How do you feel about roundabouts? Some people absolutely hate them, despise them, loath them, maybe because they require active judgment to navigate. Some people would rather simply be told when to stop (red light, stop sign) or when to go (green light) or when to go faster (yellow light! Step on it!).
Well, here’s some good news for roundabout-hating Templetoners or Templetonites or Templetonians. The proposed Vineyard and Bethel Safety Demonstration Roundabout Project wasn’t approved by the SLO County Board of Supervisors, who didn’t even try to cast a vote due to—I’m guessing—the massive public outcry against the project.
Public wrath? No thanks! Some of us have elections coming up!
According to 5th District Supervisor Heather Moreno in an email thread with so many recipients I think it might be to every single person in Templeton, “There was no vote on the roundabout as it didn’t have support of four supervisors. The 4-1 vote was to seek another location in the county that could use the federal funding for a temporary roundabout.”
Oh shit! Did you hear that, Templeton? There are federal bucks to be spent, which means whether you want a roundabout or not, one is coming! Hopefully not in Templeton, but you can bet it’ll come to some other unincorporated part of the county. There’s got to be a place to put one where people won’t be pissed off, right? I mean, federal dollars! Have you ever met a politician willing to leaving money on the table? It’s got to be spent!
What’s interesting is many of the BOS letter writers—Debra Logan, Michael Manchak, Sarah Andrus, David Leader, Don Rasmussen, Karen and Brian Strysko, etc., etc.—argued the project was a waste of taxpayers’ money, but some of it was federal money, and since California is a donor state that pays more in federal taxes than the federal government spends in California, Californians want as much of our money back as possible, even if it means building a roundabout to nowhere in a cow pasture, dammit. It’s our money after all.
Some letter writers also argued the roundabout was a “temporary” solution that would later require a “final” solution. Final solution?!? Oh shit! Ominous, no? Also, the roundabout would require space on private property, and you know how the North County feels about property rights, yeehaw! Bang-bang! Oh, and the intersection at Vineyard Drive and Bethel Road is only busy when schools are in session in the mornings and afternoons, and the delay’s only 3 to 5 minutes “at most.” So, no big deal.
Sounds like people really don’t want this roundabout, and the whole roundabout idea sounds like it’s a solution in search of a problem. Anybody out there need a “temporary solution” to a traffic congestion problem that will be partially paid for with federal money? Anyone?
Speaking of temporary solutions, Hearst Castle’s bank of portable toilets in front of the visitor center may be here to stay … at least for a while longer. They were installed—temporarily—in July of 2022 during California’s historic drought. Now they’re all that’s available for the foreseeable future.
When architect Julia Morgan designed Hearst Castle, she included 60 bathrooms throughout the four main buildings, which is a lot of freaking bathrooms. Seems very ironic now that the property’s aging, overtaxed water system can no longer sustain the usage needed.
“We hear complaints about restrooms every day,” State Parks San Luis Obispo Coast District Superintendent Dan Falat said. “We understand the frustration and appreciate the public’s patience. My hope is that we can reopen permanent restrooms within the next year, but we have to make sure it’s done correctly and sustainably.”
The “public’s patience”? Dan is adorable. Anyway, for now one of the amenities that comes with your $35 tour ticket is unlimited use of portable shitters! Sweet!
Speaking of a lack of “public patience,” neighbors of two new proposed residential buildings in Arroyo Grandeare howling mad because of the project’s density and lack of parking, which they say will negatively impact surrounding businesses, customers, and clients.
“I oppose this because I think it’s going to take a very important part of people’s lives away,” said Lori Riano, group exercise director at nearby Curl Fitness. “I think it’s going to impact the fact that our older population is going to be highly limited by this. The lack of parking, walking, … it’s detrimental to both their physical and their mental health.”
Yeah, old people shouldn’t have to park and walk a long distance to get to their exercise class! Come on! And really, when you think about the lack of affordable housing, only 15 percent of the 92 multi-family residential units were designated for people who meet the county’s Affordable Housing Standards for Very Low Income households, which means only, like, 13.8 low-income families might not get housed in this project.
For those in the pro-development and pro-affordable housing camps, don’t fret yet. The project isn’t dead, merely postponed as the various interested parties work through their differences and await their turn to make their case before the Arroyo Grande City Council.
In the meantime, let’s all sit back and enjoy the sweet smell of all the public patience, er, I mean porta-potties.
The Shredder refuses to yield to oncoming traffic. Brake check it at shredder@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in March 26 – April 2, 2026.