Viewpoint

By Mayor Dave Romero

 

When the City finally approved the Dalidio Ranch Marketplace Project almost two years ago, I felt a great deal of pride in the outcome of several years of intensive negotiation between the City and the developer.  The City would have obtained a much needed Prado Road interchange prior to opening the shopping center, thus relieving much of the current and future traffic congestion in that area of the community.  The City’s share of the interchange’s cost would have come from Traffic Impact Fees generated by nearby development and from a portion of new sales tax generated by the Marketplace.  Almost half of the Ranch would have been preserved for open space with additional funds contributed by the developer to purchase open space along Buckley Road, where sprawl is truly a threat. The shopping center was designed with attractive buildings, landscaped parking, and the development agreement included incentives to complement the downtown and disincentives to compete with it.

 

When the voters overturned these agreements last year, the Dalidio family was faced with a decision as to how to best proceed with the project.  I argued, unsuccessfully, that the best way to proceed was to modify features most objected to and resubmit the project to the City.  Since most of the background work had been completed, I hoped for a quicker passage through the City review process.  The Dalidio family decided instead to modify the project to allow it to develop independent of the City by means of a County-wide vote.  The project now envisions water supply, treatment and storage on site, wastewater treatment and disposal on site, and an offer of land for a future Prado Road interchange.  The Dalidio family would set aside construction funds only for their estimated share of the interchange, leaving the remaining funding and construction to be figured out another day.

 

Although I have been a strong advocate for the shopping center development in the City, my enthusiasm is greatly diminished by the County initiative process which bypasses environmental review and the checks and balances implied during the development review process with a local agency.  There are many unanswered questions.  Who, if anyone, decides that traffic is properly mitigated in that entire section of the City?  Who decides if there is sufficient water supply, treatment, pressure and storage to meet needs during a prolonged drought or major fire?  If the Regional Water Quality Board allows a private sewage treatment and disposal system, what might be their reaction if the plant fails or the effluent disposal fields are flooded?  How many years might it be before the City or County can find a means of funding and constructing the Prado overpass?  And who pays?  And speaking of money, if the shopping center is developed in the County, the millions of dollars in sales tax each year will go to the County.  Because of State take-aways in the past fifteen years, San Luis Obispo City desperately needs those revenues as well.

 

In a laudatory effort to provide a vehicle for City/County communication as the initiative moves forward, Supervisor Lenthall has suggested a task force be formed consisting of two Supervisors, two City Council members and possibly others.  I wholeheartedly agree that such a task force is a good idea and have asked the City Council to consider the matter at its April 18th meeting.  We’re dealing with many uncertainties in a project that will have a huge effect on the future of San Luis Obispo, and may well set a precedent for how the County will deal with all of its cities for years to come.  We need to make every effort possible to work closely with the County to jointly resolve the many issues that will arise with this process and keep the voters fully informed. 

 

Since I am a natural optimist, I’m hopeful for a productive outcome.