Coastal, Environmental, Geological, and Cultural Resources

Coastal Commission Coordination

The California Coastal Commission is the ultimate permit authority in the Coastal Zone of San Luis Obispo County. In other words, the County can issue development permits in the Coastal Zone, but the Coastal Commission has the ultimate say in how the County's Local Coastal Program (Title 23) is interpreted. Strong coordination between Department of Planning & Building staff and Coastal Commission staff ultimately benefits applicants, as they often need to obtain initial permit authority ("retained jurisdiction") from the Coastal Commission as part of the development permit process.

Environmental Review

Department of Planning & Building staff reviews of all discretionary projects to identify, analyze, mitigate, and disclose their potential environmental impacts. This review process is conducted under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and when necessary, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and results in an environmental determination being made for the project.

Geologic Report and Review

Geologic reports are required for most projects requiring a building permit within a designated Geologic Study Area (GSA). GSAs include areas of seismic, landslide, liquefaction, erosion, and stability hazards.

Growth Management Ordinance Administration

The County of San Luis Obispo has adopted a Growth Management Ordinance that meters the number of residential dwelling units that can be built in the unincorporated areas of the county during any one celendar year (January 1st - December 31st). In order to secure the opportunity to build one of these units, a request called an "allocation" is required and is granted during the building permit process once an application is accepted for processing. The Board of Supervisors reviews the growth of the unincorporated areas of the county annually for all communities.

Tribal Cultural Resource Consultation

In accordance with California Assembly Bill 52 (AB 52), the Department of Planning & Building consults with Native American tribes regarding any project that is not exempt from environmental review. This consultation provides the most effective way for the Department to determine if a project could result in significant environmental impacts to tribal cultural resources.