SETTING THE STAGE FOR NEW PROGRESS
San Luis Obispo County has long been prized for its quality of life, but the perception is increasingly overshadowed by high, often out-of-reach housing costs.
It’s an issue that ripples throughout the community, and one that holds our collective future.
What’s at stake is whether SLO County becomes a place where our children, friends and neighbors are forced to move elsewhere in search of housing they can afford, where our local businesses are stunted because they can’t find or keep employees — or whether we work collaboratively to build a housing stock sufficient to achieve balanced communities.
There have been bright spots of success: thoughtful projects developed with engagement from the community, progress in streamlining processes and allowing new types of housing. There’s been increased collaboration between cities as well as between public and private partners.
Through these collaborations, projects are shifting to balance community character and ranges of affordability. These are positive steps. Meeting the scale of the need, however, requires a strategic, coordinated approach.
The seven Cities, SLO County and SLOCOG lit the path with the 2020 Regional Compact, a shared commitment to developing the housing and infrastructure needed to support vibrant communities and economic prosperity. The Regional Housing and Infrastructure Plan folds in the strategic framework and private-sector engagement to operationalize that commitment.
To supplement those components, here’s a quick look at what’s driving the effort, some highlights of progress, and the opportunities ahead.
THE CASE FOR ACTION
1. Sufficient housing is a vital element of a healthy
community and economy.
This encompasses a diversity of housing types across
income types.
2. Housing production on the Central Coast has not
kept pace with community needs.
Like many communities, the Central Coast has a severe
housing shortage that has fueled an affordability crisis.
3. Planned well, new construction can mitigate
impacts of growth.
Increasing housing availability near jobs can reduce traffic, emissions, and other environmental impacts.
4. Action is needed from a spectrum of public and
private sector players.
Each is needed to play their part in a functioning housing ecosystem.
5. A united framework is the key to progress.
With the 2020 Regional Compact as a solid foundation, we can collectively accelerate housing production in a way that makes sense for the region.
1. SUFFICIENT HOUSING IS A VITAL ELEMENT OF A
HEALTHY COMMUNITY AND ECONOMY.
At its core, housing is about supporting
people’s basic needs. It’s a cornerstone of
a community’s quality of life.
Housing plays an outsized role in individual
and community outcomes, from health
and education to productivity and
prosperity.
For businesses, housing is a key factor in
attracting and retaining local employees,
which in turn influences location and
expansion decisions and ultimately, the
community’s economic resilience.
A healthy housing supply includes a
diversity of housing types across income types.
A diversity of housing options is needed to adequately serve all residents of a community, from growing families needing more space, seniors looking to downsize and workers looking for housing near jobs.
This continuum can also be viewed as a ladder, providing opportunity to move up the rungs.
When rungs are missing or broken, friends and colleagues are forced to move away or set aside dreams of attaining home ownership, which widens the gap for those below to move up, while the number of unsheltered residents swells.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
2. HOUSING PRODUCTION HAS NOT
KEPT PACE WITH COMMUNITY NEEDS.
The contributing factors are many and the problem is not unique to SLO County, but the bottom line is our region has not produced enough housing to support our residents and jobs.
This gap has fueled an affordability crisis that reaches into every corner of our community, from young families looking to grow to seniors looking to downsize affordably.
The many impacts span longer commutes as workers seek more affordable housing, parents unable to find childcare,
classroom overcrowding from lack of teachers, and up to yearlong waits for rescheduled doctor visits.
Cumulatively, the undersupply of housing is the region’s biggest drag on individual and community prosperity and job creation.
High housing prices widen the income disparity and push jobs that were traditionally middle class, such as nursing, teaching and public safety, down the economic ladder.
Employers struggle to attract and retain workers while workers struggle to find housing near jobs. That’s led to a 6- to 8-month recruitment timeline for public safety positions and local businesses cutting back services or deciding to expand
elsewhere.
“The lack of affordable housing along the
coast is the primary constraint holding back
job expansion.”
— Taner Osman
Research Manager at Beacon Economics and the UCR
Center for Economic Forecasting
California Association of Realtors & REACH Poll
3. PLANNED WELL, NEW HOUSING CAN MITIGATE
IMPACTS OF GROWTH.
Planned and sited strategically, new housing can reduce the strains of growth rather than compound them – building more thriving and sustainable communities. This can be accomplished by building housing close to jobs in areas with the transportation, water and wastewater infrastructure to support them.
