The Airport Land Use Plan has been adopted and the update process is complete. Clicking on this link will redirect you to the newly adopted Airport Land Use Plan.
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The San Luis Obispo County Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) is an independent body of seven members which has been created in response to the mandates of The State Aeronautics Act, first enacted in 1967. Although the Airport Land Use Commission, by law, receives technical support from the County of San Luis Obispo, it is an autonomous body and is not part of any local governmental structure.
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The Department of Planning & Building provides access to the records it maintains in accordance with the California Public Records Act (CPRA).
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A hearing is pending for the Board of Supervisors to consider an appeal (APPL2020-00001) by Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) of the Planning Commission’s approval of a request by Sentinel Peak Resources California LLC (formerly Freeport-McMoRan Oil and Gas) for a Conditional Use Permit (DRC2015-00002) to amend a previously approved Conditional Use Permit (D010386D) granting additional time to install the final 31 oil wells of 95 approved wells at the Arroyo Grande Oilfield. The property is located at 1821 Price Canyon Road on both the east and west sides of Price Canyon Road, approximately 2.7 miles north of the City of Pismo Beach.
Environmental Documents
The previously certified Final Environmental Impact Report and related environmental documents are available for review in the Forms and Documents area located on the left side of this page.
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Active Planning Projects
Avila Community Plan - Envision Avila
Avila Beach Specific Plan
Avila Beach Specific Plan for land use permit information and design standards.
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Envision Avila is the work program and community workshop series created to inform and develop a new comprehensive Community Plan in Avila. Community Plans are an integral part of the San Luis Obispo County’s General Plan. Community Plans manage land uses and guide land use decisions until 2050. The Avila Community Plan will specifically focus on the region within the Avila Urban Reserve Line (URL).
Refer to Frequently Asked Questions Below
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Continuum of Care Program is administered by the Department of Social Services. Please visit their site for more information.
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Water is the primary issue in this area. Both quantity and quality are questionable in the area. The minimum well flow is 2.5 gallons per minute of potable water. Water is a minimum requirement to build a house. An all weather access road that meets the requirements of the fire safety plan could also be a significant expense. If the property is located in the Soda Lake SRA, new houses may require a variance.
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Updated January 30th, 2019:
On December 4, 2018, the Board incorporated the County CEQA Guidelines Update into the Housing Initiatives Package as recommended by the Housing Coalition and directed staff to bring forward these revisions along with the proposed changes to the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and Affordable Housing Fund. The Department recommends the following changes to the County’s CEQA Guidelines:
- Request for Proposal Process – allow the applicant to provide input on proposals during the consultant selection process.
- Billing Transparency – ensure billing details are discussed with the applicant.
- Project Description Confirmation– ensure the applicant has formally agreed to the final project description to ensure accuracy in the EIR.
- Applicant Coordination – ensure staff and the applicant discuss any issues as early in the process as possible.
- Mitigation Measure Coordination – ensure staff and the applicant discuss proposed mitigation measures.
- Contract Quality Control – ensure the project scope, timeline and budget are discussed with the applicant.
- Project Alternatives Confirmation – ensure staff and the applicant discuss project alternatives.
Link to Dec 4th, 2018 Board of Supervisors Staff Report (Click on Item 35 "Discussion on the County's Housing Initiative Package, Title 29 In Lieu Fee Ordinance, funding alternatives for affordable housing, California Environmental Quality Act Guideline Update, and the Regional Infrastructure and Housing Plan. All Districts.")
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Informational Documents
Foot Print, Gross Structural Area, and Deck Square Footage Maximums Based on Property Location and Property Size
Cambria Building Size Calculator
Cambria Residential Building Size Supplement
North Coast Area Community Plan
North Coast Area Community Plan for land use permit information and design standards in the urban area of Cambria.
Vacant Parcels in the Urban Area of Cambria
The Cambria Community Service District (CCSD) and the County both maintain waitlists for vacant parcels. The CCSD waitlist will be served before the County waitlist. For example, #1 on the County Single Family Residential Waitlist is #659 considering the CCSD Single Family Residential Waitlist includes 658 positions.
County Single Family Residential Waitlist
County Multi Family Residential Waitlist
For a copy of the CCSD waitlists and the latest news on the water waitlist please visit the Cambria Community Service District (CCSD) website.
