HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3 - 2019 General Plan Annual ReportPLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA REPORT
SUBJECT: Planning Commission consideration of the 2019 General Plan Annual Report
PROJECT ADDRESS: Citywide BY: Graham Bultema, Housing Intern
E-mail: gbultema@slocity.org
FILE NUMBER: GENP 0122-2020 FROM: Tyler Corey, Principal Planner
RECOMMENDATION
Receive and file the 2019 General Plan Annual Report for final acceptance by the City Council.
SUMMARY
California Government Code Section 65400 requires that cities submit an annual report
(Attachment 1) on the status of their General Plan and progress in its implementation to the
Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and Department of Housing and Community
Development. Prior to submittal to the state, the annual report must be presented to the City
Council for review and acceptance. As a procedural matter, staff is bringing this annual report to
the Planning Commission for receipt and acceptance prior to the Council given the role of the
Commission as advisory to the Council in planning matters, including implementation of the
General Plan. Preparation of the General Plan Annual Report is also consistent with City of San
Luis Obispo’s General Plan Land Use Element Policy 11.3 – Annual Report. The General Plan
Annual Report is strictly a reporting document and does nor create or modify any City of San Luis
Obispo goals or policies found within the General Plan.
1.0 COMMISSION’S PURVIEW
The Planning Commission provides input on long range planning efforts, such as specific plans,
community plans and all the elements of the General Plan. The purpose of this agenda item is to
provide an opportunity for the Planning Commission to review the proposed 2019 General Plan
Annual Report before forwarding to the City Council for acceptance.
Meeting Date: March 11, 2020
Item Number: 3
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2.0 BACKGROUND
According to Land Use Element Policy 11.3 the City shall prepare an annual report on the status
of the General Plan, which is to include the following items:
A)A summary of private development activity and a brief analysis of how it helped meet
General Plan goals;
B)A summary of major public projects and a brief analysis of how they contributed to meeting
General Plan goals;
C)An overview of programs, and recommendations on any new approaches that may be
necessary;
D)A status report for each General Plan program scheduled to be worked on during that year,
including discussion of whether that program's realization is progressing on schedule, and
recommendations for how it could better be kept on schedule if it is lagging;
E)A status report on how the City is progressing with implementing its open space
preservation policies and programs;
F)Updated population or other information deemed important for the plan.
The General Plan Annual Report is an opportunity for the City to keep the General Plan current
by reflecting on how well the Plan continues to meet the City’s goals and objectives. It is also an
opportunity to review how well the programs identified in the Plan are being implemented and to
determine if programs are still relevant or if priorities should be reassigned.
In addition, assessment of the implementation of the General Plan informs the City Council about
the availability of resources and about programs and projects that might be initiated as the City
develops a new financial plan. During the budgeting process, the City Council reviews the progress
being made to implement the General Plan and decides whether or not to move forward with
additional work program items over the next two years.
3.0 DISCUSSION
The General Plan contains an array of policies and implementing programs covering most types
of City actions. General Plan implementation supports the quality of life objectives for the
community that serve as the foundation for the General Plan. Activities undertaken by the City
through its Capital Improvement Program projects, project plans and studies, facility maintenance
and management, and inter-agency coordination each play a part in the General Plan
Implementation. The General Plan Annual Report touches on the major programs that saw activity
in 2019. The report is organized around the following key implementation areas:
•General Plan Element Updates
•Community Development Department
•Planning & Building Activity
•Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) Progress
•Residential Growth
•Non-Residential Growth
•Specific Plan Implementation & Development
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• Municipal Code Updates
• Climate Action Plan
• Economic Development
• Policy Initiatives
• Water Supply
• Circulation
• Safety
• Neighborhood Wellness
• Conservation & Open Space Protection
• Parks & Recreation
In 2019, the City continued to make progress implementing General Plan Programs. Parks and
Recreation Staff continued work on the Parks and Recreation Element and Master Plan Update,
by continuing to hold focused topic discussions at Parks and Recreation Commission meetings and
holding community workshops throughout 2019. An update of the City’s Safety Element was also
initiated by identifying the update as a major task within the Housing Major City Goal in the
adoption of the FY 2019-2021 Financial Plan by City Council. The City’s 5th Cycle Housing
planning period ended in June 2019 and the City began work in 2019 on updating the Housing
Element for the 6th Cycle (2020-2028).
Development activity remained strong in 2019, as represented by 710 issued building permits,
which is 135 more than the number of issued permits in 2018. This also reflects the increased
number of plan check applications submitted, totaling 1,883 applications, which was 415 more
than 2018 and a significantly larger increase than the previous year.
Based on the Community Development Department’s running total of “finaled” permits for non-
residential construction permits, 51,694 square feet of floor area was added to the City in 2019,
yielding a five-year net non-residential growth rate of 2.52 percent (as shown in Figure 3 on page
25). Land Use Element Policy 1.11.4 states that the Council shall consider establishing limits for
the rate of non-residential development if the increase in non-residential floor area for any five-
year period exceeds five percent. Thus, the City is significantly below the threshold to establish
any non-residential growth limit at this time.
The Major City Goals for Fiscal Year 2017-19, of Housing, Climate Action, Multi-Modal
Transportation, and Fiscal Sustainability resulted in a significant amount of activity in these
General Plan program areas discussed above, and many more. For the start of Fiscal Year 2019-
2021, these Major City Goals remain high priorities, with the addition of a new goal of Downtown
Vitality and a name change for the Multi-Modal Transportation goal to the new name of
Sustainable Transportation.
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4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) does not apply because the General Plan
Annual Report does not constitute a “Project” under CEQA Guidelines Sec. 15378.
5.0 NEXT STEPS
As the Community Development Department leads the City in the implementation and updating
of the General Plan, it also takes the lead in the update of the General Plan Annual Report.
However, staff from all City departments contributed significantly to the report.
Any comments made by the Commission during review of the General Plan Annual Report will
be addressed by staff before the report is forwarded to the City Council for consideration. The
Planning Commission can also direct staff to provide the Commission with additional information
or analysis on specific topics from 2019 program implementation.
6.0 ATTACHMENTS
1. 2019 General Plan Annual Report
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Attachment 1Item 3
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Community Development Department
Our Mission Statement
Our mission is to serve all persons in a positive and courteous manner and help ensure that San
Luis Obispo continues to be a healthy, safe, attractive, and enjoyable place to live, work, or visit.
We help plan the City’s form and character, support community values, preserve the
environment, promote wise use of resources, and protect public health and safety.
Our Service Philosophy
The City of San Luis Obispo Community Development Department (CDD) staff provides high
quality service when you need it. We will:
• Listen to understand your needs;
• Give clear, accurate and prompt answers to your questions;
• Explain how you can achieve your goals under the City’s rules;
• Help resolve problems in an open, objective manner;
• Maintain high ethical standards; and
• Work to improve our service.
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Acknowledgements
City Council
Heidi Harmon, Mayor
Aaron Gomez, Vice Mayor
Carlyn Christianson
Andy Pease
Erica A. Stewart
Planning Commission
Mike Wulkan, Chair
Hemalata Dandekar, Vice Chair
Chuck Stevenson
Nicholas Quincy
John McKenzie
Steven Kahn
Robert Jorgensen
City Manager
Derek Johnson, City Manager
Project Management Team
Brian Leveille, Senior Planner
Graham Bultema, Housing Intern
Cara Vereschagin, Housing Coordinator
Rachel Cohen, Associate Planner
Staff Contributors
Alexander Fuchs, Parking Services Supervisor
Brian Amoroso, Operations Captain
Cassia Cocina, Code Enforcement Supervisor
Chantal Burns, Tourism Coordinator
Chris Read, Sustainability Manager
Christine Wallace, Neighborhood Outreach Manager
Devin Hyfield, Recreation Manager
Doug Carscaden, Recreation Supervisor
The 2019 General Plan
Annual Report was
prepared by the
Community Development
Department for review
by the Planning
Commission and
acceptance by the City
Council. The Community
Development
Department’s Long-
range Planning Division
often takes the lead for
staff work involving the
General Plan. However,
all City departments and
advisory bodies are
involved in General Plan
implementation and have
contributed to the 2019
General Plan Annual
Report.
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Freddy Otte, City Biologist
Gamaliel Anguiano, Transit Manager
Jennifer Metz, Utilities Project Manager
James Blattler, Administrative Analyst
Jennifer Rice, Transportation Planner/Engineer III
John Bledsoe, Police Lieutenant
Keith Aggson, Fire Chief
Kyle Bell, Associate Planner
Kyle Van Leeuwen, Assistant Planner
Lindsey Stephenson, Recreation Manager
Luke Schwartz, Transportation Manager
Megan Weeks, Transit Coordinator
Meghan Burger, Recreation Supervisor
Michael Codron, Community Development Director
Molly Cano, Tourism Manager
Shawna Scott, Senior Planner
Greg Avakian, Parks and Recreation Director
Timothy Scott Bochum, Deputy Director of Public Works
Tyler Corey, Principal Planner
Vanessa Nichols, Permit Services Coordinator
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Table of Contents
Community Development Department .......................................................................................... 2
Our Mission Statement ....................................................................................................... 2
Our Service Philosophy ....................................................................................................... 2
Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 3
City Council ......................................................................................................................... 3
Planning Commission .......................................................................................................... 3
City Manager ....................................................................................................................... 3
Project Management Team ................................................................................................ 3
Staff Contributors ............................................................................................................... 3
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 5
List of Figures .................................................................................................................................. 6
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................... 6
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 7
Background ..................................................................................................................................... 8
General Plan Element Updates ..................................................................................................... 10
Community Development Department ........................................................................................ 13
Planning and Building Activity ...................................................................................................... 15
Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) Progress .................................................................. 18
Residential Growth ....................................................................................................................... 23
Non-Residential Growth ............................................................................................................... 24
Specific Plan Implementation and Development ......................................................................... 25
Municipal Code Updates ............................................................................................................... 30
Climate Action Plan ....................................................................................................................... 32
Economic Development ................................................................................................................ 33
Policy Initiatives ............................................................................................................................ 36
Water Supply ................................................................................................................................. 37
Circulation ..................................................................................................................................... 38
Safety ........................................................................................................................................... 44
Neighborhood Wellness................................................................................................................ 53
Conservation & Open Space Protection ....................................................................................... 55
Parks & Recreation ........................................................................................................................ 57
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 64
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List of Figures
Figure 1 - Total Planning Applications Received per Calendar Year (2017-2019) ........................ 15
Figure 2 - Net Annual Growth Rates of Non-Residential Sectors (2009-2019) ............................ 24
Figure 3 - Average Monthly Twitter Impressions ......................................................................... 45
Figure 4 - Noise Part (NSPY) Calls (2009 to 2019) ......................................................................... 54
List of Tables
Table 1 - Building Permits Issued 2016-2019 Comparison ........................................................... 16
Table 2 - Building Division Project Statistics, 2016-2019 Comparison ......................................... 16
Table 3 - Valuation of Construction, 2016-2019 Comparison ...................................................... 17
Table 4 - Progress Towards Meeting 5th Cycle Quantified Objectives (1/1/14 to 6/30/19) ....... 18
Table 5 - 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation (1/1/19 to 12/31/28) ............................ 19
Table 6 - Progress Towards Meeting 6th Cycle Quantified Objectives (1/1/19 to 12/31/28) ..... 19
Table 7 - Affordable Housing Project Highlights from 2019 ......................................................... 20
Table 8 - LUE Table 3, One Percent City Population Growth Projection ...................................... 23
Table 9 - Residential Growth Rates, 2015-2019 ........................................................................... 23
Table 10 - Margarita Area Development Status ........................................................................... 25
Table 11 - Orcutt Area Development Status ................................................................................. 26
Table 12 - City Water Resource Availability .................................................................................. 37
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Introduction
The General Plan is a comprehensive statement of the City’s goals and how those goals will be
achieved over the long-term. Policies and programs in the General Plan provide guidance to the
public, staff and decision-makers on development-related issues. The General Plan is adopted
and amended by the City Council, after considering recommendations by citizens, appointed
advisory bodies, other agencies, and City staff.
