SLO Approves Venue Plan

The San Luis Obispo City Council Sept. 15 voted 4-0 to deny two appeals of the approval of the Discovery San Luis Obispo project and move forward.

The project includes a bowling alley with seven lanes on the ground floor and six lanes on a mezzanine level, a concert venue with a maximum capacity of 393, upper floor and basement-level lounges and a restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, the Tribune of San Luis Obispo said.

SLO residents Sandra Lakeman and James Lopes, who appealed the project on behalf of grassroots group Save Our Downtown, wrote that the allowed uses seem to be in pursuit of making downtown into a permanent “party place.”

Others said they supported the concept but thought the facility should be scaled down. To that comment, Jeremy Pemberton, managing partner of Discovery San Luis Obispo, said the bowling lanes alone take up 10,000 square feet, the Tribune said.

The 24,500-square-foot building for the facility most recently housed Sports Authority but has been vacant. Pemberton plans to increase the size to 25,210 square feet.

The council also denied an appeal filed by Pemberton to stay open until 2 a.m. The Planning Commission previously decided the business should close at midnight.