The Morro Bay-Cayucos connector trail has been in the works for the past 20 years.
On Tuesday, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will be deciding to authorize the Parks Department to apply for a California Coastal Conservancy grant for up to $2 million.
The Coastal Conservancy is a funding agency for local projects in the state.
“It would be the last piece of funding to put together a couple of different streams to make this project happen,” said Supervisor Bruce Gibson.
Other funding sources include grants from the Regional State Highway Account, Active Transportation Program, State Transportation Improvement Program, and Parks-Public Facilities fees.
The $12 million project is currently in the design phase.
Parks says construction would start at the north and south ends of the dog beach in Morro Bay.
“They’ve got to work the trail in next to the highway," said Gibson. "There’s one place where we need to shore up the seawall to make sure it’s protected from sea level rise and the ocean encroaching."
Gibson says the trail will be a benefit for both coastal communities.
“This is some place with an e-bike you can get from Cayucos to Morro Bay to shop, for instance. So, it’s not just a matter of folks heading to the beach or tourists enjoying a bike ride. It’s really something that’s going to benefit a wide chunk of our population,” said Gibson.
The project faced opposition from residents living along Toro Lane at the edge of Morro Bay where the coastal trail would run through.
Many of the arguments centered around public easement on private roads.
“But our Parks Department in designing this has worked real hard to make use of existing access easements and to make sure that we’ve designed this so it doesn’t disrupt the residential neighborhoods which it’s going to traverse,” said Gibson.
Don Leitch, a 20-year resident of Morro Bay, walks his dog every day along the Toro Lane area to the beach.
“You meet a lot of people who have dogs,” Leitch said. "They socialize a lot out here."
Leitch says the trail would be a better alternative for those who are unable to safely walk along the beach to either town.
“I think it will be a lot safer for people and it will be a better place for people to meet each other,” said Leitch.
If the Supervisors approve Parks to apply for the grant, a decision on the grant award will be made by the California Coastal Conservancy board on April 17.
“We’re hopeful and if that comes through then we will be fully funded to make this thing happen,” said Gibson.
Once the project is fully funded, construction is expected to start in January 2027.