Each year, the City publishes an Annual Report on the status of its General Plan and provides an
overview of actions taken to implement the Plan during the past year , as provided by California
Government Code Section 65400. This report is provided to help citizens and City officials gauge
progress towards achieving the City’s stated goals and objectives. It is also an opportunity to
review how well the Plan’s programs are being implemented. The Annual Report fulfills the
requirements of State law, and the General Plan itself. According to Land Use Element Policy 11.3
the City shall prepare an annual report on the status of the General Plan, which is to include the
following items:
A) A summary of private development activity and a brief analysis of how it helped meet
General Plan goals;
B) A summary of major public projects and a brief analysis of how they contributed to
meeting General Plan goals;
C) An overview of programs, and recommendations on any new approaches that may be
necessary;
D) A status report for each General Plan program scheduled to be worked on during that
year, including discussion of whether that program's realization is progressing on
schedule, and recommendations for how it could better be kept on schedule if it is
lagging;
E) A status report on how the City is progressing with implementing its open space
preservation policies and programs;
F) Updated population or other information deemed important for the plan.
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Background
State law requires each city and county to adopt a general plan
that addresses seven topics, typically referred to as “elements.”
Additional topics, or general plan elements, may be included.
The law also requires general plans to be comprehensive,
internally consistent and provide a long-term perspective. The
Governor’s Office of Planning and Research publishes General
Plan Guidelines, which includes the following basics:
Geographic Comprehensiveness: The general plan must cover
all of the territory in the jurisdiction’s boundaries.
Regionalism: The general plan must take into account regional
plans for transportation, air quality and water quality, and must
spell out measures needed to meet federal or state standards
for the region.
Issue Comprehensiveness: General plans must address the
jurisdiction’s physical development over the long term, but
because the general plan is the most comprehensive expression
of the general welfare, it should also recognize social and
economic concerns.
Internal Consistency: All of the general plan elements must be
internally consistent. Each element’s data, analyses, goals,
policies and programs must be consistent and complement one
another. This includes consistency with area and specific plans.
Long-Term Perspective: The general plan must address the
welfare of current & future generations, although the time-
frames may vary between elements. The Housing Element, for
instance, must be updated every five to eight years.
State law says a City’s general plan should be kept current. The
City of San Luis Obispo does this through this annual review
process, comprehensive updates, and through amendments.
Updates to entire elements are done as needed and include a
look at underlying conditions and preferences. Amendments
are typically smaller in scope and involve changing one part in
a way that fits within the overall framework. Consideration of
amendments are triggered by private applications or by
direction from the City Council.
City of
San Luis Obispo
General Plan
Elements
Land Use
Update Adopted
December 2014
Circulation
Update Adopted
December 2014
Housing
Update Adopted
January 2015
Conservation and
Open Space
Revised 2014
Safety
Revised 2012
Parks and
Recreation
Adopted 2001
Water and
Wastewater
Revised 2018
Noise
Adopted 1996
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Changes to the City of San Luis Obispo General Plan require hearings by the Planning Commission
and by the City Council. The type of notice provided for the hearings depends on the type of
proposed change, but always includes a descriptive item on the meeting agenda, which is
published in the newspaper. The City’s website and public access televisio n channel provide
additional information.
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General Plan Element Updates
Parks and Recreation Element Update
In 2018, the City Parks and Recreation and
Community Development Departments engaged
consultant services, WRT, for the purposes of the
Parks and Recreation Element and Master Plan
Update. The Parks and Recreation Commission
(PRC) is serving as the primary advisory body for this
work effort.
The purpose of the update of the City’s Parks and
Recreation Element and Master Plan is to address
current and future needs for the City of San Luis
Obispo’s parks, recreation facilities, programs and
services consistent with the objectives outlined in
the adopted 2017-2019 and 2020-2021 financial
plans. The foundational stages of the Project Plan
were initiated by conducting extensive initial
community outreach pursuant to the approved
Community Engagement Plan and as summarized in
the Community Needs Assessment Engagement
Memorandum approved by the PRC in December
2018. In addition, the results from the statistical
survey conducted by ETC Institute are available for
review in the Needs Assessment Survey Findings
Report. In 2019, a proposed action plan was
presented to the PRC and the public for initial
feedback, and this prioritized plan will continue to
be developed to ensure the most effective use of
future community resources. The public will
continue to be engaged in a positive and creative
way so that the results are representative of
community values, desires, and needs. In summer
2020, Parks and Recreation staff and consultant
WRT, will release the Public Review Draft General
Plan Element and Master Plan Update and host
public meeting workshops in fall 2020. Parks and
Recreation and Planning Commission
recommendations will go to City Council December
2020 and final adoption.
This General Plan Annual
Report falls between a
transitional Financial Plan
period, thus the Major City
Goals for both FY 2017-19 and
FY 2019-21 include:
FY 17-19 Major City Goals:
Housing – Facilitate increased
production of all housing types
designed to be economically
accessible to the area workforce
and low and very low-income
residents, through increased
density and proximity to
transportation corridors in
alignment with the Climate
Action Plan.
Climate Action – Implement
Climate Action Plan, assess
requirements to achieve a “net-
zero carbon City” target, and
implement cost-effective measures,
including implementation of a
Sustainability Coordinator and
formation of a Green Team.
Multi-Modal Transportation –
Prioritize implementation of the
Bicycle Master Plan, pedestrian
safety, and Short-Range Transit
Plan.
Fiscal Sustainability &
Responsibility - Continue to
implement the City’s Fiscal
Responsibility Philosophy with a
focus on economic development
and responsiveness, unfunded
liabilities, and infrastructure
financing
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Housing Element Update
In 2019, the City began work on updating the
Housing Element. The update process is a tool to
modify housing policies and programs to reflect the
changing needs, resources and conditions in the
community, and to respond to changes in state and
federal housing law. The Housing Element is the only
element that must be updated on a set schedule and
then certified by the State. The City does not
construct housing but is required by the State to
demonstrate that it can accommodate a specific
number of units that meet specific income
categories within a specific time frame known as the
Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). RHNA is
produced by the California Department of Housing
and Community Development (HCD) and identifies
the projected housing needs in the region as part of
the periodic updating of local Housing Elements of
the General Plan. HCD finalized its RHNA allocation
determination for the San Luis Obispo region at
10,810 units for the 10-year production period
(December 31, 2018 to December 31, 2028) and the
number of housing units allocated to the City has
been identified as 3,354.
Work on the update began with hosting a Housing
Forum Workshop and City Council and Planning
Commission Housing Update in April 2019. Since the
kickoff, staff has been working on several
components of the Housing Element including:
• Collecting background information
• Public Outreach Event on December 10,
2019
• Online Public Survey (December 2019)
• Presentations to stakeholders
• Updating the Residential Development
Capacity Inventory
Completion of the Housing Element is anticipated by
the fall of 2020.
FY 19-21 Major City Goals:
Housing – Facilitate the
production of housing with an
update of the Housing Element,
including an emphasis on
affordable housing (including
unhoused people) and workforce
housing through the lens of
climate action and regionalism.
Climate Action – In response to
the climate crisis, continue to
update and implement the Climate
Action Plan for carbon neutrality,
including preservation and
enhancement of our open space
and urban forest and planning for
resilience.
Sustainable Transportation –
Enhance accessible regional
transit, bicycle, and pedestrian
mobility to promote a transition
to a car-free or shared-car
lifestyle and to reduce
greenhouse gases.
Fiscal Sustainability &
Responsibility - Continue to
implement the City’s Fiscal
Responsibility Philosophy with a
focus on efficiencies, strategic
economic development, unfunded
liabilities, and infrastructure
financing (Funding the Future).
Downtown Vitality - Support the
economic and cultural heart of
the City with attention to safety,
maintenance, infrastructure and
amenities.
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Safety Element Update
In 2019, the City was awarded a grant from Caltrans called “Resilient San Luis Obispo” in the
amount of $435,250 to be used to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the community’s
vulnerability to climate change impacts. The City has partnered with the Local Government
Commission (LGC), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization who has extensive experience in public
engagement in climate change adaptation and in facilitation projects. Additionally, the City is
currently participating with the CivicSpark, a statewide program through the LGC for a Fellow to
work on the project. The project will also be supported with committed staff resources from the
San Luis Obispo Council of Governments. Technical consultants secured through a competitive
bid process complete the team. The project includes current and future hazards assessment,
comprehensive vulnerability assessment, local and state policy audits, robust community
outreach and education, a menu and prioritization of adaptation options and specific integration
and work plans. Importantly, the scope of work also includes capacity building for City staff and
dissemination to regional partners to ensure implementation. The study will begin in spring of
2020 and along with the 2019 Hazard Mitigation Plan update, will form the technical foundation
for the comprehensive update to the Safety Element of the General Plan. The City anticipates
that the Safety Element will be renamed as the Community Resilience and Public Safety Element
and is targeted to be completed in 2022.
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Community Development Department
Customer Service and Process Improvements
In 2019, the Community Development Department continued to monitor and improve
procedures to ensure the utmost level of efficiency and customer service. In response, the
Department launched the following programs throughout the year:
InfoSLO: The City originally launched the portal InfoSLO in 2018 that allows members of the
public to search for a variety of information on properties citywide. InfoSLO allows you to search
for parcel history including permits, plan cases, inspections and code cases. Parcels can be
searched by address or Assessor’s Parcel Number, or by an interactive map to browse parcel
information across the City. In 2019, upgrades provided the opportunity to research and export
permit and plan history for any address in the City. Efforts also continued for the provision to go
live with online permit applications and online payment of fees for building and planning in the
2020 timeframe. Community Development also launched mobile apps for use in the field which
will expedite the inspection process. Inspections can now also be automatically updated from the
field. Staff also implemented the Laserfiche document management system which allows more
efficient response to public records requests.
Coordination with Other Agencies
In addition to City-initiated efforts to implement the General Plan, City staff responded to
development plans and applications from other agencies in 201 9 and coordinated with other
agencies on General Plan priorities. Some examples include:
County of SLO: City staff provided comments on several projects proposed in the County
including an office project, cannabis delivery projects, tentative map proposals, and a proposed
hillside development.
Amtrak-LOSSAN: Community Development staff coordinated with the Los Angeles-San Diego-
San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN) for preliminary work which will lead to a Basis of
Design Report (Feasibility Study) for expansion and/or relocation of the existing Amtrak layover
facility in San Luis Obispo. The goal of the project is to increase overnight layover and storage
capacity to support service goals and objectives outlined for the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner as
outlined in the 2018 California State Rail Plan.
