Dana Reserve Specific Plan
The 2024 Dana Reserve Specific Plan would allow for the phased development of a 288-acre master-planned community with up to 1,370 residential units, 110,000-203,000 square feet of commercial and non-residential (Visitor Serving/Hotel, Education) floor area, a minimum of 55.6 acres of open space and 6.3 acres of recreation, and related circulation and infrastructure. The project also includes a County-initiated General Plan and Ordinance Amendment to change the land use categories within the specific plan area and to incorporate the property into the Nipomo Urban Reserve Line (URL), and to ensure the General Plan is consistent with the DRSP. The project would require annexation into the Nipomo Community Services District service area to facilitate the provision of water and wastewater services to the project. The project site is located in the Residential Rural land use category, west of US 101, east of Hetrick Avenue, and adjacent to the Nipomo URL. The project is located within the South County Inland Sub Area of the South County Planning Area.
Project Contacts
Comments and questions regarding the project may be submitted via email to the Planning Manager, Airlin Singewald at [email protected] or mailed to the following address:
Department of Planning and Building
ATTN: Dana Reserve/Airlin Singewald
976 Osos Street, Room 300
San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
Project Updates
Board of Supervisors Scheduled for April 23 and 24, 2024
The Board of Supervisors will hold a two-day hearing on the Dana Reserve Specific Plan on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, and Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The hearing will be located in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, County Government Center, 1055 Monterey Street, Room D170, San Luis Obispo.
On April 23, 2024, the Board of Supervisors meeting will start at 9:00 A.M. and adjourn at 5:00 P.M. 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.
The staff report for the Board of Supervisors hearing will be posted online at the following link the week of April 15, 2024:
Board Meetings, Agendas and Minutes - County of San Luis Obispo (ca.gov)
The focus of the Board of Supervisors staff report will be to summarize and respond to the Planning Commission’s recommendations on the 2023 DRSP. The Board of Supervisors staff report will also contain revised findings, conditions of approval, and supplemental environmental analysis of the 2024 DRSP.
Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
The proposed Final Environmental Impact Report includes the Draft EIR, along with staff responses to public and agency comments on the Draft EIR, related revisions to the text of the EIR and mitigation measures, and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program.
The Draft EIR analyzed an earlier (2021) version of the DRSP; therefore, the proposed Final EIR was updated to analyze the changes to the project in advance of the Planning Commission hearing (2023 DRSP).
Chapter 10 of the proposed Final EIR contains a Supplemental Analysis of the 2023 version of the DRSP, which incorporated revisions County staff and the Applicant proposed in response to public comments and the analysis in the Draft EIR. This included increasing affordable housing; age-restricting Neighborhoods 7, 8, and 9; relocating a portion of Collector A to reduce oak tree removal; reconfiguring the proposed neighborhood park to avoid oak tree removal; and shifting neighborhoods to reduce oak tree removal and increase setbacks from existing homes.
The proposed Final EIR is currently further being updated in response to the Planning Commission’s recommendation (2024 DRSP); these revisions are not currently available online but will be documented in a new Chapter 11, similarly containing a Supplemental Analysis of the 2024 DRSP. In addition, the proposed Final EIR is also being updated to incorporate those changes documented in the Memo Re: Clarifications to Project Documents attached to the October 23 and 24 Planning Commission Staff Report as Attachment 9, per the Planning Commission’s recommendation to incorporate these edits into the project documents.
The Board of Supervisors agenda packet for the April 23 and 24 hearing on the DRSP will include the updated proposed Final EIR, including the new Chapter 11 analyzing the changes incorporated in the 2024 DRSP, per the Planning Commission’s recommendation.
2024 Dana Reserve Specific Plan
The 2024 Dana Reserve Specific Plan incorporates the Planning Commission’s recommended changes, including:
- An increase in the number of proposed deed-restricted affordable housing units from 104 to 156 in Neighborhoods 10A and 10B.
- Incorporation of at least 100 Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) to be provided during initial build-out of Neighborhoods 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and/or 9.
- Removal of the proposed age-restriction in Neighborhoods 7, 8, and 9 to ages 55 and older.
Planning Commission Staff Reports
The Planning Commission held a two-day hearing on the DRSP on October 23 and 24, 2023, and forwarded a memo to the Board of Supervisors recommending approval of the DRSP with suggested changes and additional analysis.
The October 2023 Planning Commission staff report describes the 2023 version of the DRSP. It discusses the most critical issues raised during public circulation of the EIR and changes incorporated into the project between circulation of the Draft EIR and the Planning Commission hearing in response to those critical issues.
Water Supply Assessment
On March 13, 2024 the Nipomo Community Services District approved the updated (March 7, 2024) Water Supply Assessment (WAS) for the 2024 Dana Reserve Specific Plan. The purpose of the WAS is to satisfy the requirements of Senate Bill (SB) 610 by showing that the water purveyor will be able to provide water for the project during "normal, single dry, and multiple dry water years."
Phases & Milestones
Project Milestones
Step |
Progress |
|
Specific Plan Authorization to Process with Board of Supervisors Click link to watch: |
Completed |
| Issue Request for Proposals: Completion of Environmental Impact Report (EIR) | Completed |
| Community Meeting | Completed |
| Award EIR Contract | Completed |
| Release Notice of Preparation and EIR Scoping Meeting | Completed |
| Release Notice of Availability of Draft EIR (DEIR) | Completed |
|
Planning Commission Study Session for Specific Plan and DEIR - July 14, 2022 Click link to watch: |
Completed |
| Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) Study Session for DEIR | Completed |
| 45-day Public Comment Period Closes | Completed on August 1st, 2022 |
| Final EIR Posted to Website | August 4th, 2023 |
| Planning Commission First Public Hearing | August 30 & 31, 2023 (Continued to October 23 & 24, 2023) |
|
Planning Commission Study Session |
Completed |
|
Planning Commission Hearing |
Completed |
| Board of Supervisors First Public Hearing |
April 23 & 24, 2024 |
*Schedule subject to change and will be updated regularly.
