano Community Services District seems to be an organization that does not welcome changemakers.
Amanda Sherlock
Oceano
This article appears in 2023 Year in Review.
Oceano changemaker, Charles Varni,
I moved to Oceano 38 years ago because I enjoyed the rural, farming, bedroom community. At that time, we had a 2 year old and felt Oceano and the five cities area was a good place to raise our children. At the time we enjoyed taking our son for drives on the beach because it was one of only two or three place on the Pacific coast where we could do that. We’re not off road people and I’ve been out on the dunes maybe three times in thirty years. But nearly one hundred people were riding the dunes and Oceano is still here. NO!, I do not want to see Oceano change into looking like downtown Pismo Beach or Santa Barbara like Varni has on his agenda. I moved here for a reason and now he wants to push me and those like me out of our comfortable and enjoyable community. He wants hotels and commercial development. We have that in in the other three cities around us and many of we long time locals do not want to see our streets become thoroughfares for out of town visitors. Is change going to improve my life? Is it going to give me a better quality? How am I going to benefit? Do I need more congestion and exhaust fumes? How am I going to benefit from more hotel rooms. Please don’t give me this garbage of more employment and taxes for Oceano. Guaranteed that isn’t going to lower my tax bill.
You say Varni is respectful. Respect is the reason he has labeled me a “mad dog”. Respect is the reason he and his committee got booted out of the county commissioners’ meetings and the committee terminated.
You said, ” The Oceano Community Services District seems to be an organization that does not welcome changemakers”. Tell us all what the duties of the board are. Why was the board originally formed? What specific areas are they to oversee? Tell us why his agenda should supersede those of the Oceano residents? Why do you want Oceano changed?
Kerry Langford