San Luis Obispo Council of Governments: The San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG)
continued the multi-year process to concurrently prepare the 2019 Regional Transportation Plan
(RTP), the Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS), and the Regional Housing Needs Allocation
(RHNA). The City participated in regional discussions facilitated by SLOCOG and negotiated
allocating the region’s 6th Cycle RHNA distribution of 10,810 housing units amongst all eight local
jurisdictions (see further discussion on the 6th Cycle RHNA in Regional Housing Needs Allocation
Progress Section below). The SLOCOG Board adopted the updated 2019 RTP/SCS on June 5, 2019.
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Regional Housing Action Team: The City, along with the County, and the seven local Cities within
the county are each updating their Housing Element for the new 6th Cycle RHNA. The County has
taken a lead role in fostering collaboration among all the cities, SLOCOG, and County to develop
the region’s first “regional chapter” common to all eight local agencies’ Housing Elements. The
regional chapter will outline policies and programs that support housing at a regional planning
level.
Cal Poly Master Plan Update 2035: Throughout 2019, City
staff continued to work with Cal Poly staff to address previous
concerns raised by the City when a Draft EIR was published for
the Cal Poly Master Plan Update in 2017. In December 2019,
Cal Poly circulated the updated public draft of the Cal Poly
Master Plan Update 2035 DEIR. The City DEIR comment letter
noted significant concerns on the impacts of planned Master
Plan update growth on City services, infrastructure, and
potential fiscal impacts on City operations. City staff will
continue to engage with Cal Poly to achieve a better outcome,
consistent with the City Council’s policy direction for
engagement in the Master Plan process.
The State Department of Transportation (Caltrans): Progress
continues with preliminary engineering and environmental
review for the Prado Road/US 101 Interchange Project and Prado Road Bridge Replacement over
San Luis Obispo Creek, with construction anticipated to begin for both projects in 202 2.
Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO): In November 2019, the City Council approved the
filing of an application and request for LAFCO to initiate proceedings for annexation of the Fiero
Lane-Clarion Court area. The annexation area consists of 30 parcels and approximately 39 acres
of land within the Airport Area Specific Plan (AASP). Annexation of this area was anticipated in
the City’s General Plan and AASP, and the area will continue to support existing development
including a mix of industrial, manufacturing, commercial, and office uses.
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Planning and Building Activity
Application totals are tracked in real-time using live dashboards from our EnerGov permitting
system. Tracking of applications and permits serve as an indicator of development trends and a
tool for budget forecasting.
Yearly Planning Application Trends
Figure 1 indicates all planning applications received for each calendar year for 2017, 2018 and
2019. Some examples of the types of applications include use permits, architectural reviews,
subdivisions, zoning amendments, specific plans and administrative actions. In 2019, the total
number of planning applications increased by nearly 50% from 2018. Notable increases in
application types were architectural reviews, increasing from 46 submittals to 78, and Homestay
use permits, increasing from 19 applications to 48 in connection to an improved tracking and
enforcement of unpermitted short-term rentals.
Figure 1 - Total Planning Applications Received per Calendar Year (2017-2019)
Source: Community Development Department, 2019
266
227
338
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
2017 2018 2019Number of ApplicationsAttachment 1Item 3
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Building Permits and Plan Reviews
Building permits are issued for various projects ranging from the relatively simple (e.g. water
heaters, window change outs, reroofing, etc.) to the more complex projects (e.g. additions and
new buildings). Plan reviews are typically required for the more complex projects where it is
necessary to review proposed design documents for code compliance.
Table 1 - Building Permits Issued 2016-2019 Comparison
BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED
2019 2018 2017 2016
permits units permits units permits units permits units
Single Family 171 171 159 159 105 105 55 42
Multi Family 17 340 19 135 10 44 11 51
Commercial 12 0 15 0 5 1 10 11
Residential Additions /
Alterations 369 0 252 0 190 2 0 3
Commercial Additions /
Alterations 141 0 129 0 82 0 150 3
Motel Rooms 0 0 1 113 0 0 0 183
TOTAL 710 511 575 407 392 152 568 293
Source: Community Development Department, 2019
Table 1 depicts the number of building permits issued over the past 4 years. In 2019, 188 permits
were issued for single-family and multi-family projects, representing 511 residential units.
Table 2 - Building Division Project Statistics, 2016-2019 Comparison
PROJECT STATISTIC 2019 2018 2017 2016
Plan Check Applications Submitted 1,883 1,468 1,301 1,273
Source: Community Development Department, 2019
Table 2 shows the number of plan check applications conducted by the Building Division over the
last four years. Development activity remained strong in 2019, with a record high of Plan Check
Application submittals, as compared to the previous three years, and are expected to remain
strong throughout 2020.
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Valuation of Construction
Construction valuation is a good indicator of the level of private investment in building
construction. Table 3 depicts the annual construction valuation over the past 4 years. The total
valuation increased in 2019 from 2018 by $38,936,475, which reflects the increased number of
issued permits as displayed in Table 2 above.
Table 3 - Valuation of Construction, 2016-2019 Comparison
VALUATION OF
CONSTRUCTION 2019 2018 2017 2016
Single Family 28,025,973 24,299,569 19,706,522 15,024,481
Multi Family 33,606,072 21,161,540 17,248,685 8,172,054
Commercial 16,980,878 20,430,385 6,248,150 51,109,620
Residential Additions /
Alterations 42,924,804 14,780,483 8,167,839 10,138,220
Commercial Additions /
Alterations 17,886,588 19,815,863 6,760,007 17,572,763
Total Valuation $139,424,315 $100,487,840 $58,131,203 $102, 017,138
Source: Community Development Department, 2019
Attachment 1Item 3
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Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) Progress
Quantified Objectives
Under State law, each city and county in California is required to develop programs designed to
meet their share of the surrounding region's housing needs for all income groups, as determined
by the region’s council of governments. The State Department of Housing and Community
Development (HCD) identifies housing needs for all regions of the State. Councils of governments
then apportion the regional housing need among their member jurisdictions. The Regional
Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process seeks to ensure that each jurisdiction accepts
responsibility, within its physical and financial capability to do so, for the housing needs of its
residents and for those people who might reasonably be expected to move there. State housing
law recognizes that housing need allocations are goals that jurisdictions seek to achieve;
however, they are not intended as production quotas. The allocations are included in each
jurisdiction’s Housing Element so that plans, policies and standards may be created to help meet
housing needs within the element's planning term.
The City’s 5th Cycle Housing Element and RHNA Quantified Objectives ended on June 30, 2019.
This was a 5-year period of housing planning, that began on January 1, 2014. In this 5th Cycle, the
City issued a total of 1,272 building permits for the development of new residential units, as
shown in Table 4. This included a total of 220 new deed-restricted affordable housing units, or
housing available to Extremely Low, Very Low, and Low households, as well as 1,052 units of
market-rate, or Above Moderate income housing.
Table 4 - Progress Towards Meeting 5th Cycle Quantified Objectives (1/1/14 to 6/30/19)
Income Level
(% of County
Median Income)
5th Cycle
RHNA
Allocation
Building Permitted Units Issued by Affordability Total
Units by
Income
Level
Total Units
Remaining
by Income
Level
Year 1
(2014)
Year 2
(2015)
Year 3
(2016)
Year 4
(2017)
Year 5
(2018)
Year 6a
(01/01/19 -
06/30/19)
Extremely Low &
Very Low 285 35 1 19 41 70 0 166 119
Low 179 16 1 1 9 4 4 35 144
Moderate 202 8 2 3 0 0 6 19 183
Above Moderate 478 146 168 111 164 212 251 1,052 -574
Total Units 1,144 205 172 134 214 286 261 1,272
Total Remaining for RHNA Period: 446
Source: Community Development Department, 2019
The City was in a unique position for housing planning during the 2019 calendar year because the
6th Cycle planning period also began. For this new 6th Cycle Housing Element, the City is
transitioning towards a longer housing planning period, moving from a 5-year to an 8-year
timeframe. The City participated in regional discussions facilitated by the San Luis Obispo Council
of Governments (SLOCOG) and negotiated allocating the region’s 6th Cycle RHNA distribution of
10,810 housing units amongst all 8 local jurisdictions, as shown in Table 5 below.
Attachment 1Item 3
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Table 5 - 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation (1/1/19 to 12/31/28)
Source: 2019 Regional Housing Needs Allocation Plan, SLOCOG
As shown in Table 5 above, the City has a new total RHNA allocation of 3,354 housing units to
plan for in the new 6th Cycle Housing Element. The transition from a 5-year to an 8-year cycle,
HCD has allowed the City 10 years to meet the new 6th Cycle RHNA allocation. This means that
the City is allowed to count all issued building permits from January 1, 2019 until December 31,
2028 as credit towards achieving the 6th Cycle RHNA allocation. Progress towards this 6th Cycle
is shown in Table 6 below.
Table 6 - Progress Towards Meeting 6th Cycle Quantified Objectives (1/1/19 to 12/31/28)
Income Level
(% of County
Median Income)
6th Cycle
RHNA
Allocation
Building Permitted Units Issued by Affordability Total Units by
Income Level
Total Units
Remaining by
Income Level Year 1
(2019)
Year 2
(2020)
Years 3 – 10
(2021 - 2028)
Extremely Low &
Very Low 825 0 0 825
Low 520 6 6 514
Moderate 603 8 8 595
Above Moderate 1,406 519 519 887
Total Units 3,354 533 533
Total Remaining for RHNA Period: 2,821
Source: Community Development Department, 2019
Affordable Housing
In 2019, the City continued to implement the Inclusionary Housing Requirement, and has six
Affordability Agreements in process through long-term and equity-share programs. The City also
has approximately $300,000 available for assisting future affordable housing construction.
Table 7 below identifies affordable housing accomplishments for 2019:
Attachment 1Item 3
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Table 7 - Affordable Housing Project Highlights from 2019
Project Affordable
Units
Status Special Notes
Bishop Street
Studios
34 Major construction was
completed in 2019 and the
facility is up, running, and
being leased to tenants.
The project received an AHF award of $850,000
and serves as affordable rental housing for clients
of Transitions Mental Health Association.
Courtyard at
the Meadows
36 Construction on HASLO’s
Courtyard at the Meadows
continued in 2019 and is
anticipated to be
completed in 2020.
HASLO was awarded tax credits in Spring 2018
and additionally received an AHF award of
$630,000.
Real Property
Acquisition
6 Transitions-Mental Health
Association acquired and
rehabilitated an existing 6-
unit property for
affordable housing for six
of their clients.
The City Council awarded $330,000 of AHFs to
assist with the acquisition and rehabilitation of
the six units.
Tiburon Place
(Orcutt Area)
68 Peoples’ Self-Help Housing
obtained entitlements in
2019 for Tiburon Place,
which is being developed
to satisfy the inclusionary
housing requirement for
three subdivisions in the
Orcutt Area.
The City Council has made a commitment of
$700,000 of AHF dollars to support the
construction of 14 units in the project being
provided above the inclusionary requirement.
Broad Street
Place
40 Peoples’ Self-Help Housing
obtained entitlements at
the end of 2019 for 40 new
units located on Broad
Street Place.
Ten of the 40 units in the project will be
dedicated exclusively to extremely low income
veterans. City Council also committed a total of
$1.3 million dollars of AHFs for this project’s
construction costs.