Building in housing-efficient areas
closer to jobs:
● reduces air pollution from
greenhouse gas emissions
● reduces road congestion and
time spent sitting in traffic
● reduces sprawl and preserves
agricultural land and open
space
Plus, new units are almost always
more energy- and water-efficient than
existing housing.
The region has long worked to strike a
balance between growth and
preserving our natural amenities. This
has led to projects that enhance our
sense of place by connecting our
commercial corridors, integrating
walking paths through public spaces,
and matching architectural lines with
the shapes of the surrounding hills.
Continuing to grow in a way that makes sense for our region calls for robust analysis of existing infrastructure and resources as well as targeted investment in new infrastructure projects that can pave the way for efficient growth.
4. ACTION IS NEEDED FROM A SPECTRUM OF PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE SECTOR PLAYERS
An ecosystem of stakeholders contribute to the housing landscape, from the government agencies that set policy and approve projects to the developers and builders who construct them.
It follows that no single agency, jurisdiction or organization can solve our region’s housing and infrastructure challenges alone. Each is needed to play its part in overcoming barriers, streamlining processes and ramping up production.
Source: REACH
Our public and private sectors have worked together on many successful projects and hold the potential to make meaningful progress on our housing shortage. To navigate that road, we must resist pointing fingers and deflecting responsibility and instead rise to the challenges of optimizing our particular role and collaborating toward a shared vision. Collective interests must rise above independent ones in pursuit of outcomes that lift the region as a whole.
5. A UNITED FRAMEWORK IS THE KEY TO PROGRESS.
A systems-level approach is needed to make headway on such a complex and entrenched challenge.
The 2020 Regional Compact laid the foundation, with a shared regional commitment to accelerate housing production in alignment with values around quality of life, natural resources and inclusivity.
The Regional Housing and Infrastructure Plan provides the tools to put that commitment into action, including pinpointing the most efficient areas for growth, a robust analysis of infrastructure needs, affordable-by-design strategies, and potential funding sources.
These tools enable the region to direct infrastructure and housing development where it makes sense, in harmony with community plans and the need for jobs-housing balance.
The work to align resources, policies and actions lies ahead, but with the signatories committed to acting as partners, this framework holds the promise for SLO County to become a statewide leader in sustaining vibrant communities.
Shared Goals of the Regional Compact
PROGRESS HIGHLIGHTS
Progress can be seen across the county, from regional leadership and collaboration on housing to growing political and community support. Planners are embracing density and reducing barriers, and new projects are getting built. Here are some highlights.
SLO County
● To be added
● To be added
● To be added
Arroyo Grande
● 63 affordable units coming to Oak Park
● Adopted an ordinance to allow tiny homes
on wheels
● Pursuing multiple water projects to meet
current and future needs
● Streamlined permitting and reviews to
provide some certainty for developers
Atascadero
● Infill sites and mixed use projects in
commercial zones added density where it
makes sense
● Led the County in making stock plans for
ADUs available at no charge
● Small ABD cottage home community
project currently in development
● Currently drafting a program that will
defer the payment of impact fees for low
and very low housing units
Grover Beach
● Rezoned “opportunity sites” for the
potential development of affordable
housing within the city
● $48 million invested in improvements to
local streets from Measure K-14
● Developing Objective Design Standards for
all new residential and mixed-use projects
● Approved projects resulting in 104 units
added to the community
Morro Bay
● Partnership between HASLO and the City
of Morro Bay fully funded a major
affordable housing project
● 35-unit low income rental project at one of
the primary city entryways
● Streamlined review process by increasing
ministerial approvals and adding clarity in
the requirements for applications and
design review
Paso Robles
● Oak Park project doubled density while
providing much needed affordable
housing
● Creston Corridor Project and Niblick
Corridor Project will help both existing
and future housing added over the next
two decades
● Strong history of meeting RHNA numbers
● Community voted to approve a ½ percent
sales tax measure (Measure K) and funds to be used for sidewalk and road maintenance
Pismo Beach
● 50-unit affordable housing project on 4th
Street and senior affordable housing
project on Shell Beach Road
● Adopted a Residential Very-High Density
overlay that allows 50 units per acre for
appropriately zone sites
● Adopted ADU regulations that balanced
ADU aims with the Coastal Act
San Luis Obispo City
● Preserved 68 residential units for very low
income levels through creative funding
and partnerships
● Pro-housing culture in council and staff
● SLO Water Resource Recovery Facility
(WRRF) upgrade allows recovery of
resources traditionally classified as waste
● 214 affordable units under construction
and another 257 affordable units entitled
● Streamlined discretionary review
THE ROAD AHEAD: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES.
