Letter to the Editor: Save our Zoo from the Central Coast

By Letter to Editor · Wed Dec 10 2025

Letter to the Editor: Save our Zoo from the Central Coast

Dear Editor,

To start, WE are local citizens in this community and area that care about the name of the Zoo and reject the decision making process and the name that was chosen. When I use the terms “They” or “City,” I am referring to the City Council and the city staff. This journey started on June 7. After being kept in the dark, citizens of Atascadero found out that the name of the Charles Paddock Zoo had been changed to the Central Coast Zoo. It was a rebranding process that had been going on for the previous 18 months, and many in Atascadero were left out of the process and a very limited survey. When the name change was announced, we were shocked by the new name and how long the process had been going on without the general public’s knowledge. Central Coast Zoo — are you joking? A name with no special local identity, no history, inconsistent, and also counterproductive financially with our local and extensive marketing plan for our unique and special city. We had not been consulted about this very important community decision, and it is our job as citizens to elect councilmembers that will advocate for us regarding problems and decisions that are made at the city level. The following is a list and a timeline of our attempts to communicate with the city:

This explains our attempts to get the city to reverse its decision and change the name of our zoo to Atascadero Zoo or come up with a suitable alternative. We have received zero response from the city on admitting the problem and how they plan to fix it. We were told that they were working on putting Atascadero somewhere in the name of the zoo, not as the address, and to publicly announce the change and also to commit to making sure that it is marketed consistently, but that has not happened. All we are getting from the city is excuses.

Excuse # 1: We can’t make a change because it will violate and endanger our accreditation status. The fact is, and this has been researched, the name of the zoo is not what drives the accreditation process, but obviously what is most important are the programs and care for its animals. If the name is an issue, then it is obvious that the accreditation board would be happy with Atascadero as the name of the zoo, along with the SF, Monterey, Fresno, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego that all have names that match their location.

Excuse # 2: We had a marketing plan that reached out to supposedly to 200 people and with the population of Atascadero at over 28,000, that represents .008 of the population. There were over 1,200 individuals that responded to a survey in just a few days, rejecting the new name. It looks like the city reached out just to individuals that supported the new name, plus their 18-month marketing and rebranding process left many of us in the dark.

Excuse # 3: Nobody knows where Atascadero is located. This is the most outrageous excuse yet. A friend of mine said that any monkey using two fingers could Google and find the smallest village in Outer Mongolia. I challenge anyone to Google and pinpoint the exact location of Central Coast on a map. You can’t because it is a scenic region between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Excuse # 4: There are other zoos that have regional names. There are about 30 zoos and aquariums in California, with around 23 who are accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquarium (AZA). Most zoos have a specific location, local or city connection, but are not labeled as an area or region, so there must be a logical and financial reason for the names of most zoos. Why did our city select a generic and regional name for our zoo, because it is definitely not typical. Local businesses, including our zoo, will require local support to survive in the future. I thought that the point of our marketing plan was to put Atascadero front and center and then the city gives the zoo away to the regional area called the Central Coast, which I feel lacks good future planning and common sense from a marketing perspective.

We are getting the feeling that the city recognizes that they have made an error due to the flawed decision making process and the 19-month marketing plan that left many in the dark, plus their final choice of a regional and generic name for our zoo. Once again, we heard that there was a compromise coming, with Atascadero in the Central Coast name, with marketing and advertisements that would be consistently displayed, but that did not happen. At this point there are only two options that we will accept: the city, or specifically, the City Council can fix this mistake by giving the Zoo its rightful and logical name — Atascadero Zoo, Founded by Charles Paddock — or they can put this on a ballot for the people to decide. I believe that they do not want it on the ballot, knowing that the results would prove that they made a huge mistake, especially when it only takes three councilmembers to fix a problem.

I will not be asking for an organized and public boycott of the zoo on Jan. 1. I have decided to let natural consequences determine the outcome and rule the day. Personally, I will not support anything connected to the Central Coast Zoo. In fact, I support the exact words on a sign located on Morro Road, just before the park entrance that states Atascadero Lake Park and Zoo. That sign is still a clear and visual statement and reminder to our City Council on what should be the name of our zoo. It is simple, distinct, the exact location, has clarity regarding our history, and supports all the dollars spent on the marketing of our great city of Atascadero. There is another sign exiting 101 to Morro Road that also has the Atascadero city logo and just under "Zoo/Lake Park," with an arrow pointing in that direction. If you drive around and through Atascadero, you will see many businesses, locations, chamber, road, a hospital and organizations who chose to identify as Atascadero. It is time to put our zoo on the same map.

I love Atascadero, and this is the reason that I live here and the reason that I have been serving this great city since the 1970s. I can’t and will never accept the name Central Coast as Atascadero’s zoo, never. It is my decision to never support the zoo financially or set foot on the property until this mistake is corrected. If there are no changes, then I am hoping that in the future we have a brand new City Council that will have the courage and determination to do what is right and give our zoo its rightful name — Atascadero Zoo, Founded by Charles Paddock. Some believe that our governments are designed in ineptness, and whatever we do or say, nothing is going to happen. But I believe, that when the system fails, righteous people will rise up. I hope that this is true for Atascadero and as I mentioned, it only takes three. Obviously, I can’t take credit for everything in this letter or my previous letters, because I have been inspired by friends and family that I have been talking to since last June, especially Sally Bishop-Paddock Smith. This letter is being published in the Atascadero News and I will also be sending it to my contacts and will leave it to individuals to decide on their own how to proceed regarding our zoo and if they choose to share this letter. Save our zoo from the Central Coast. Thanks for hearing me out, a neighbor of the Atascadero Lake Park and Atascadero Zoo since 1953. 

Rolfe Nelson

Former Mayor of the City of Atascadero

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