San Luis Ranch 68 Large development
proposing 580 residential
units, a hotel, and
commercial spaces
34 units are required to meet the residential
component pursuant to the City’s Inclusionary
Housing Ordinance. 26 of the units will be
dedicated at the very low level. An additional 34
units are required for the commercial
component, but can also be satisfied by paying
in-lieu fees. Additionally, the project includes
local preference provisions, owner occupancy
restrictions, and down payment assistance to
buyers that are teachers, first responders, nurses,
public employees, or associated with the Military.
Avila Ranch 67 Large development
proposing 720 residential
units and commercial
spaces
The project is required to provide 71 Inclusionary
housing units that will be met through a
combination of construction (67 units), dedicated
land (1.2 acres for 24 low income units) and
payment of in-lieu fees (4 units). In addition, the
project includes 25 deed restricted workforce
housing units, down payment assistance, local
preference and owner-occupied restrictions.
Source: Community Devleopment Department, 2019
Attachment 1Item 3
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Funding and Grant Programs for Housing-Related Programs
1. Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG): The CDBG program provides
annual funding for eligible affordable housing projects and support for the homeless
shelter. Over the past seven years the CDBG Program has allocated over $2,400,000
towards affordable housing and approximately $870,000 towards homeless services.
Projects funded for the 2019 Program Year included homeless services and affordable
housing land acquisition for new transitional housing to be owned & managed by Housing
Authority of San Luis Obispo (HASLO).
2. Affordable Housing Fund (AHF): In 2019, the City awarded a total of $2,330,000 of AHF
dollars to assist with three new 100% affordable housing projects, for a total of 114 new
units. The three projects included Tiburon Place with an award of $700,000, Broad Street
Place with an award of $1,300,000, and $330,000 for real property acquisition by
Transitions-Mental Health Association.
3. Grants in Aid (GIA): The City’s Human Relations Commission approved $150,000 in grants
to non-profit organizations whose focus is homeless prevention (including supportive
services and transitional housing), hunger and malnutrition prevention, supportive
physical and mental health services, and services for seniors and/or people w ith
disabilities. Awards were approved by Council in August and distributed in October.
4. San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund (HTF): The HTF provides financing,
technical assistance and advocacy to increase the supply of affordable housing in
the City. HTF staff serve as a resource to City staff working with developers on
affordable housing projects. The City continues to support the H TF with $40,000
annually from the Affordable Housing Fund to help support ongoing operating costs.
Attachment 1Item 3
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Homeless Services Support
1. 40 Prado Homeless Services Center: The 40 Prado Homeless Services Center celebrated its
1st birthday with the “Community in Concert” fundraising celebration in September of
2019. The facility, owned and operated by Community Action Partnership of San Luis
Obispo County (CAPSLO), continues to be a highly valuable asset to the community,
providing overnight shelter, meals, showers, and laundry services, to individuals and
families working towards self-sufficiency.
2. Safe Parking Program: The program provides seven parking spaces located at the 40
Prado facility. This allows homeless persons with vehicles a safe place to temporarily park
with the goal of eventually transitioning them into permanent housing. The City provides
$10,000 annually to CAPSLO for the program.
3. Homeless Services Oversight Council (HSOC): Staff continues to participate in HSOC
quarterly general meetings and provides input on grant opportunities for affordable
housing development for the County’s most vulnerable, chronically homeless persons.
Attachment 1Item 3
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Residential Growth
The Land Use Element policy related to residential growth (LUE 1.11.2) states that the City’s
housing supply shall grow no faster than one percent per year, on average, based on established
thresholds shown in Table 8 (Table 3 in the Land Use Element). This policy was modified in 2010
under Ordinance No. 1550 to an average of one percent per year over the five-year Housing
Element planning period.
Table 8 - LUE Table 3, One Percent City Population Growth Projection
Year Approximate Maximum
Number of Dwelling* Anticipated Number of People
2013 20,697 45,541
2015 21,113 46,456
2020 22,190 48,826
2025 23,322 51,317
2030 24,512 53,934
2035 25,762 56,686
Estimated urban reserve capacity: 57,200
Source: Land Use Element, City of San Luis Obispo General Plan, Table 3, page 1 -37.
*2013 population based on CA Department of Finance data and projected based on 1
percent annual growth.
Based on the Community Development Department’s residential construction permit data, the
City has maintained a five-year average annual growth rate of 0.47 percent per year, in
compliance with the one percent maximum average annual growth rate over the planning period
from 2015 to 2019, as shown in Table 9.
Table 9 - Residential Growth Rates, 2015-2019
Year New Units Total Units Growth Rate (%)
2015 53 20,946 0.25
2016 120 21,066 0.57
2017 92 21,158 0.43
2018 53 21,211 0.25
2019 180 21,391 0.84
Five-Year Average Annual Growth Rate 0.47
Source: 2019 Building Permits Finaled, Community Development Dept.
Attachment 1Item 3
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Non-Residential Growth
Based on final building permits, 51,694 square feet of net new non-residential floor area was
added to the City in 2019, resulting in an annual growth rate of 0.44 percent.
Figure 2 illustrates the net annual non-residential growth rate from 2009 to 2019. Non-residential
growth includes office, services and manufacturing, retail, hotel, and institutional uses.
Figure 2 - Net Annual Growth Rates of Non-Residential Sectors (2009-2019)
Source: Building Permits Finaled, Community Development Department, 2019
Note: Demolition of nonresidential square footage included in calculations.
Land Use Element Policy 1.11.4 states that each year, the Council will evaluate the actual increase
in non-residential floor area over the preceding five years. The Council shall consider establishing
limits for the rate of non-residential development if the increase in non-residential floor area for
any five-year period exceeds five percent. The five-year net non-residential growth rate for 2015
through 2019 was 2.52 percent, and the five-year annual average growth rate was 0.5 percent.
Each year, City Council has considered whether or not to implement limits to new non -residential
floor area and has decided against establishing limits. If limits are established , they would only
apply to certain types of new commercial floor area, such as new offices or new retail
establishments outside of the downtown core.
0.89%
0.73%
1.43%
0.93%
0.11%
0.64%
0.58%
0.70%
0.46%
0.33%
0.44%
0.00%
0.20%
0.40%
0.60%
0.80%
1.00%
1.20%
1.40%
1.60%
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019Growth RateYear
Attachment 1Item 3
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Specific Plan Implementation and Development
The General Plan requires approval of specific plans as a precursor to development of the City’s
major expansion areas. Specific plans typically contain more detailed land-use and design
standards than the General Plan and address the timing and financing of public facilities. Specific
plans can supersede the Zoning Regulations or lead to amendments of the Municipal Code. The
process for adopting a specific plan is similar to the process for adopting or amending a section
of the General Plan.
Margarita Area Specific Plan
The Margarita Area is located in southern San Luis Obispo and is bounded by South Higuera
Street, Broad Street, Tank Farm Road, and the ridge of the South Hills. Primarily envisioned for
residential development with another 68 acres slated for residential and business park uses.
Proposals for the Margarita area thus far have included mainly single-family homes with portions
of open space and pedestrian network advancing.
The Margarita Area is ideally suited to accommodate San Luis Obispo’s planned residential
growth for the near future as the area provides convenient access for residents to employment,
shopping and recreation. Community goals for this area include up to 868 homes in a wide range
of housing types. Table 10 below displays the status on development in the Margarita Area.
Table 10 - Margarita Area Development Status
Projects Address Commercial Dwellings Status
Toscano 3000 Calle
Malva
-
168
Planning Entitlements - Approved
Public Improvements - Under Construction
Building Permits Issued– Under Construction
Serra Meadows 408 Prado - 169 Construction Complete
Serra Meadows
Prado Frontage
3420 Serra
Meadows
-
36
Planning Entitlements - Approved
Public Improvements - Under Construction
Building Permits Issued – Under Construction
Courtyard at Serra
Meadows 3725 Orcutt - 36 Planning Entitlements - Approved
Building Permits Issued - Under Construction
Prado Business
Park 301 Prado 159,663 - Planning Entitlements - Approved
Attachment 1Item 3
Packet Page 157
Orcutt Area Specific Plan
Nestled at the base of the Santa Lucia foothills, the Orcutt Area provides a variety of scenic
resources for residents of the area and travelers along Orcutt Road and Tank Farm Road,
including views of Righetti Hill, Islay Hill and the Santa Lucia foothills.
Located along the southwestern edge of the city limits of San Luis Obispo and bounded by Orcutt
Road, railroad and Tank Farm Road, the area encompasses 230 acres of land at the base of
Righetti Hill.
The Orcutt Area Specific Plan calls for a residential neighborhood with up to 979 homes and a
variety of housing types, parks and recreational opportunities including bicycle and pedestrian
paths, and natural habitat and visual resource protection in open space areas.
The City envisions the area including hillside and creek open space areas with bike and pedestrian
paths, and a public park with a potential school site surrounded by residential neighborhoods.
Table 11 below displays the status on development in the Orcutt Area.
Table 11 - Orcutt Area Development Status
Projects Address Dwellings Commercial
Sq. Ft. Status
Bullock Ranch 3580 Bullock 192 Planning Entitlements – Under Review
Pratt Property 3750 Bullock 35 3,400 Planning Entitlements - Approved
Public Improvements - Under Review
Imel Ranch 3777 Orcutt 18
Planning Entitlements - Pending ARC Review
Public Improvements - Under Review
Building Permits Issued – Under Construction
South Morros 3725 Orcutt 53
Planning Entitlements - Approved
Public Improvements - Under Construction
Building Permits Issued – Under Construction
Vinifera 3700 Ranch
House 40 Planning Entitlements – Under Review
Righetti Ranch
Subdivision 3987 Orcutt 304
Planning Entitlements - Approved
Public Improvements - Under Construction
Building Permits Issued – Under Construction
Jones Subdivision 3761 Orcutt 65 15,070
Planning Entitlements - Approved
Public Improvements - Under Construction
Building Permits Issued – Under Construction
West Creek:
Vintage & Noveno 1355 Orcutt 172
Planning Entitlements - Approved
Public Improvements - Under Construction
Building Permits Issued – Under Construction
Attachment 1Item 3
Packet Page 158
Airport Area Specific Plan - Avila
Ranch Development Plan
On September 19, 2017, the City Council
approved the Avila Ranch project to
enable the development of 720
residential units and 15,000 square feet
of neighborhood commercial uses on a
150-acre site north of Buckley Road
within the boundaries of the Airport Area
Specific Plan (“AASP”). The project also
includes 18 acres of parks and 53 acres of
designated open space within the project
boundaries. The project will implement
the policies and development parameters in the recent Land Use and Circulation Elements (LUCE)
update, other elements of the General Plan, Airport Area Spec ific Plan (AASP), and the City’s
Community Design Guidelines. The project is the development of a major new City
neighborhood, which will be governed by a Development Plan within the framework of the
existing AASP as amended.
The project will address housing affordability in several ways, most notably through the design
itself, which includes cluster development and many medium and high-density housing units (197
R-3 units and 125 R-4 units), as well as R-2 units that have floor areas that are well below the
typical average for single-family detached units in the community. The project will include 71
inclusionary housing units that will be met through a combination of construction (67 units),
dedicated land (1.2 acres for 24 low income units) and payment of in-lieu fees (4 units). In
addition, the project includes design and development strategies that serve to provide lower cost
housing by providing for a range of housing sizes and types, greater number of lower income
Inclusionary housing units than required by Ordinance (32 provided; 23 required), larger
affordable housing site (1.2 acres provided; 1 acre required), local preference (none required),
owner occupancy restrictions (none required), workforce housing incentive pro gram (25 units
provided; none required) and down payment assistance ($500,000 provided; none required).