SLO County’s housing shortage will not be solved overnight. Change will take dedicated focus over years to come. But the scale of the challenge facing our residents and prosperity requires concerted action.
Challenges come in many forms, including: government
workflows/process/procedures, state regulations, CEQA requirements, local ordinances or restrictions, lack of funding, lack of water resiliency or capacity to support growth, and labor costs.
But so do opportunities, from sharing and adopting best practices to collaborating on water supplies or ordinance templates.
The primary opportunities for HIP is to continue as a living strategic planning tool that helps to focus regional effort and offers tools for your agency and your community to consider in the future. More conversations will happen in the future regarding what implementation looks like but it will be important for each agency's continued commitment to making positive progress to address the challenges this county faces.
Project Theme Community Project Name Project Description 2023 Cost Estimate 2023 Time Horizon
Transportation Arroyo Grande US 101 Traffic Way/El Campo Interchange
Closure of SB Fair Oaks off-ramp & Traffic Way NB & SB ramps, and all at-grade access points between Traffic Way and Los Berros Road and construct new interchange in the vicinity of El Campo/Traffic Way.
$ 99,645,000 By 2045
Transportation Atascadero US 101 / Del Rio Rd. I/C
modifications
Construct interchange improvements in association with
developments $ 7,000,000 By 2028
Transportation Countywide Cashless Fare System Conversion (further study is required) $ 550,000
Transportation Grover Beach S. 4th St. bike lanes: Grand Ave. to city limits Restripe to provide Class II/Class IV bike lanes $ 45,000 Unconstrained Transportation Grover Beach The Pike Complete Street
Improvements striping, bike lanes $ 93,225 By 2035
Transportation Grover Beach Beach Cities Trail: Boardwalk Dune Trail Construct bike/ped trail $ 15,300,000 Unconstrained Transportation Grover Beach Grover Beach Service Addition South County Transit provide service to Urban Reserve (Strawberry Field)
*When working with
development early,
stop can be added with
minimal cost.
Transportation Nipomo Interchange Improvements at
Willow Rd US 101 NB & SB ramp signalization $ 2,734,600 By 2035 Transportation Nipomo Roadway Extension of Hetrick Rd Extend Hetrick Rd from Glenhaven Place to Pomeroy Rd to two travel lanes and 8' shoulder $ 3,832,500 After 2045
Transportation Nipomo Roadway Extension of North
Frontage Rd Extend North Frontage from Sandydale Dr to Willow Rd $ 9,944,000 By 2035 Transportation Nipomo
North Frontage Rd. extension:
Sandydale Rd. to Summit Station
Rd.
Extend North Frontage Rd. from Sandydale Rd. to Summit
Station Rd. $ 17,394,568 By 2045
Transportation Nipomo Nipomo Service Addition RTA provide service to Dana Reserve *working with developer *When working with
development early,
stop can be added with
minimal cost.
Transportation North County North County Charging Facility Charging facility at 1735 Paso Robles St., Paso Robles $ 1,000,000 Transportation Paso Robles N. River Rd. Class I trail multi-use paved trail from 13th St. to SR46 along river trail $ 3,214,500 By 2028
Transportation Paso Robles Creekside Bike Path: Phase 1 and 2 Construct path: Nicklaus to Old S. River Rd. $ 3,600,000 Unconstrained Transportation Paso Robles Huer Huero Creek Trail Construct Class II bike lanes $ 7,818,300 by 2045 Transportation Paso Robles Paso Robles Eastside Grand Loop Complete gaps in the Grand Loop Bikeway Route on the
eastside of town, not already completed by Olsen, Chandler, Beachwood, North River Rd., and Huer Huero Creek to
complete a connected orbital Class I network.
