San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors Meeting April 23rd and 24!
*** COMMUNITY MEMBERS ***
LAST CHANCE TO COME OUT AND BE HEARD AT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISOR HEARING AND VOTE ON THE LARGEST DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTY FOR OVER 25 YEARS!
The Board of Supervisors (BOS) will hold a two-day hearing on the Dana Reserve Specific Plan (DRSP) on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, and Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The hearing will be located in the Katcho Achadjian Government Center, Board of Supervisors Chambers, 1055 Monterey Street, Room D-170, San Luis Obispo.
On April 23, 2024, the Board of Supervisors meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM. The DRSP hearing will begin after the Board takes action on the Consent Agenda. The first day of the hearing will end at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, unless the Board votes to continue past 5:00 PM. The hearing will resume the next day, April 24, 2024, at 9:00 A.M. and conclude at 5:00 P.M., unless the Board votes to continue past 5:00 P.M.
The hearing will begin Tuesday morning with a Planning Department staff presentation on the project details and the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The applicant will present following the staff presentation. Time will be reserved after the presentations for staff and the applicant to respond to initial Board of Supervisors questions about the project and EIR.
How to sign up to speak and when public comment will begin:
The public comment portion of the hearing is expected to begin on Tuesday afternoon when the Board of Supervisors returns from their noon recess. The Board of Supervisors typically breaks for a 90-minute recess starting at 12:00 P.M. (noon) and returning at 1:30 P.M. This is only an estimate, as the actual break time could be earlier or later at the discretion of the chairperson.
If you would like to provide public comment at the hearing, please complete a speaker slip. County staff will be stationed outside of the Board of Supervisors Chambers to hand out and collect speaker slips. Testimony for individuals and organized groups will be limited to 3 minutes per speaker.
County staff expect a significant level of public interest in this project. The number of people from the public requesting to speak is unknown; therefore, the County cannot predict how long public comment will last. Public comment will end at 5:00 P.M. (unless continued past 5:00 PM) on Tuesday and, if necessary, will resume Wednesday morning at 9:00 A.M.
Continuing Letter Writing Campaign – Letters need to be sent before April 23 & 24th These are the scheduled dates for the Board of Supervisors’ meetings to decide on whether to approve the DR as currently proposed. We need to be focused and concrete outlining what we’re for. Letter writing coaches are available to help you with that so we’re presenting as a unified force!
Also, please click here to listen to Commissioner Wyatt spell out just a few areas of what is faulty in the Commissioners’ vote to recommend the development. These include no promise of “affordable” housing, and many violations of the County’s own ordinances to protect the area’s natural resources. She makes the points we need to focus on with the Supervisors.
Write your letters to the Board of Supervisors NOW ! (click e-mail link to send an e-mail)
SLO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
1055 Monterey St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
Phone: (805)-781-5450
E-mail: boardofsups@co.slo.ca.us
Supervisor Jimmy Paulding:
1055 Monterey St. Suite D430
San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
E-mail: district4@co.slo.ca.us
For Letter writing and 3-Minute Public Comments
We have been making some headway because of the efforts of all of us working together AND we need to continue to do so with strategic focus!
Click here for guidance and tips on effective comments and letters.
Planning Commissioners and the members of the Board of Supervisors are charged with ensuring that issues of environmental protection, public safety and health, infrastructure and housing issues conform to standards that are in place for the well-being of its residents.
The Board of Supervisors must make some smart decisions about the affordable housing crisis. According to the SLO Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) the county is mandated by state law to build 3256 more housing units by 2028. It has already exceeded its goal for above moderate income homes by over 1500 units. This DOES NOT help with the legitimate housing crisis.
Chronology
A Special Meeting of the SCAC was held of February 12th, 6:30-8:30PM at the Nipomo High School Olympic Hall. SCAC, Nipomo Action Committee and the Nipomo Oak Alliance presented the Community Alternative Plan to the Dana Reserve proposed project. The SCAC decided and voted to recommend the alternative plan to the Board of Supervisors. SCAC Letter to Board of Supervisors Regarding the Community Alternative plan to the DR Development.
Over 120 people attended the South County Advisory Council meeting on Feb 12. Supervisors Jimmy Paulding and Dawn Ortiz Legg were also in attendance. Three speakers from the Nipomo Oak Alliance spoke about the unique environmental and cultural heritage the land and the oak forest hold for this region.
Mona Tucker, the Tribal Chair of the yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini, Northern Chumash; (see a clip by clicking here)
Dr. Bill Waycott, one of the foremost experts on the ecological diversity of Nipomo’s habitat;
And Leila Zavala, a Senior at Central Coast New Tech, a youth leader who is passionate about environmental science, driven by her Northern Chumash Heritage.
An overview of the community generated map was presented by Alison Martinez, Director of the NAC. You can see a concise comparison of the community generated map with the NKT mega-development by clicking here.
At the end of the presentations there were questions and responses and then the SCAC voted unanimously to recommend the community generated map to the board of supervisors in place of the NKT plan.
NAC Public Meeting: November 17th, 2023 at 5PM at the Black Lake Community Room 498 Colonial Pl, Nipomo.
October 24th SLO Planning Commission voted (4-1) to recommend Dana Reserve Project for Board of Supervisors approval.
September 28 County Planning Commission Study Session of the Dana Reserve
Thanks to all who turned out for the September 28 Study Session and spoke and wrote letters that are now on record as in put from the community.
Some of the changes from the Draft Environmental Report (DEIR) and the Final EIR were explained and the county staff and Nick Tompkins, the developer took a lot of time describing those changes. Public comments were heard, both for and against and because of time constraints, the last half of public comment was limited to one minute per person.
Here’s the link to the page where one can download the video of the September 38 Study Session:
August 30 Planning Commission Meeting:
Thanks to all of you who changed your schedules or took the day off from work and showed up at the SLO planning commission hearing and of course those who continue to write letters to the Planning commission and Board of Supervisors. You are truly making a difference for Nipomo and the Central Coast. We had over 43 supporters who showed opposing the project and one who spoke in favor of the project. The commissioners had lots of discussion about going ahead with the hearing as
planned or voting to continue it, so everyone has more time to look and make sense of the Final EIR which was only released 3 weeks prior to this meeting.
Finally, the commissioners decided to grant our request for a continuance and add a study session prior to the hearing!
Study Session is scheduled for September 28 at 9a.m.
August 21 South County Advisory Council Special Meeting:
40 Concerned citizens and neighbors spoke up and made a powerful case against the Dana Reserve Project. They spoke for the possibility of a sustainable plan that provides affordable housing, critical infrastructure, and environmental protection and preservation!
OUR COMMUNITY SPOKE UP and OUR VOICES WERE HEARD….
THE SOUTH COUNTY ADVISORY COUNCIL RECOMMENDS DENIAL OF THE DANA RESERVE PROJECT!