These are contractual requirements of the Affordable and Workforce Housing Plan in the Council -
adopted Development Agreement pursuant to Ordinance No. 1639 (2017 Series). The project will
likely be developed over a period of 10-15 years.
Avila Ranch Site Plan
Attachment 1Item 3
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San Luis Ranch Specific Plan
The Council approved San Luis Ranch
Specific Plan project includes a mix of
580 residential units that would be
located primarily at the
north/northwest portion of the site.
The project is intended to implement
the broad development parameters
set forth in the LUCE update with the
provision of housing, commercial floor
space, hotel/visitor serving uses, and
preservation of agricultural area. The
commercial portion of the project
includes up to 200,000 square feet of
general commercial/retail space,
150,000 square feet of office
development, and a 200-room hotel.
In 2019, the annexation was completed, the final map for the overall specific plan was approved,
and work continued on the establishment of a Community Facilities District (CFD), and ongoing
staff review continued on submittals for site work including grading, public improvements plans,
and infrastructure. Planning applications were also received for the Multi-Family component
which includes 298 residential units (NG-30 zone) and the Hotel Component in the NC zone which
includes a dual branded hotel with 200 rooms.
Madonna on LOVR Specific Plan (Froom Ranch Specific Plan)
The pre-application and Specific Plan and General Plan Amendment initiation request process for
the Madonna on Los Osos Valley Road (LOVR) Specific Plan was initiated in May 2015. A major
component of the Froom Ranch Specific Plan is a Life Plan Community (LPC) known as Villaggio,
which would provide a variety of independent and assisted senior living units, memory care beds;
skilled nursing beds; and a wellness center and ancillary services. In addition to the LPC, the
Specific Plan anticipates: approximately 174 multi-family units; 100,000 square feet of
commercial retail uses; a three-acre trailhead park, which would incorporate onsite historic
structures; and 59 acres of land designated for conservation/open space. Infrastructure includes
on and off-site road improvements and an offsite drainage basin.
The conceptual project was presented to the City Plann ing Commission and City Council in 2015
and 2016. In 2017, several advisory bodies were introduced to the Specific Plan, and staff and the
applicant received preliminary comments from the Parks and Recreation Commission, Cultural
Heritage Committee, and Architectural Review Commission. The Notice of Preparation of an
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) scoping meeting was held at a Planning Commission hearing
in July 2017.
San Luis Ranch Site Plan
Attachment 1Item 3
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Preparation of the Draft Environmental
Impact Report was initiated in 2018 by City-
consultant AMEC Foster-Wheeler (Wood
Environment & Infrastructure Solutions,
Inc.), including: preparation of the EIR
Project Description, peer reviews of
applicant-prepared technical studies,
submittal of supplemental technical
reports by the applicant in response to the
peer reviews, preparation of administrative
draft EIR sections, and consultation with
Native American tribal representatives.
Review steps in 2019 included additional
advisory body review and preparation and
circulation of the Draft EIR. Consideration
of the Specific Plan, General Plan
Amendment, and final environmental
document by the City is anticipated in 2020.
Attachment 1Item 3
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Municipal Code Updates
Zoning Regulations Update – Follow-Up Amendments
On February 5, 2019, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1657 (2019 Series) approving
follow-up items from the Council’s approval of the 2018 Comprehensive Update to the City’s
Zoning Regulations (Title 17) of the Municipal Code including tiny homes, accessory dwelling units
owner occupancy and lot coverage requirements, electric vehicle parking, and additional
miscellaneous clean up items.
Building Code & Reach Code Updates
In September of 2019, City Council adopted Resolution R-11044 (2019 Series) stating its
preference for all-electric buildings. Coupled with Monterey Bay Community Power’s
procurement of carbon free electricity, starting in 2020, all-electric homes are operationally
carbon neutral. It is anticipated that staff will return to Council with the Clean Energy Choice
Program in April of 2020. The Clean Energy Choice Program includes the following:
• An Ordinance adopting local amendments to the California Energy Code to incentivize all-
electric new buildings.
• An Ordinance establishing a requirement to offset new natural gas use in new buildings
with retrofits in existing buildings or payment of an in-lieu fee.
• An incentive package identifying financial, technical, and communications support
services, as well as an Ordinance providing limited regulatory incentives for all -electric
buildings.
Sign Regulations Update
The City Council adopted the Sign Regulations Update in August 2019. The comprehensive update
included the following modifications:
• Various amendments and additions to respond to the free speech case of Reed v. Gilbert.
This includes legal analysis and appropriate amendments based on the holdings of the
case that has serious implications for many jurisdictions that include regulations that are
based on the content of the message. An example of this would be that it is not
permissible to only allow signage on residential properties for a specific purpose such as
political signs or yard sales.
• Additional sign types will be added to the P rohibited Signs section such as electronic
message centers, video displays, and internally illuminated channel letters in the
Downtown.
Attachment 1Item 3
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• Addition of Design Principles to further define requirements for sign quality, proportion,
and appropriate placement.
• Updated photos and graphics for clarity on encouraged signs types and those that are
prohibited or discouraged.
• Cross references to other relevant guidelines and ordinances such as the Community
Design Guidelines, and Historic Preservation Ordinance and Hi storic Preservation
Guidelines.
• Added language for clarity on the purpose and appropriate use of Sign Programs for new
development and projects with multiple tenants.
• Added language for clarity on level of review and required findings for exceptions.
• New and updated definitions to cover newer sign types and to improve interpretation and
enforceability.
Attachment 1Item 3
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Climate Action Plan
The City’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) was adopted in 2012. The Plan contains quantified strategies
to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the community and City operations. It also
serves as the City’s Qualified GHG Reduction Strategy. Several strategies from the Climate Action
Plan were incorporated in the LUCE update. Implementing the CAP includes those actions the
City can directly impact and those actions for which the City engages the community. The City
anticipates updating its Climate Action Plan in July of 2020 and will include actions to put the
community on a path to carbon neutrality along with GHG emissions thresholds fo r new
development.
The community identified Climate Action as a Major City Goal for the 2017-2019 Financial Plan
and again in the 2019-2021 Financial Plan. The Climate Action Major City Goal in the 2019-2021
Financial Plan is focused on building agency and community capacity to implement climate action
at the speed and scale needed to address the climate crises and to begin work centered on
adaptation and resilience.
Currently, the City is 25% complete with this Major City Goal and is on-track to complete it by the
end of the 2021 Financial year. There have been many accomplishment and milestones that have
helped progress the City towards completing this Major City Goal.
In Spring of 2019, the City opened a bank of 18 electric vehicle charges at the Marsh Street
Garage. In 2019, the City also conducted planning work to construct solar arrays on City
properties in 2020 and has established a foundation to move forward with a transition to an
electric bus fleet as early as 2020.
City staff spent much of 2019 getting ready for the January 2020 launch of Monterey Bay
Community Power (MBCP). As of January 2020, MBCP is buying 100 percent carbon neutral
electricity for the community. All electricity accounts were opted in to the program and at the
time of writing this report, approximately 97 percent of accounts were participating in the
program.
In September of 2019, the City Council adopted Resolution R-11044 (2019 Series) stating its
preference for all-electric buildings. Coupled with Monterey Bay Community Power’s
procurement of carbon free electricity, all-electric homes are operationally carbon neutral. It is
anticipated that staff will return to Council with the Clean Energy Choice Program in April of
2020, as described above.
Attachment 1Item 3
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Economic Development
On October 16, 2012 the City Council approved the adoption of the Economic Development
Strategic Plan (EDSP). The EDSP was revised on March 17, 2015. The EDSP focuses on creating a
system that supports and sustains industries creating head of household jobs. The EDSP is
organized into four overarching strategies:
• Break Down Barriers to Job Creation
• Actively Support Knowledge & Innovation
• Promote and Enhance the San Luis Obispo Quality of Life
• Build on Existing Efforts and Strengthen Regional Partnerships
As part of the City’s effort to build on existing efforts and strengthen regional partnerships, in
2019 the City, in cooperation with the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG), the
Economic Vitality Corporation (EVC) and Beacon Economics, was able to secure and continues to
access data from the California Employment Development Departments.
According to the 2018 Central Coast Economic Forecast Report, from 2016 to 2017, payrolls in
the City of San Luis Obispo grew 2.6%, and with 1,350 new jobs, the City had the highest number
of new jobs in the County. The Manufacturing sector, Wholesale Trade sector, Retail Trade sector,
and Government sector added a significant number of new jobs in the City of San Luis Obispo
during this time period. In addition, 45% of the jobs in the County are within the City . The latest
reports can be found on the City’s website under the Economic Development Program.
Public Infrastructure Financing
In April 2018, the City adopted updated development impact fees that are charged to new
development for a range of transportation, parks, public safety, and water and sewer capital
facilities and infrastructure that are imp ortant to the City’s future and quality of life. The
economic vitality of the City is linked to critical investment in its urban infrastructure system. The
City’s changing economic circumstances, approval of new Specific Plans, and implementation of
the City’s Public Infrastructure Financing Framework policies, which warranted the update of
existing fees and the creation of new fees. In addition, the City has implemented two different
Community Facilities Districts. The first is in the Avila Ranch Area for the purpose of funding
maintenance services on public infrastructure. The second is in the San Luis Ranch Area for the
purpose of funding construction of public infrastructure. New budget policies in the 2019-21
Financial Plan guide City decision-making with respect to these types of land-based financings.
Attachment 1Item 3
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Tourism and Community Promotions
The City’s Tourism and Community Promotions activities remain
a vital economic development function for the City of San Luis
Obispo. The 2019 year produced strong growth in the
tourism industry in San Luis Obispo. The City collected nearly
$8.3 million dollars (+7.5%) in transient occupancy tax (TOT).
This significant increase in TOT collection can be attributed
to two factors: a full year of TOT through the voluntary
collection agreement with Airbnb that started in August
2018, and the opening of two new lodging properties in San
Luis Obispo accounting for approximately 180 new rooms. The
City experienced a slight decrease in occupancy resulting in the
annual average occupancy rate of 70%, while the Average Daily Rate (ADR) increased to $157.60.
Additionally, the downtown Visitor Center served over 80,000 in person guests and San Luis
Obispo lodging properties achieved over twenty-nine near sell out weekends in 2019.
In 2019, tourism efforts lead by the City’s Tourism Business Improvement (TBID) District included:
• A creative refresh of the destination brand campaign “Be Here” designed to bring
humanity back into travel by selling the feeling of SLO, from landscapes to people ; and
• Selling Out “Money for a Rainy Day” Promotion targeted at incentivizing over-night stays
during a slow travel period; and
• Participation in out-of-market consumer travel shows like the Los Angeles and Bay Area
Travel & Adventure Shows and Taste Washington in Seattle; and
• Development of the Strategic Tourism Communications Plan; and
• The initial implementation of two-year Tourism Marketing Plan for 2018-2020.
During the 2019 , tourism promotion activities generated at least 228 total mentions or media
placements that highlighted San Luis Obispo, in a range of publications from the Los Angeles
Times to Travel & Leisure. Additionally, coordinated media visits were secured to promote the
destination with the goal of earning valuable editorial coverage. In 2019, over 30 media outlets,
both domestic and international were hosted in San Luis Obispo. In 2019, the outreach also
included a digital influencer program which focused on micro-influencers that were hosted in San
Luis Obispo in exchange for social media and blog coverage.