$ 11,187,000 By 2035
Transportation Paso Robles
Niblick Rd. Corridor enhancements,
operational improvements,
Complete Streets
Transportation demand management improvements $ 17,257,000 By 2035 Transportation Paso Robles SR 46E / Union Rd. improvements (Phase 2) Construct Phase 2 improvements: new interchange $ 15,330,000 by 2045 Transportation Paso Robles US 101 / SR 46W I/C construct two roundabouts
Operational improvements: modify interchange, EB and WB roundabouts (Phase 3) $ 21,752,500 By 2035
Transportation Paso Robles SR 46E / Union Rd. improvements (Phase 1)
Construct overcrossing; realignment, vertical sight distance improvements, channelization & bike lanes/sidewalks on Union Road from Ardmore Road to Barney Schwartz Park
$ 52,500,000 by 2028
Transportation Paso Robles South River Rd. / Charolais Rd. roundabout Construct roundabout $ 2,486,000 By 2035
Transportation Paso Robles Airport Road extension North Chandler Ranch
Extend Airport Road as 2-lane arterial from Linne Rd. to Union Rd. $ 3,066,000 by 2045
Transportation Paso Robles Creston Rd.: Niblick Rd. to
Meadowlark Dr. (Phase 3)
Install traffic-calming and intersection improvements- roadway diet and signals $ 4,313,210 By 2035
Transportation Paso Robles Creston Rd.: South River Rd. to Niblick Rd.
Streetscape enhancements and pedestrian crossing
improvements $ 10,000,000 By 2028
Transportation Paso Robles Paso Robles Service Addition Paso Express provide service to Beechwood development *When working with
development early,
stop can be added with
minimal cost.
F-1 Appendix D: 2023 HIP Projects
1 Project Theme Community Project Name Project Description 2023 Cost Estimate 2023 Time Horizon
Transportation Paso Robles Paso Robles Service Addition Paso Express provide service to Olsen/South Chandler development
*When working with
development early,
stop can be added with
minimal cost.
Transportation Paso Robles Paso Robles New Route Paso Express provide service to North Chandler Ranch* $700,000 yearly operating $ 1,700,000
Transportation San Luis Obispo Froom Ranch Frontage &
Streetscape Improvements
Install sidewalks on west side and median between Irish Hill Plaza and Calle Joaquin. $ 932,250 By 2028
Transportation San Luis Obispo Tank Farm Road Complete Street Convert from 5-lane to 3-lane, add Class IV bikeways, landscaped medians, and pedestrian crossings $ 1,533,000 By 2045 Transportation San Luis Obispo Madonna Rd. - Class IV - Madonna Inn to Higuera Ave.
On Madonna Ave. install Class IV from Madonna Inn to Higuera Ave. $ 1,864,500 By 2035
Transportation San Luis Obispo Broad St. Median Improvements Install landscaped medians on Broad St. north of Tank Farm Rd. $ 3,169,650 By 2035 Transportation San Luis Obispo Railroad Safety Trail (Phase 7): Bike connection south of Tank Farm Rd. Construct Class I bike path and ped/bike bridge over Tank Farm $ 3,169,650 By 2035 Transportation San Luis Obispo Los Osos Valley Road Protected Bike Lanes
Install Class IV bike lanes along LOVR between Diablo and S.
Higuera $ 3,750,250 By 2028
Transportation San Luis Obispo Railroad Safety Trail: bike bridge crossing at Industrial Way
Construct bike bridge across UPRR tracks at Industrial Wy. to the RRST $ 3,909,150 By 2045
Transportation San Luis Obispo South of Broad St. and Santa Barbara Ave. Protected Bike Lanes
Install Class IV bikeway on Santa Barbara (Upham to Broad) and Broad from Santa Barbara to Farmhouse $ 4,599,000 By 2045 Transportation San Luis Obispo Higuera Protected Bike Lanes Install Class IV bikeways along Higuera from Marsh to southern City Limits $ 8,817,000 By 2045
Transportation San Luis Obispo US 101 / Prado Rd. I/C
Improvements (Phase 2)
Construct SB off ramp and on ramp; SB auxiliary lane btw Madonna Rd. to Prado Rd. $ 12,430,000 By 2035
Transportation San Luis Obispo US 101 / Prado Rd. I/C and NB auxiliary lane (Phase 1)
Construct Prado Rd. overcrossing; NB auxiliary lane. Extend Prado Rd. east to Froom Ranch Way; construct bike lanes, sidewalks.
$ 63,750,000 By 2028
Transportation San Luis Obispo Los Osos Valley Rd/Auto Park Wy Intersection Improvements
Install traffic signal, median refuges, hi-vis crosswalks and bicycle protected intersection element $ 1,000,000 By 2028 Transportation San Luis Obispo Buckley Rd. widening: Thread Ln. to Buttonwood Wy.
