What We Do

The Department of Planning and Building provides oversight of the unincorporated areas of San Luis Obispo County. Planning and Building performs all land use planning functions to maintain the wise use of land and to help build safe communities including policies, programs, permitting, environmental review and zoning enforcement. 

Department News

10/9/2024

CPUC Approves Formation of Central California Rural Regional Energy Network: $36 Million Investment to Expand Energy Efficiency Services for Disadvantaged and Underserved Communities

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), on September 26, 2024, approved the formation of a Central California Rural Regional Energy Network (Central California Rural REN) to expand access to energy efficiency services for primarily disadvantaged, underserved, and hard-to-reach communities in Central California.

9/16/2024

PermitSLO is Moving to the Cloud

Starting on Monday, September 30, anyone who accesses PermitSLO will be using a cloud-based system. You might not notice a difference, but the software is moving away from County-owned servers and going to the cloud. PermitSLO is the public-facing portal of EnerGov, the County’s permitting software that is owned by Tyler Technologies.

Picture of Santa Maria Refinery
9/19/2024

Phillips 66 Santa Maria Refinery Demolition and Remediation Project Final Environmental Impact Report

On August 15, 2022, Phillips 66 Company (Phillips 66) applied to the County of San Luis Obispo for approval of a Development Plan and Coastal Development Permit (DP/CDP) to demolish the Santa Maria Refinery (SMR) facility and restore the site located at 2555 Willow Road in Arroyo Grande, California.

Landscape photograph of sun setting behind clouds over rolling green hills with shrubs and bushes in the foreground
1/8/2024

Cannabis Clean-up Ordinance Amendment

On September 26, 2023, the County Board of Supervisors directed staff to prepare a Cannabis Clean-up Ordinance Amendment. The Public Review Draft of the Cannabis Clean-up Ordinance Amendment is now available for review.

Sunny view of Los Osos from nearby hill top looking out over the bay. The bushy hilltop is in the foreground, the town of Los Osos in the middle ground, and Morro Bay and beyond in the background.
5/20/2022

Permitting Requirements and Allowed Development in Los Osos

The County Planning and Building Department has released a memorandum clarifying permitting requirements and allowed development in Los Osos in response to recent correspondence from California Coastal Commission staff.