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The Promotional Coordinating Committee (PCC) continued the commitment to enhance the San
Luis Obispo experience for residents as well as visitors. The PCC funded vital promotional grants
to over 25 local non-profit organizations through the annual grants-in-aid process to enrich the
social, cultural, and diverse community events and activities available throughout the City.
Additionally, the PCC provided financial and program support to boost the visitor service
offerings in the City through the funding of programs like the tear-off City maps for visitors and
financial contribution to the operational costs for the downtown Visitors Center. In 2019, the PCC
executed a community placemaking and beatification effort which included the design of two
banner series that were displayed in the downtown in the late-summer and then holiday seasons.
Homestay Rentals
In 2015 the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1611 (2015 Series) to develop rules and
requirements for short-term rentals (commonly referred to as the Homestay program) to protect
public health, safety, and welfare within the City.
Since the ordinance’s adoption, the City has approved over 110 Homestay Permits. In an effort
to ensure that Homestays are operating in compliance with the ordinance, the Community
Development Department began proactive compliance enforcement. This work effort consists of
maintaining a database of active permitted and unpermitted homestay within the City’s
jurisdiction; ongoing monitoring for compliance with zoning and permit compliance, including
systematic outreach to non-compliant homestay property owners; and tax remittance
monitoring. From 2018 to 2019, homestay permit applications increased 150%, due in-part to
the proactive compliance efforts of code enforcement staff. Since August 2018, to further
support the ongoing tax remittance, the City reached an agreement with Airbnb to collect
Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT) and any other required assessments, including Tourism
Marketing District (TMD) and Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) assessments, that
are generated by the operation of a homestay.
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Policy Initiatives
In 2019, the City completed a few new policy initiatives across a wide variety of subject areas
with the support of all City departments. Those initiatives included:
Cannabis Ordinance
The City began accepting applications for Cannabis Commercial Business Operator Permits in
2019. In the first application period in January, the City received 12 applications in total. These
included 9 applications for retail stores, 2 applications for delivery, and 1 application for a
microbusiness. One delivery service received their operator permit and use permit and opened
for business in November 2019. The microbusiness also received their operator permit and is
looking to apply for their use permit in 2020. Of the 9 retail stores, two have received their
operator permit and use permits which allow them to open their business in the City. The retail
stores are looking to open their businesses to the public in 2020.
During the second application window, July 1 to July 31, 2019, one operator applied for a retail
non-storefront delivery business permit. The applicant was held to a 70% scoring threshold of
total available points to qualify for a contingent operator permit, which was not met, and a
contingent operator permit was not granted.
On December 3, 2019 minor updates to the Merit Criteria were adopted by the City Council. The
minor updates made clarifications to the Merit Criteria which were informed through feedback
from two application periods from the cannabis review panel, internal multi -department staff
teams, consultant recommendations and best practices from other municipalities. Another
update to the Merit Criteria was a requirement that all cannabis applicants achieve a 70% scoring
threshold from the total available points to qualify for continge nt operator permits. In addition,
the City Council voted in favor to amend Chapter 9.10 of the City’s Municipal Code to clarify that
unsuccessful applicants are able to apply during separate application periods in the same year.
Tiny Homes on Wheels
Tiny homes have been a policy focus area in the Housing Major City Goal. The scope of work
developed for the Zoning Regulations Update included specific outreach and discussion about
how to evaluate whether tiny homes and in particular, tiny homes on wheels sho uld be regulated
in the City. Staff has focused on how existing regulations should be revised to accommodate tiny
homes on wheels in backyards of single-family homes as a temporary housing alternative.
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Water Supply
In 2019, the City obtained water from four sources: Salinas Reservoir (Santa Margarita Lake);
Whale Rock Reservoir; Nacimiento Reservoir; and recycled water from the City’s Water Resource
Recovery Facility (WRRF).
Table 12 - City Water Resource Availability
Water Resource 2019 Annual Availability
Salinas Reservoir (Santa Margarita Lake) and Whale Rock
Reservoir 4,910 AF Safe Annual Yield1
Nacimiento Reservoir 5,482 AF Dependable Yield2
Recycled Water 244 AF 2017 Annual Usage3
Siltation to 2060 (500 AF) WWME Policy4
A$4.2.24 TOTAL 10,136 AF
Source: 2019 Water Resources Status Report, Utilities Department, 2019.
1Safe Annual Yield is the quantity of water which can be withdrawn every year while operating both reservoirs in coordinated
operations under critical drought conditions. The City’s Safe Annual Yield Model was updated in 2018 to reflect drought
conditions that ended in 2017.
2Dependable Yield is the contractual amount of water the City has right to from Nacimiento Reservoir.
3The quantity of recycled water included is the actual prior year’s recycled water usage (2017) per WWEA7.2.2.
4Reservoir siltation is a natural occurrence that reduces storage capacity over long periods, resulting in the reduction of safe
annual yield.
In 2019, availability from these sources equaled
10,136 acre-feet, as shown in Table 12. This supply
meets the projected primary water supply need at
General Plan build out of 7,496 acre-feet, plus an
additional 1,227 acre-feet for a reliability reserve
and a secondary water supply of 1,413 acre-feet.
The primary water supply was calculated using the
City’s build-out population (57,200 people) and the
water use rate of 117 gallons per capita. The
reliability reserve was calculated using the City’s
2019 population (46,802) and 20 percent of the
aforementioned water use rate. The secondary
water supply includes the remaining water
resources. Additional information is available in the
City’s annual Water Resources Status Report. The
2019 Report is available at the Utilities Department
website:
https://www.slocity.org/government/department-
directory/utilities-department/documents-and-files.
Santa Margarita Lake
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Circulation
Transportation Improvements
The following transportation planning projects and programs were implemented in 2019,
consistent with goals and policies in the Circulation Element of the General Plan.
Vehicular
Numerous traffic signal and intersection optimization improvements were completed a s part of
the City’s Traffic Operations Program and ongoing traffic signal management responsibilities.
• Numerous traffic safety improvements were implemented as part of the City’s Traffic
Safety Program including striping modifications and sign replacements.
• Design for signal upgrades at the Marsh/Broad Street intersection underway, with plans
to add signal poles with mast arms, upgraded crosswalks, and a corner bulbout.
Construction planned for 2020.
• Design for the California/Taft Roundabout is
underway. Acquisition of right-of-way is
currently in progress.
• Design for a roundabout at Orcutt and Tank
Farm is complete. Construction is planned to
begin during summer of 2020.
• Four roundabouts were constructed during
2019, all in the Orcutt Area, including Tank
Farm & Righetti, Ranch House & Tiburon,
Bullock & Tiburon and Orcutt & Ranch House.
• Two mobile speed feedback trailers were
deployed at over 50 locations consistent with
the City’s radar sign program.
• Progress continues with
preliminary engineering and
environmental review for the
Prado Road/US 101 Interchange
Project and Prado Road Bridge
Replacement over San Luis
Obispo Creek, with construction
anticipated to begin for both
projects in 2022.
Rendering of Future Prado Road/US 101
InterchangeNew roundabout at Tank Farm &
Righetti
Rendering of Future Prado Road/US 101 Interchange
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Bicycle / Pedestrian
• Roadway reconstruction on Broad Street from Tank
Farm to the southern city limits included curb ramp
improvements and installation of buffered bike lanes
which provide width for future installation of physical
barriers for protected bike lanes (“cycle tracks”).
• Phase two of the Anholm
Neighborhood Greenway Plan is
currently in design including a
multiuse pathway through the Latter
Day Saint’s Church property to
Ramona and separated bicycle
facilities from Ramona into downtown
via Broad and Chorro Street. Various
pedestrian improvements include
sidewalk extensions, new curb ramps
and hi visibility crosswalks at select
locations. Construction is planned for
early 2021.
Rendering of Future Prado Road/US
101 InterchangeCompleted Broad
Street Improvements
Rendering of Future Prado
Road/US 101 Interchange Broad
Street before improvements
Rendering of Future Anholm Bikeway
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• The City’s first Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon was
completed on Foothill Boulevard at Ferrini and
included innovative design elements such as a
signalized bike crossing, a two-stage left turn bike
box, a separated bicycle refuge lane and traffic
calming elements on Ferrini. These improvements
are the first phase of implementing the Anholm
Neighborhood Greenway Plan.
• Pedestrian improvements in the downtown
area included installation of rectangular rapid
flashing beacons on Marsh at Garden and Morro Street between Monterey and Palm.
• Design for the Downtown Bollard project is underway to increase safety during downtown
events such as Farmer’s Market.
Staff continued progress with developing the
city’s first Active Transportation Plan, a
comprehensive blueprint to guide future
bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs
citywide. Activities included several public
outreach events, including formal evening
workshops and casual neighborhood “pop-up”
events to encourage participation from
community-members who may not typically
attend formal weeknight meetings.
• Design for a pedestrian hybrid beacon on Broad Street at Woodbridge is underway to
improve conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians crossing the south Broad Street corridor.
Construction is planned for summer 2020.
• Staff completed design, permitting and right-of-way acquisition for the Railroad Safety
Trail (Taft to Pepper) project, clearing the way to begin construction summer of 2020.
Rendering of Future Prado Road/US 101
InterchangePedestrian Hybrid Beacon at Foothill &
Ferrini
Rendering of Future Prado Road/US 101
InterchangeCommunity residents at an ATP
Outreach Event
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• Staff completed a Project Study Report for a new
spur of the Bob Jones Trail west of Highway 101,
connecting Calle Joaquin with the Oceanaire
neighborhood. In fall of 2019, the City Council adopted
a modified project alignment which will include
physically separated protected bike lanes (“cycle
tracks”) along Los Osos Valley Road between Calle
Joaquin & Froom Ranch, increasing safety and mobility
for active transportation users.
• Two streetlights near Cal Poly were installed in 2019: Hathway at Via Carta and Grand at
Fredericks. Staff is currently working with PG&E to install standard streetlights at 6
additional locations. In addition, staff has been investigating solar streetligh t products
and plans to proceed with pilot installations in 2020 .
• In May 2019, the City participated in Active Transportation educational and promotional
activities including Bike Month, with a bike breakfast on the steps of City Hall, Rideshare
Week, as well as Walk and Bike to School Days.
• In November 2019, Public Works and Police Departments partnered up for a successful
bike light giveaway “pop-up” event on the Railroad Safety Trail near Cal Poly. Over 300
bike lights were mounted onto bicycles as they passed by.
• In May 2019, the City held its annual Bicycle Rodeo instructing City youth on safe bicycling
techniques and proper riding habits.
• The City’s supply of short-term bicycle parking continued to expand as part of the City’s
“Racks with Plaques” bicycle rack donation program.
• Bike valet parking service continued at the weekly Thursday night Farmer’s Market and
during the summertime Concerts in the Plaza. Additionally, policy updates require bike
valet to be provided at qualifying special events.
• The City collaborated with Bike SLO County and other community volunteers to offer
bicycle safety education training.
• The Public Works Department targeted Cal Poly’s Week of Welcome (WOW) for the
promotion of bicycle-on transit use.
• The City provided annual bicycling awareness training to SLO Transit drivers.
• The City conducted its twelfth annual Halloween Traffic Safety campaign passing out
3,700 reflective Halloween bags to elementary school students.