Widen Buckley Rd. to provide paved shoulders, center left turn lane and to flatten existing horizontal curve $ 1,988,800 By 2035 Transportation San Luis Obispo Broad St/Tank Farm Rd Intersection Improvements
Add NB right turn lane, WB right turn lane, and ped/bike crossing enhancements. $ 2,299,500 By 2045
Transportation San Luis Obispo Orcutt Rd. widening: Johnson Ave. to Tank Farm Rd. (Phase 1) Widen road to three lanes with Class II bike lanes and sidewalks $ 3,057,780 By 2035 Transportation San Luis Obispo Johnson Ave/Orcutt Rd Roundabout Install roundabout $ 3,066,000 After 2045 Transportation San Luis Obispo Santa Fe Rd. extension: Santa Fe Rd. to Tank Farm Rd.
Extend Santa Fe Rd north w/ new bridge over creek and
roundabout intersection at Tank Farm/Santa Fe $ 3,822,225 By 2035 Transportation San Luis Obispo Horizon Lane Extension Extend Horizon Ln between Buckley and Tank Farm as commercial collector w/ roundabout at Tank Farm $ 7,665,000 by 2045 Transportation San Luis Obispo Buckley Rd. widening: Vachell Ln. to Broad St. Widen to three lanes between Hoover St. and Broad St. $ 9,964,500 By 2045 Transportation San Luis Obispo Prado Rd. Bridge Replacement & Multimodal Corridor Enhancements
Replace SLO Creek bridge w/ 6-lane bridge (2 each direction + turn lanes), sidewalks, Class IV bike lanes & construct 2nd NB turn lane from S. Higuera to Prado and a bicycle protected intersection
$ 12,000,000 By 2028
Transportation San Luis Obispo Santa Fe Rd. extension: south of Tank Farm Rd.
Realign and extend Santa Fe Rd. from Hoover Ave. to Tank Farm $ 15,330,000 by 2045
Transportation San Luis Obispo Tank Farm Rd. widening: Higuera St. to Broad St.
Widen to five lanes with Class II bike lanes & Class I paths between Horizon and Santa Fe $ 28,283,850 After 2045
Transportation San Luis Obispo Prado Rd. extension: South Higuera St. to Broad St.
Construct extension as 4-lane road (plus median/LT lane), Class I shared-use paths, and new intersection at Broad St. & Prado Rd.
$ 51,948,771 By 2045
Transportation San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo Service Addition SLO Transit provide an additional stop along Board or Tank Farm
*When working with
development early,
stop can be added with
minimal cost.
Transportation San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo Service Addition SLO Transit provide access between Broad and South Higuera in the Margarita Area
*When working with
development early,
stop can be added with
minimal cost.
Transportation Templeton Las Tablas Rd. Class II bike lanes:
US 101 to Old County Rd. Construct Class II bike lanes $ 3,060,000 Unconstrained F-1 Appendix D: 2023 HIP Projects
2 Project Theme Community Project Name Project Description 2023 Cost Estimate 2023 Time Horizon
Transportation Templeton Las Tablas Rd Interchange
Improvements
On Las Tablas Rd from Bennett Way to US 101, widen US 101 SB off-ramp and add westbound lane $ 3,107,500 By 2035
Transportation Templeton US 101 / Main St. I/C improvements Reconstruct interchange and widen Main St. from US 101 to Creekside Ranch Rd. $ 22,374,000 By 2035
Transportation Templeton Interchange Improvements at Las Tablas Rd
Phase 3 Widening to 5 lanes (Bridge Removal and replacement) or Roundabouts $ 22,995,000 By 2045
Transportation Templeton Las Tablas Rd. at Florence St.
Improvements
Traffic signal, ADA ramps, and left-turn lane at Las Tablas Rd. at Florence St. $ 807,950 By 2035
Transportation Templeton
Bennett Way connection/ frontage
road: Templeton Hills Rd. to
Vineyard Dr.
Connect Bennett Way between Templeton Hills Road and
Vineyard Drive $ 5,593,500 By 2035
Water
Arroyo Grande,
Grover Beach,
Pismo Beach
Central Coast Blue: GB, AG, PB
Water Supply & Sewer Main
Regional Recycled water project (PB, GB, AG); Phase 1-pipe treated wastewater from Pismo Beach’s Wastewater
Treatment Plant (WWTP) to a new advanced treatment facility located in Grover Beach. Phase 2 - expand to treat
wastewater from South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District’s WWTP.