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The San Luis Obispo County Planning Department has received an application for the Dana Reserve Specific Plan, located west of Highway 101 and south of Willow Road in the Nipomo area. The applicant is requesting approval of a Specific Plan that includes open space, trails, parks, residential neighborhoods, flex commercial and village commercial areas, a daycare center and a satellite community college.
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Cayucos Urban Area
Please review the Estero Area Plan for information on land use permit requirements, design standards, heigh limits, and setbacks within the Cayucos Urban Reserve Line (URL).
Cayucos Hillside Development
Please read frequently asked questions (FAQs) about development of Cayucos hillside parcels located outside of the Cayucos Urban Reserve Line (URL).
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The Board of Supervisors has authorized eleven Community Advisory Councils (CAC) comprised of residents who volunteer their time to represent their community's interests within the County planning process. The Department of Planning & Building assigns a staff liaison to each community advisory council, who serves as a contact between the community and the Department.
The CAC Handbook defines the roles of CACs in the planning process and provides guidelines for parliamentary procedure.
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These project updates will utilize the latest updated hazard mapping resources, consistent with state law and federal requirements, and will lead to the implementation of effective mitigation projects and climate adaptation strategies. The County and its jurisdictions will utilize this new Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) and Safety Element Update to address hazards in a coordinated effort using a whole community approach that will be built on the public’s participation in the planning process.
As part of the planning process, other local agencies, neighboring jurisdictions, and stakeholders are involved to raise awareness of this effort and provide an opportunity for input. In addition, an objective of this outreach is to coordinate with those who may bring additional information to the planning process regarding hazard issues or hazard mitigation efforts within the County.
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Creston Planning Documents
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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.
The Board of Supervisors Adopted Plan is now available for public review:
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Edna Planning Documents
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The County is seeking a programmatic incidental take permit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The County, as the applicant, is requesting a permit term of 25 years to authorize take of covered species associated with covered activities in the Habitat Conservation Plan area, which is approximately 3,560 acres bounded by the Los Osos Urban Reserve Line. As the permittee, the County will have the ability to issue certificates of inclusion to confer incidental take coverage to landowners and other entities as long as their activities are included on the incidental take permit(s).
Further updates will be posted and/or linked on this page as available.
This (and additional) information is available online via the US Fish and Wildlife Services (Ventura Office) by clicking here.
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Heritage Ranch Planning Documents
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The County has signed a contract with Maddaus Water Management Inc. to prepare a study to update water usage estimates for urban and rural residences sourcing water from the Los Osos Groundwater Basin, propose new water conservation measures for the retrofit‐to‐build program, and estimate remaining water savings potential for the community. The project schedule has been delayed due to difficulties obtaining historic consumption data. Once this data is available, the estimated project timeline is 3 months. Updates will be posted on this website as available.
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This service is intended to provide planning information outlining what type of development is currently allowed within Los Osos.
Note: Last updated 5/2/2022
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The Monarch Dunes Specific Plan establishes the roadmap for the development of the Woodlands Village (commonly known as “Trilogy at Monarch Dunes”), which is a 957-acre development located on the Nipomo Mesa, approximately two miles west of the community of Nipomo.
The applicant’s request is to modify the allowable land uses (as designated in the Monarch Dunes Specific Plan) for four sites within the Woodlands Village through amending the Monarch Dunes Specific Plan:
- Site #1 (Village Center) is proposed to be redesignated from Commercial Retail land use to Recreation-Resort land use, to support up to 65 hotel rooms (a reduction and reallocation from the 400-room hotel allowable on Site #3).
- Site #2 (Village Center) is proposed to retain the Commercial Retail land use designation, but would be modified to support up to 40 condominium residential dwelling units on the second floor (above commercial retail spaces) and to decrease the maximum allowable floor area for commercial uses from 140,000 square feet to 38,500 square feet.
- Site #3 (Resort Area) is proposed to be redesignated from Recreation-Resort land use to Residential Single-Family land use, to support up to 76 residential dwelling units in the form of 38 common wall developments.
- Site #4 (Public Park Area) is proposed to be redesignated from Public Park land use to Residential Single-Family land use, to support 46 residential dwelling units in the form of 23 common wall developments.