Rendering of Future Prado Road/US 101
InterchangeNew Bob Jones Trail Extension
rendering
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Transit
SLO Transit operations performed as follows:
• In FY 2019, SLO Transit’s ridership was up 4% from the prior fiscal year (945,288 total
rides) and reached 981,995.
• Summer Youth Ride Free totaled 7,606 rides (June – Aug 2019). Summer Youth Ride Free
is a regionwide program that gives K-12 youth positive exposure to public transit.
• Rideshare Week reached 25,997 rides (Oct 2019). Rideshare Week is a positive effort to
promote smart, healthy, and sustainable commutes.
• In FY 2019, SLO Transit continues to hold strong on time operational performance at 98%
Below is a summary of transit projects implemented:
• After a successful 2018 initial pilot project, the City of SLO and County of SLO have
expanded the Route 1B to also serve the airport for twice hourly bus service to the airport.
• Six solar powered bus information signs with real-time departure and schedule where
installed throughout the City.
• Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) Replacement Project (Apr 2019) included fleet
enhancement with an updated automatic voice annunciation system; safety
enhancements i.e. reactive interior LED floor lighting; passenger infotainment display
with vehicle location, rider alerts, and promotions.
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Parking Management
Below is a summary of some of the major focus areas related to Parking Management in 2019:
1. A new service provider to process parking citations is in its second year of operations for the
City with modifications being made for easier portal access.
2. New Parking Revenue and Access Control (PARC’S) equipment is being installed in all
structures that will update reporting capabilities and data sharing for the public. The project
is underway and anticipated to be completed in early 2 020.
3. All parking structures are now equipped to accept credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American
Express, and Discover). Credit card acceptance makes the exiting process faster for customers
and reduces the amount of cash the Booth Attendants must handle. New Pay of Foot
machines have been installed as part of the PARC’s project.
4. Parking Services coordinated with the Parks and Recreation Department to install decorative
vinyl wraps on all the parking booths.
5. Parking services assisted in construction activities in a number of large-scale development
projects in the downtown area including reestablishing parking for the Hotel SLO and Hotel
Cerro projects.
6. Two new accessible on street spaces were installed in Downtown.
7. The Environmental Impact Report for the Palm-Nipomo Parking Structure project was
certified and adopted by the Council and project design was approved. Final design is
underway with construction expected to begin in fall 2020.
8. Nineteen public charging stations were in stalled in the bottom floor of the Marsh Street
Parking Structure – the largest public EV station project to date between Santa Monica and
the Bay Area.
9. Worked with Downtown SLO and others to conduct media campaigns on how to better access
Downtown and promote a Park & Walk philosophy.
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Safety
Emergency Preparedness and Response: Fire Department
Safety Element Policy 9.1 states that there should be adequate planning, organization , and
resources for emergency preparedness and emergency response. Staff has made several
accomplishments in 2019 to meet this policy and have highlighted some of them below.
Engine 3: In 2019 the City of San Luis Obispo Fire
Department (SLOFD) replaced a vital piece of
apparatus in its fleet. Engine 3, a 2003 Type 1 fire
pumper, was replaced with a new modern unit
that meets current national, state and department
standards. The new Engine operates much more
efficiently with reduced emissions, increased
pump capacity (2,000 gpm) and has several added
safety features for firefighters. The replaced
engine will go into reserve status to ensure the
department maintains an adequate number of
resources, should an existing front-line unit go out of service, or additional staff and equipment
is needed in response to major incidents occurring in the City. Engine 3 will remain in front -line
status for the next 16 years.
Emergency Response: In 2019 SLOFD responded to over 6,000 incidents from four strategically
placed fire stations throughout the City, which was an increase of over 5.5% from 2018. This was
accomplished with daily minimum staffing of 14 sworn personnel. To help maintain the daily
minimum of emergency response personnel, the City ha s invested in two important programs
including a functional movement program to reduce the occurrence and severity of physical
injuries and a new Peer Support Team Program to maintain behavioral/mental health.
After transitioning to the Fire Department’s data and report management system, ImageTrend,
in 2017 SLOFD has an increased ability to analyze response data including response times. Safety
Element Program 9.3 provides response performance standards for the City which states that the
Fire Department has set a response-time objective of four minutes and to meet this standard 95
percent of the time. Staff will be updating this metric as part of the next Safety Element update
to reflect Total Response Time (TRT) which includes time from 911 call pickup at the Emergency
Communication Center (ECC) to the time the first fire unit arrives at scene. The TRT objective will
be 7 minutes or less to 90% of all light-and-siren emergency in the City.
Public Information: SLOFD increased the service of Public Information in 2019 by sending staff
to a grant funded training provided locally at the California Specialized Training Institute and by
formalizing a Public Information Officer role within the department. With the formalized role, the
department created a recorded Newsline to provide the media with accurate and timely incident
information, increased social media presence and increased the number of press releases
highlighting department activities and accomplishments. Public Information plays a critical role
in educating the public to reduce the severity of emergencies and allows the public to make the
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right decisions during an emergency. Since the formation of a formal PIO, the department’s
twitter account has seen a 124% increase in average monthly impressions for a current average
of 58,240 impression since September.
Figure 3 - Average Monthly Twitter Impressions
Source: SLO Fire Department, 2019
Coordinated Emergency Planning: Safety Element Program 9.6 states that the City will work
withing the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), an emergency response and
coordination system used throughout California. Additionally, the City will participate in periodic
disaster-response drills, on a regional basis with all involved jurisdictions and involving the media.
In 2019, the Fire Department conducted its biennial FRPOD drill at Station 1 in coordination with
the County Department of Public Health. This was a mass vaccination drill utilizing County
employees and SLOFD. The drill consisted of administering the flu vaccine to First Responders,
City and County employees, and family members to improve preparedness i n the event of a
significant public health threat to the community. At this drill, 272 vaccines were administered.
The Fire Department coordinated with every City department to ensure all employees, including
City Council, have completed the proper SEMS and National Incident Management System
(NIMS) training courses. This training is a requirement to receive Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) assistance during a disaster. City employees are required to take a
combination of IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, IS-800, and IS-908 to prepare to be a disaster service
worker during an emergency or disaster. Additionally, staff has worked with Human Resources
to ensure that new employees complete the necessary training in relation to their job in the City.
Additionally, SLOFD was awarded a FEMA grant to attend a Community Specific Integrated
Emergency Management Course to be held at FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute in
Emmitsburg, Maryland in July of 2020. The Grant offers a weeklong training course in emergency
management and emergency operation center activation and disaster recovery. All travel,
lodging and tuition expenses for up to 75 staff members and cooperating/partner agencies are
covered by the Grant.
-
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
Pre-PIO (9/2014 - 8/2019)With PIO (9/2019 - Present)ImpressionsAverage Monthly Twitter Impressions
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Lastly, SLOFD worked collaboratively with all City Departments to develop a stand-alone
Continuity of Operations Plan for Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event. The Continuity of
Operations Plan for PSPS event was prepared by the City of San Luis Obispo Leadership Team to
develop, implement, and maintain City operations. This plan (annex) serves as an extension of
the City of San Luis Obispo Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and provides additional information
specific to extended power outages in the City. This plan will be reviewed and exercised
periodically and revised as necessary to satisfy changing conditions and needs.
Preparedness Education: Safety Element Policy 9.14 states that Citizens should be well informed
of hazards and ways to minimize the effects of disasters.
During the 2019 Fire Prevention Week SLOFD presented a safety
message to school children in local schools with the theme of
“Not every hero wears a cape. Plan and Practice your Escape”.
The message included how to plan your escape route, test your
smoke alarms, choosing an outside meeting place and practicing
a home fire drill. The department completed the Fire Prevention
Week activities with the annual Open House and provided
emergency preparedness information to residents and visitors.
There were an additional 32 events held throughout the year,
reaching over 2,700 participants, including station tours, school
visits and special events.
In September, the department held its first public Disaster Preparedness workshop at the
community library room. City staff provided the public with information needed to minimize the
effects of disasters with handouts and tri-fold poster boards. Approximately 100 community
members attended this event. Staff intends to hold these workshops 2 -3 times each year.
Staff created 29 emergency preparedness handouts consisting of
topics such as preparing a 72-hour kit, power safety shut off,
storm preparedness, wildfire safety and general home fire safety.
Theses handouts are made available at all public education
events, for walk-ins at Station 1 and the department website.
Staff created a series of videos related to fire safety and disaster
preparedness, including a Public Safety Power Shutoff 6-minute
video. All videos are made available on the department website,
shared routinely on the department’s social media feed and will
be broadcasted on Channel 20.
The department website was revamped to include the aforementioned handouts and videos.
Additionally, the department has increased a significant amount of social med ia activity through
the department’s twitter account. The combination of these changes led to a 9% increase in
department website clicks for a total of 35,536 clicks in 2019.
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Hazard Mitigation: Fire Department
In 2019, SLOFD collaborated with other City Departments and community agencies to develop a
Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). This HMP will serve as the required update to
the City’s 2014 Local HMP (LHMP). The LHMP is incorporated by reference into the Safety
Element and should be consulted when addressing known hazards to ensure the general health
and safety of people within the City of San Luis Obispo. It provides guidance on how to reduce
the community’s vulnerability to natural hazards. A grant was awarded to San Luis Obispo County
to develop the countywide HMP. The cost of developing a regional HMP decreases the cost to
local municipalities, and the management of HMP development is a shared function across
participating agencies. Another significant benefit will be realized by regional organizations that
participate in the LHMP process, particularly those organizations that serve several jurisdictions,
such as hospitals, school districts, California Highway Patrol, and others. These organizations will
be able to participate fully in one planning process, rather than figure out a way to participate in
the HMP processes of multiple agencies. This plan calls for annual stakeholder meetings to
update progress and identify collaborative opportunities. The City is required to maintain a
current HMP, which must be updated every five years. Maintaining a current HMP allows the City
to apply for State and Federal reimbursement in the event that the City is impacted by a disaster.
The draft Multi-Jurisdictional HMP was completed in November of 2019 and is anticipated to be
ready for adoption in the Spring of 2020 after Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
and California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) reviews and approves the plan.
Safety Element Policy 9.0 states that the City should take several steps in avoiding and mitigating
hazards. As part of hazard mitigation, SLOFD finalized the City’s first Community Wildfire
Protection Plan (CWPP) in July of 2019 and presented the plan to City Council on September 3rd.
The CWPP is a collaborative plan to guide the City in addressing fire protection planning efforts
occurring in the City to minimize wildfire risk to watershed lands, assets, firefighters and the
public. The CWPP presents the City’s physical and social characteristics, wildfire history, identifies
and evaluates landscape-scale fire hazard variables, utilizes priority landscape datasets for
evaluating wildfire risk, identifies strategic measures for reducing structural ignitability, public
education, and outreach, and identifies strategic fuel reduction goals and techniques for
minimizing wildfire risk. The CWPP is intended to be a living document managed and updated by
the City Fire Department with stakeholder input and involvement.
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Staff Training: Police Department
Safety Element Program 9.4 states that the City will train police officers and other City employees
to levels appropriate for their tasks & responsibilities. In 2019, the Police Department employed
61 sworn positions and 29.5 non-sworn positions, for a total of 90.5 full-time employees. As
noted in the 2018 Capital Facilities Fee Program Nexus Study (i.e. AB 1600 Nexus Study), the
service population (combination of workers and residents) of 72,800. With the current 61 sworn
officers, the current service level is a ratio of 0.84 sworn officers per 1,000 service population. At
General Plan buildout, the service population is forecasted to grow by approximately 15,500, so
if the same service level ratio was applied, the City would need 13 more sworn officers by 2035.