$ 93,000,000 next 5 years
Water Atascadero Wastewater Upgrade Wastewater upgrade to address some Regional Water Quality Control Board water quality permitting standards. $ 25,000,000 5-7 years Water Atascadero Wastewater Treatment Plant
Expansion Expand the capacity of our wastewater treatment plant. $ 70,000,000 Next 2-4 years Water Atascadero Atascadero Mutual Water Company treatment facility to remove PFAS (planning stages) $ 10,000,000 next 2 years Water Cayucos CSA 10/10A- Cayucos (Cayucos
Water Treatment Plant) water line loops and replacements $ 8,000,000 next 5 years Water Cayucos Cayucos Sanitary District
(wastewater) Capital Improvement Projects $ 300,000 1 year Water Los Osos S&T Mutual Water Company
pipeline to secure a secondary water source, which would run between their water system and the Los Osos CSD, Shared Bike path Easement
$ 2,900,000 next 5 years
Water Los Osos S&T Mutual Water Company North Water Tank $ 2,500,000 next 5 years Water Los Osos Los Osos CSD infrastructure to import supplemental water $ 10,000,000 next 5 years Water Morro Bay Morro Bay (City) Fire flow limitations; aging infrastructure $ 22,000,000 next 10 years Water Nipomo CSA 1 Nipomo Capital Improvement Projects $ 100,000 next 5 years Water Oceano Oceano CSD Water Resource Reliability Program (capital improvements), and upgrade of water mains $ 3,800,000 next 10 years
Water Paso Robles Paso Robles City wastewater
There are some areas of the City’s wastewater collection (sewer) system that must be upsized in conjunction with new development
$ 14,300,000 next 10 years
Water Paso Robles Paso Robles City water some portions of water system experiencing infrastructure constraints $ 14,300,000 next 10 years
Water San Luis Obispo Cal Poly Increase water storage capacity for campus domestic use and fire suppression $ 15,000,000 by 2026
Water San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo (City) capacity constraints on sewer conveyance network, additional water storage tanks and water transmission main needed $ 18,000,000 n/a Water San Luis Obispo Cal Poly plans to build on-campus Water Reclamation Facility $ 35,000,000 by 2026 Water San Luis Obispo
County
CSA 18 Los Ranchos Sewer Rehabilitation $ 1,500,000 next 10 years Water San Miguel San Miguel CSD water pumping capacity, wastewater sewer treatment capacity, and water water treatment plant expansion $ 41,000,000 1 to 10 years Water Santa Margarita CSA 23- Santa Margarita undersized pipelines, pipeline loops $ 1,500,000 n/a Water Templeton Templeton Community Services
District
new sewer force main needed; water supply availability is a limitation and a Nacimiento Recharge and Retrieval Project is needed to add water to the District water system (will include a new pipeline turnout, recharge basin, water filtration and two new wells)
$ 8,000,000 2027 or later
F-1 Appendix D: 2023 HIP Projects
3
2023 HIP Appendix E
Regional Vision for Housing
In early 2020, local agencies adopted a San Luis Obispo Countywide Regional Compact to establish a united regional framework to unlock our potential to develop an adequate supply of housing and infrastructure that support our economic prosperity.
1. Overview
San Luis Obispo County is a rural coastal county with seven vibrant cities and numerous unincorporated communities that depend on collaborative relationships between and among government agencies, community organizations, and residents to solve the region’s significant issues including inadequate supply of affordable housing and resilient water, wastewater, and transportation infrastructure and resources.
The County and all seven Cities are working collaboratively to develop the region’s first Regional Infrastructure and Housing Strategic Action Plan (Regional Plan) that will identify actions to address these issues. A key component of the Regional Plan is the integration of efforts to address critical housing and related infrastructure needs. As part of the Housing Element update process, representatives of the County, seven Cities and San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) developed this chapter to showcase the ongoing commitment of each agency to this collaborative effort. This Chapter presents a regional vision and policies focused specifically on fostering regional collaboration to plan and develop housing and supportive infrastructure.
2. Alignment with Regional Compact
This effort is guided by the San Luis Obispo Countywide Regional Compact (Regional Compact). The Regional Compact, adopted by each jurisdiction in early 2020, outlines six shared regional goals to guide collaborative resolution of underlying housing and infrastructure needs:
Goal 1. Strengthen Community Quality of Life – We believe that our Region’s quality of life depends on four cornerstones to foster a stable and healthy economy for all: resilient infrastructure and resources, adequate housing supply, business opportunities, and educational pathways.
Goal 2. Share Regional Prosperity – We believe that our Region should share the impacts and benefits of achieving enduring quality of life among all people, sectors and interests.
