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Thomas Green of Adamski Moroski Madden Cumberland & Green has submitted a letter o n
behalf of the San Luis Coastal Unified School District (SLCUSD) regarding the Orcutt Are a
Specific Plan (OASP) annexation discussion item . The letter indicates that annexation wil l
jeopardize the ability of the District to adequately provide for neighborhood school facilities i n
the future and therefore the District is compelled to comment on the annexation and voice it s
concerns when the annexation is considered by LAFCO .
Population projections prepared by SLCUSD show that a new school may be necessary onc e
development of the Margarita Area and Orcutt Area is close to completion . The Orcutt Area i s
designed to accommodate a school within its internal street system. Staff worked extensivel y
with the School District to incorporate a site into the proposed specific plan . The location of the
school was originally planned west of the Neighborhood Park site . However, during the plannin g
process it became apparent that this location would be difficult to permit under Californi a
Department of Education (CDE) guidelines because of its proximity to the railroad tracks an d
location under designated flight paths to the San Luis Obispo Regional Airport and was remove d
from the plan.
In 2009, the SLCUSD Board reviewed a pair of studies, one prepared by CDE and one prepare d
by a local consulting firm, Oasis Associates, Inc . (Oasis). Based on the recommendation s
included in these studies, the SLCUSD Board decided not to pursue acquisition of th e
Neighborhood Park site . The Board also decided not to pursue CDE's top-ranked site, located o n
3811 Orcutt Road (Garay). The direction taken by SLCUSD at that time was to pursue th e
Righetti Ranch House site, recommended by Oasis and located on the corner of Tank Farm Roa d
and Orcutt Road (within an open space area and outside of the Urban Reserve Line).
In March 2010 the City Council reviewed the Planning Commission Draft of the OASP and,
after consideration and a full discussion of potential school sites, directed staff to includ e
language in the OASP that says the City "does not support Site C," the Righetti Ranch Hous e
site. This action was the result of the public hearing process and was unexpected by SLCUS D
staff, who had hoped to pursue a future amendment to the OASP to establish Site C as the schoo l
site.
8-17-10 OASP Red File
Page 1 of 2
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RED FILE
MEETING AGEND A
DATE O-00ITEM #p 1
SLO CITY CLER Kcounci mcmonanOu m
DATE :
TO :
VIA :
FROM :
August 17, 201 0
John Mandeville, Community develop ent Directo r
City Council , ,
Katie Lichtig, City Manage r
BY :Phil Dunsmore, Senior Planner y'
-
SUBJECT :Orcutt Area Specific Plan (PH-1) and San Luis Coastal Unified School District ecru.
Letter
The second paragraph of Mr . Green's letter indicates that the City has proposed a school site tha t
"is inadequate in terms of both site selection criteria and supporting infrastructure ." However,
the OASP does not include a specific site for a new elementary school . It does include policy
support for a school (see OASP Section 3 .2 .6 and Figure 3 .1) and a discussion of the variou s
sites evaluated in the CDE and Oasis reports . The five sites considered in the reports are listed
below :
Site A & E : Two different locations are identified adjacent to the Neighborhood Par k
Site B : 3811 Orcutt Road (Garay)
Site C : Righetti Ranch House Site (Open Space area outside of Urban Reserve Line )
Site D : Wixom Ranch (outside of OASP and Urban Reserve Line )
The top-ranked site evaluated by CDE is Site B and use of this site for a school would also b e
consistent with the City's goals for locating the school within the local street network that will b e
established by OASP development and within an area planned for provision of water and sewer .
This location would facilitate walking and biking to school by children living in the Orcutt are a
and would be consistent with the original concept of locating the school near the neighborhoo d
park . Site B is designated Low Density Residential and schools are a conditionally allowed us e
in this zone .
SLCUSD is a superior agency to the City of San Luis Obispo and is encouraged but not require d
to go through the City's entitlement process prior to establishing a school site . The SLCUSD
letter submitted indicates that SLCUSD had an understanding that the City would work wit h
them to ensure that a location "meeting site selection criteria and supported by adequat e
infrastructure would be designated as a future school site ." Site C does not meet this criteri a
since it is located outside of the URL and is not served by adequate infrastructure .
The School District does not envision a new school facility being needed' for ten to twenty years ,
which will provide the City and property owners time to facilitate their planning efforts for the
eventual construction of a school in the Orcutt Area . Annexation of the OASP will provide th e
opportunity for owners within the Urban Reserve Line to extend City services into the Orcut t
Area, including those that will support a school . City staff has worked and will continue to wor k
with the District as they evaluate and pursue an appropriate site to support a future school .
Annexation does not impede the School District's ability to continue to plan for a school sit e
whether it is located within or outside of the OASP planning area .
8-17-10 OASP Red File Page 2 of 2