The proposed project would result in the net increase of residential dwelling units and net decrease of commercial retail uses, hotel rooms, and park area planned for the Monarch Dunes Specific Plan area. The following table provides a summary of the net changes:

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Active Planning Projects
Monarch Dunes Specific Plan Amendment
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A request by Las Pilitas, LLC for a Conditional Use Permit and Reclamation Plan to allow for a new aggregate quarry and asphalt and concrete recycling facility. Mining operations would occur over a 30-year timeframe and conclude with reclamation of the site. The maximum annual extraction would be 500,000 tons. The project would result in disturbance of roughly 60 acres on two parcels totaling 203 acres in size. The project site is located east of the community of Santa Margarita at 6660 Calf Canyon Highway (Highway 58, north side), east of the Salinas River Bridge and approximately 0.25 miles west of Parkhill Road.
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Nipomo Planning Documents
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On February 7, 2023, the County Board of Supervisors rescinded the Planting Ordinance, re-enacted and extended until 2028 the Agricultural Offset Requirements, decertified the Planting Ordinance Final Program Environmental Impact Report and associated CEQA Findings, directed staff to not process applications for the Planting Ordinance, and directed staff to bring back at an appropriate time for Board discussion opportunities to amend the Agricultural Offset Requirements to account for off-site offsets and voluntary fallowing related to the Groundwater Sustainability Agency Multi-Benefit Irrigated Lands Repurposing (MILR) program. This motion was approved by the following roll call to wit:
AYES: Supervisors Gibson, Ortiz-Legg, and Paulding
NOES: Supervisors Arnold and Peschong
See links to enacted ordinance and resolutions below
On December 6, 2022, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors adopted the Paso Basin Land Use Management Area (PBLUMA) Planting Ordinance (LRP2021-00001), amending Title 8 and Title 22 of the San Luis Obispo County Code and the Agriculture and Conservation and Open Space Elements of the County General Plan to require “water neutral” ministerial planting permits for production agriculture irrigated from groundwater wells within the PBLUMA until 2045, with a 25-acre-feet per year (AFY) exemption allowed per site. The Board of Supervisors also certified a Final Program Environmental Impact Report (FPEIR) (SCH 2021080222) (ED22-183-PL) for the project pursuant to CEQA. See links to the adopted ordinance and FPEIR documents below.
Please click here to view a map of the PBLUMA area.
Please click here to view the PBLUMA area in our interactive web map.
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North County Villages Planning Documents
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The Department of Planning & Building is currently working on the Phillips 66 Santa Margarita Remediation Environmental Impact Report.
The Final Enviromental Impact Report (FEIR) and Notice are now available for public review:
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Oak Shores Planning Documents
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On August 15, 2022, Phillips 66 Company (Phillips 66) applied to the County of San Luis Obispo for approval of a Development Plan and Coastal Development Permit (DP/CDP) to demolish the Santa Maria Refinery (SMR) facility and restore the site located at 2555 Willow Road in Arroyo Grande, California.
The County application, C-DRC2022-00048 Phillips 66 SMR Demolition and Remediation Project (SMR Project), was accepted for processing on March 15, 2023, initiating and environmental review process as required under the California Environmental Quality Act. An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be prepared for the project.
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Oceano Planning Documents
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The Planning Commission is a five-member body appointed by the Board of Supervisors. Its primary role is to consider how land use decisions affect the County. In this role, the Commission has review and approval authority for tract maps, conditional use permits, and variances and is responsible for making recommendations to the Board of Supervisors regarding plan and ordinance updates.
To send an email to the Planning Commission please email Ysabel Eighmy and she will forward your message to the proper recipient.
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Planning Department hearings are overseen by a hearing officer acting on behalf of the Director of Planning & Building.
To send an email to the Planning Commission please email Daniela Chavez and she will forward your message to the proper recipient.
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San Miguel Community Plan
San Miguel Community Plan for land use permit information and design standards.
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Sant Margarita Plans
Santa Margarita Design Plan for design standards.
Santa Margarita Community Plan
Active Planning Projects
Phillips 66 Santa Margarita Remediation DEIR
Oster/Las Pilitas Quarry
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Shandon Planning Documents
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The Subdivision Review Board is a review authority and decision making body that acts on behalf of the Board of Supervisors. It consists of appointed staff members from the Department of Planning & Building, the Department of Public Works, Cal Fire, and the Air Pollution Control District.
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Templeton Planning Documents
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