Goal 3. Create Balanced Communities – We believe that our Region should encourage new development that helps to improve the balance of jobs and housing throughout the Region, providing more opportunities to residents to live and work in the same community. 2023 HIP Appendix E
Goal 4. Value Agriculture & Natural Resources – We believe that our Region’s unique agricultural resources, open space, and natural environments play a vital role in sustaining healthy local communities and a healthy economy, and therefore should be purposefully protected.
Goal 5. Support Equitable Opportunities – We believe that our Region should support policies, actions, and incentives that increase housing development of all types, available to people at all income levels.
Goal 6. Foster Accelerated Housing Production – We believe that our Region must achieve efficient planning and production of housing and focus on strategies that produce the greatest impact.
3. Policies
It will take regional collaboration and local actions to realize the vision and goals outlined in the Regional Compact. Below is an initial list of aspirational regional policies that further the Regional Compact vision, in addition to local policies. By listing these below, it does not mandate any individual agency to implement actions, but rather offers ways that the County, cities, SLOCOG, and other partners can consider moving forward, together. In addition, and consistent with each Housing Element cycle, each of the seven cities and the County has the opportunity to choose to implement local policies and programs that help to support their achievement of its RHNA, and if an agency chooses to, can also support the Regional Compact vision and goals in a way that works for its jurisdiction and community. See Section B for local programs and policies for Atascadero’s anticipated actions during this Housing Element cycle.
R-1: Promote awareness and support of regional efforts that further housing and infrastructure resiliency by utilizing community engagement, and consistent and transparent communication.
R-2: Encourage an adequate housing supply and resilient infrastructure, services, and resources to improve the balance of jobs and housing throughout the Region.
R-3: Develop inter-agency partnerships as appropriate to implement goals and policies related to housing and infrastructure.
R-4: Coordinate State, Federal, and other funding opportunities for housing and infrastructure development throughout the Region.
R-5: Encourage developers to sell newly constructed housing units to individuals residing or employed within the area of the development (a city or the County) first before selling to individuals from outside the County, to promote local preference.
R-6: Encourage rental units be prioritized for long term residents rather than short term users or vacation rentals.
2023 HIP Appendix E
R-7: Support housing development that is located within existing communities and strategically planned areas.
R-8: Encourage regional collaboration on a menu of housing types, models, and efforts to support streamlined approvals for such developments (i.e. Accessory Dwelling Units, etc.).
4. Moving Forward
The County, cities, SLOCOG, and other partners engaged in housing and infrastructure development will continue to collaborate on efforts moving forward – recognizing the benefits of working together to achieve an enduring quality of life among the region’s people, sectors and interests. This ongoing collaboration will include learning from each other and sharing possible tools, policies and actions that can allow the collective region to move towards our adopted Regional Compact vision. Ongoing collaborative efforts will be described in the Regional Plan, anticipated to be complete in 2021, and related regional efforts will live outside of each individual agency’s Housing Element. 2023 HIP Appendix E
RESOLUTION NO. 4972
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
ARROYO GRANDE APPROVING THE SAN LUIS OBISPO
COUNTYWIDE REGIONAL COMPACT TO ADDRESS
HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AND
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN THE COMPACT
WHEREAS, the San Luis Obispo County region is a rural coastal county with seven vibrant cities and numerous unincorporated communities that depend on collaborative relationships between and among government agencies, community organizations, and residents to solve significant regional issues; and
WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 65584 requires the San Luis Obispo County region' s local land use agencies to plan for their Regional Housing Needs Allocation of 10, 820 new housing units by the year 2028 and future allocations as determined by the California Department of Housing and Community Development; and WHEREAS, the San Luis Obispo Countywide Regional Compact, prepared by leaders from each of the region' s local agencies, creates a united regional framework to unlock the potential to develop an adequate supply of housing and resilient infrastructure that support economic prosperity; and
WHEREAS, the regional goals set forth therein will help to protect and enhance our communities, build critical infrastructure, protect natural resources, and create a forwardthinking future for local communities in addition to underpinning the future Regional Infrastructure and Housing Plan, creating compatibility among the eight local land use agencies' Housing Elements, and driving future recommendations for collaborative actions.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Arroyo Grande hereby approves the San Luis Obispo Countywide Regional Compact to address housing and infrastructure needs and authorizes the Mayor to sign said Compact, following approval of said Compact by the governing boards of the other agencies identified therein.
On motion of Council Member Paulding, seconded by Council Member George, and on the following roll call vote, to wit:
AYES: Council Members Paulding, George, Storton, and Mayor Ray Russom NOES: None
ABSENT: Council Member Barneich
the foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted this 10th day of March, 2020.
