The Department of Planning & Building was authorized to update the Los Osos Community Plan of the County’s General Plan and Local Coastal Plan on December 11, 2012. The Community Plan is the official plan for land use and transportation in Los Osos which determines how the community will grow and develop over the next 20 years. The update will focus on protecting resources and providing adequate infrastructure.

Project Updates

Background

Construction of the Los Osos Wastewater Project is complete. Before vacant parcels within the prohibition zone can hook up to the wastewater project, the County needs to update the Estero Area Plan for the Urban Area of Los Osos (the ‘Los Osos Community Plan’) to incorporate the following: population growth supported by the sustainable capacity of the groundwater basin, and integrate a Habitat Conservation Plan for long-term preservation of environmentally sensitive habitat areas throughout the community.

The original Estero Area Plan was certified by the Coastal Commission in 1988, and an update to the Plan began in 1996. The Estero Area Plan encompasses Los Osos, Cayucos, and the rural area (of Estero) entirely within the Coastal Zone. On November 2, 2004, the Board of Supervisors approved the Estero Area Plan update for submittal to the California Coastal Commission. The update and associated amendments were submitted to the Coastal Commission at the end of December 2004 as part of Local Coastal Program Amendment No. 2-04.

Due to the outstanding issues in Los Osos, specifically lack of an approved communitywide Habitat Conservation Plan for Los Osos to deal with widespread environmentally sensitive habitat, a projected build-out in line with groundwater supply, and at that time (mid 2000’s), uncertainty about a community-wide sewer system, the Los Osos portion of the Estero Area Plan update was removed in 2006. The Estero Area Plan was later certified by the Coastal Commission in 2009 with updates to the parts dealing with Cayucos and the rural areas, but without any updates for the Los Osos urban area. Those updates are once again underway as part of the Los Osos Community Plan.

Opportunities for Input

The County's aim is for the Los Osos Community Plan Update is to be a community-supported plan that will encourage future economic growth. There are several opportunities to provide feedback on the plan:

• Participation through LOCAC: The Board of Supervisors relies on input from the Los Osos Community Advisory Council (LOCAC) in considering plans and policies that affect the town. If you are interested in the future of your town, consider participating in LOCAC meetings, or perhaps volunteer to start a subcommittee focused on a particular topic or issue.
• Commenting on the Environmental Impact Report. The Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is expected to be released in 2019. Any written comments submitted on the EIR will receive a written response to be published in the Final EIR.
• Commenting during the Hearings. After all the preceding steps are complete and the Community Plan is ready for public hearings, you will have opportunities to provide both written and oral comments before the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors take action.