Attachment 2
RESOLUTION NO. Lig 7,1-
PAGE 2
1 %
CAREN AY - OM, MAYOR
ATTEST:
KELLYyvE ORE, CITY CLERK
APPROVED AS TO CONTENT:
JAME ERVIAN, CITY MANAGER
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
o r
TIMOTHY J. CARMEL, CITY ATTORNEY
OFFICIAL CERTIFICATION
I, KELLY WETMORE, City Clerk of the City of Arroyo Grande, County of San Luis Obispo, State of California, do hereby certify under penalty of perjury, that the attached Resolution No. 4972 was passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Arroyo Grande on the 10th day of March, 2020.
WITNESS my hand and the Seal of the City of Arroyo Grande affixed this 24th day of March, 2020.
KELLY • ET RE, CITY CLERK
MEMORANDUM
TO: City Council
FROM: Jessica Matson, Legislative & Information Services Director/City Clerk SUBJECT: Supplemental Information
Agenda Item 12.b. – July 25, 2023 City Council Meeting
Discussion and Consideration of Support for the Regional Housing and Infrastructure Plan
DATE: July 25, 2023
Attached is correspondence received for the above reference item. cc: City Manager
Assistant City Manager
Community Development Director
City Attorney
City Clerk
City Website and Public Review Binder
Enc
From: betty winholtz < >
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2023 12:05 PM
To: Caren Ray Russom <[email protected]>; Kristen Barneich <[email protected]>; Lan George <[email protected]>; Jim Guthrie <[email protected]>; Kate Secrest <[email protected]> Subject: agenda item 12b
Dear City Council:
As a former city council member in Morro Bay 2002-2010, I understand that pressures and rules on city governments have changed, and to a large extent not for the better in terms of maintaining our Cities' individuality and local control. The most notable are the housing mandates from the State.
To that end, I want to express my concerns about your agenda item #14, Regional Housing & Infrastructure Plan or HIP. This presentation was made to the Morro Bay City Council at the end of June. I want to share the comments I made then with you.
This document is a game changer.
As you listen to this presentation, you will hear phrases like "accelerate"
housing of all types, "resilient infrastructure" projects, and "regional conditions;" however, you won't hear phrases like community identity, citizen input, and local prioritization.
The document says stakeholders have agreed to this plan. Who are the stakeholders? City/county staffs, builders, developers, chambers of commerce, REACH, and maybe some of you, elected officials. However, not we who live, vote, pay taxes and fees here, regular people.
Who prepared this plan?
ECONorthwest (Seattle): "Our staff are top-notch: seasoned economists, savvy analysts, creative policy wonks, exceptional evaluators, talented communicators."
BKF Engineers (Redwood City): Vision: "be the most sought-after and valued consulting firm for clients and employees by virtue of our reputation and work culture."
Koble Collaborative (SLO): "We facilitate complex conversations by forging strong partnerships built on trust, communication, and reciprocity." This report is built on the assumption that "the housing, infrastructure and economic challenges that the region [County] faces are larger than any one entity can solve alone." Specifically, what? How are we not handling those challenges now? How does it make it less of a challenge to align [mimic] our housing elements; how is it less challenging for consultants and other government agencies to direct what Grover builds? Every city in the nation has challenges. Every City in the County has challenges. Let our individual cities not become suburbs of SLO or SLO County.
The document states that what is proposed is "voluntary." Yet, HIP wants to be a factor in future "grant programming cycles" through SLOCOG who distributes money to the County and 7 cities within the County.
This is not a "receive and file" presentation. City Councils are asked to "comment and seek general support of regional
collaboration moving forward." City Councils are being asked for a "recommitment" to letting HIP take charge. The "SLOCOG Board of Directors will consider adoption of the HIP on August 2, 2023." I strongly urge you to not recommit to this document as is. The agreement makes the City of Arroyo Grande dependent on outside values, outside economic standards, directs our housing program, and turns us generic. I believe in County cooperation. Your City already partners with the other city governments through SLOCOG, APCD, WRAC, and other programs. However, I don't believe in being co-opted. In fact, some of the details of the HIP won't be finished until July, so you are being asked to approved something you haven't seen in its completion.
At the least, suggest some modifying language. Has your planning
commission seen this document? You are not alone in your concern.
Atascadero raised questions at its council meeting last week.
Thank you for your time,
Betty Winholtz