The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), which mandates
minimum content and hours for basic and in-service training, regulates the training of police
officers and communication technicians. The Police Department maintained compliance with
POST requirements for in-service training hours for required employees. This was accomplished
in 2019 by sending employees to POST-certified training courses in various topics, with the
associated costs reimbursed by POST, and by providing in -house training for employees.
In 2019 we continued our commitment to having 100% of our staff trained in Crisis Intervention
Training (CIT). As new employees are hired, they are sent to CIT training as soon as possible to
maintain our commitment to having a fully trained CIT staff. The primary goals of CIT is to reduce
injuries to officers and mental health consumers during contacts, and to appropriately redirect
mental health consumers from the judicial system to the services and support needed to stabilize
consumers and reduce contact with police.
In 2019 all Police Officers attended an 8-hour Principled Policing class that taught relevant
concepts to the national police narrative. The objective of the course was to unpack the concept
of procedural justice and how it strengthens the relationship of trust b etween police and
communities, and to present the concept of implicit bias. The most important aspects of
procedural justice are giving people the opportunity to tell their side of the story, remaining
neutral in decision-making and behavior, treating people with respect, and explaining actions in
a way that communicates caring for people’s concerns so as to demonstrate trustworthiness.
The San Luis Obispo Police Department (SLOPD) also conducts in -house training through the use
of employees who are certified instructors in a variety of police-related job functions, including
defensive tactics, mobile field force, active shooter and use of firearms. In addition to the
standard police training the department successfully completed our first year with a robust Peer
Support Team to help officers after tragic or traumatic events. The Peer Support Team has been
trained to deal with a wide variety of potential problems and has the ability to give direct
counseling or direct those in need to the proper resources. They have implemented a monthly
employee wellness newsletter providing outreach and information on a regular basis to staff.
Peer Support has provided their expertise to surrounding Law Enforcement agencies over the
past year in response to critical incidents in those jurisdictions. The Police Department is
currently in the final stages of researching the implementation of a comfort dog to aid the Peer
Support Team to improve overall employee wellness.
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Staff Training: Fire Department
Safety Element Program 9.4 states that the will train fire fighters, police officers, building
inspectors, and public works and utilities staff to levels appropriate for their tasks and
responsibilities. In 2019, the fire department employed 45 sworn positions and 12 non-
sworn positions for a total of 57 full-time employees.
Sworn employees logged 9,969 hours of training in 2019, a 3,107 hour increase over the
previous year. Employees who participated in the Joint Apprenticeship Committee (JAC)
registered 7,368 hours; an increase of 4,000 hours from 2018 to 2019. JAC provides
reimbursable funds back to the department. The increase resulted in over $22,700 funds
returned to the department; an increase of $12,000 from 2018 to 2019. Increase training
results in a higher skilled and educated professional firefighter.
Non-sworn employees attended several key
trainings to maintain levels appropriate for their
tasks and responsibilities in 2019. Some of these
trainings include: fire plan review, fire
investigation, wildfire investigation, Peace Officer
Standards and Training (POST) interview and
interrogation, POST PC832 powers of arrest,
hazardous materials first responder, technician
and specialist refresher, post disaster safety
assessment program, Pierce apparatus training
and fire mechanic state certification. Staff also invested significant time and effort to
revamp the Recruit Firefighter Academy to be entry-level focused. The new “task-based”
academy focuses on proficiency-based instruction and testing which promotes modern
and best practice firefighter skills. The previously structured Recruit Academy length had
not been sufficient to accommodate the content necessary to meet the requirements of
the new format. Additionally, the Probationary Task-Book was updated to reflect these
changes, improve in-service training and increase performance of the firefighters.
California Incident Command Certification System (CICCS): The California Incident Command
Certification System (CICCS) is a cooperative effort between the State Fire Marshal’s Office and
the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, Fire and Rescue Branch. CICCS is an all -
hazard qualification and certification system that enhances the ability of the Stat e of California
to deploy firefighting resources to complex and catastrophic incidents with trained and qualified
personnel. Development of personnel in key field positions minimum training standards,
qualification, and experience requirements when assigned to wildland/urban interface incidents.
These expanded roles allow for a greater depth of knowledge and qualification that further
improves personnel capabilities.
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Mutual and Automatic Aid: Police
Section 9.10 of the Safety Element indicates that the City will work with other jurisdictions to
obtain and follow adequate mutual-aid and automatic-aid agreements. In 2019 there were no
requests for mutual-aid to the San Luis Obispo Police Department for natural disasters. The
Police Department provides Officers to assist surrounding Law Enforcement agencies with
various special events including parades, protests, special events and large-scale investigations.
This past year our Officers assisted many agencies local Police Departments including Santa
Maria, Pismo Beach, Paso Robles, Morro Bay, Atascadero and the Sheriff’s Department. In
return, many of these agencies assist the San Luis Obispo Police Department in several of our
large scale events including the Women’s March and the Holiday Parade.
SLOPD continued coordination efforts with the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office in facilitating
mobile field force training. Law Enforcement personnel throughout the county had the
opportunity to be involved in mobile field force scenario-based training and become familiar with
each other’s policies and practices in the event of an actual significant event.
The City has participated in a regional Special Weapons and Tactics Team (Regional SWAT) since
2008. The Regional SWAT team allows participating cities to leverage limited resources and
maximize coordination and special expertise during critical incidents. In 2019 the SWAT team
conducted monthly training exercises along with three scenario-based training days in
conjunction with the San Luis Obispo Crisis Negotiation Team.
Mutual and Automatic Aid: Fire
Safety Element Program 9.10 states that the City will work with other jurisdictions to obtain and
follow adequate mutual-aid and automatic-aid agreements. SLOFD deployed on many requests
for Mutual Aid throughout the State in 2019, including devastating fires in Los Angeles, Mariposa
& Sonoma Counties as well as the Angeles, Inyo, Klamath, Los Padres & Plumas National Forests.
Locally, SLOFD assisted with a fire in the Lopez Lake area east of Arroyo Grande. In total, the Fire
Department sent 16 different staff members, some to multiple incidents, who spent a total of
4,852 personnel hours committed to mutual aid incidents, which equates to over two-hundred
and two (202) 24-hour days.
Fire personnel who are deployed to large-scale incidents receive invaluable on-the-job training,
and the costs associated with their deployment are reimbursed to the City. The statewide mutual
aid system that redeploys SLOFD personnel to assist communities in need is the same system
that sends non-local fire crews to our area when we are in need of assistance.
SLOFD is also a member of the Regional Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), County Hazardous
Materials Response Team, County Fire Investigation Strike Team, County Critical Incident Stress
Debriefing Team, and Incident Command on the County Type III XSL Incident Management Team.
These regional teams provide exceptional service to the communities of participating agencies at
a fraction of the cost of providing that service autonomously.
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Community Action Team (CAT)
CAT Officers continue to identify problems and crime trends that negatively impact the quality
of life of residents, business owners and visitors. CAT Officers have focused on several individuals
in our community who are involved in adverse and repetitive criminal activities that negatively
impact our community. They have been successful in working with others to find alternatives to
incarceration that include enhanced and focused service placement and transitional housing. The
program has continued to grow and the relationships in the court system have proven very
valuable. This past year the department completed our first full year of service working with a
Transitions Mental Health Association specialist on the CAT team. This partnership has brought
the mental health services with the community to a higher level and has been extremely
successful. This added resource has helped tremendously support the growing needs of the
many chronic offenders who suffer from mental health disorders.
CAT officers work collaboratively with a myriad of individuals and groups, including patrol
officers, investigators, the Neighborhood Outreach Manager, other city departments, social
service providers, business groups, and other governmental agencies as appropriate. One
example of their collaboration with other Departments is the implementation of a GiS Mapping
program which allows the Rangers, Public Works and CAT to track homeless encampments
throughout the city using GPS.
Multi-Dwelling Property Inspection Program
Multi-Dwelling Property Inspection Program: Under the direction of the Fire Marshal, the Fire
Prevention Bureau inspects all multi-dwelling properties (three or more units) in the City to
ensure that they meet a reasonable degree of fire and life safety. This state-mandated program
helps safeguard residents and visitors who patronize local hotels and generates approximately
$260,000 in annual revenue that offsets implementation costs. The Fire Prevention Bureau
completed about 1,010 inspections of apartments, hotels, and fraternity/sorority houses in 2019.
Fire and Life Safety Inspections
Fire and Life Safety Inspections: SLOFD engine companies completed over 1,257 fire and life
safety inspections in 2019. In addition, Fire Prevention Bureau staff completed over 590
inspections of industrial facilities, schools, hospitals and nursing homes, day care centers and
assisted living centers, and large public assembly occupancies. A portion of these inspections
resulted in Fire Code operating permits, which generated about $100,000 in annual revenue.
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Hazardous Materials Inspections
Hazardous Materials Inspections: The Fire
Prevention Bureau serves as a
“Participating Agency” in the County’s
Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA).
Businesses that use or store hazardous
materials in an appreciable quantity,
generate hazardous wastes, or operate
underground or aboveground petroleum
storage tanks are subject to inspection.
The Hazardous Materials Coordinator
conducted 271 facility inspections in 2019,
which generated over $140,000 in permit
fee revenue.
Vegetation Management
Vegetation Management: While fewer weed complaints were fielded by the Fire Prevention
Bureau in 2019, there was again a significant increase in complaints regarding dead pine trees
due to the pitch canker epidemic. The Fire Department continued to support Natural Resources
and Ranger Service in the fuel reduction projects in City-owned Open Space. In 2019, two major
field reductions projects were completed in the Bowden Ranch Open Space and the Irish Hills
Natural Reserve helping reduce the threat of wildfire and were aligned with Safety Element Policy
9.0 by not significantly impacting the environment, including wildlife habitats and views.
Critical Facilities Locations and Reducing Structural Hazards
Critical Facilities Locations and Reducing Structural Hazards: Section 9.19 of the Safety Element
tasks the City with identifying and evaluating hazards in existing structures, with the highest
priority given to critical facilities. This effort includes maintaining and replacing City facilities,
routine code inspections of certain commercial and residential buildings, complaint -based code
inspections for all buildings, mitigating hazards associated with unreinforced masonry buildings
(URM), and outreach regarding structural safety of private wood -frame buildings.
Unreinforced Masonry Hazard Mitigation
Unreinforced Masonry Hazard Mitigation: The 2004 URM Ordinance required full strengthening
by July 2010 unless partial, Level A, strengthening was completed by July 1, 2007. Where Level A
was completed by the deadline, Level B work could be delayed until July 1, 2012. Level A
strengthening consists of installation of anchors between building walls and roof, walls and
floors, and bracing of any parapets. Level B consists of Level A work plus installation of the steel
members that stabilize the storefront and frame. Distinction between Level A and B was
established by ordinance to encourage owners to complete this significant portion of the
strengthening process as soon as possible. Of the 128 URM buildings in the City, all have
completed seismic strengthening or were otherwise brought into compliance with the ordinan ce.
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Neighborhood Wellness
Land Use Element Program 2.14 states the City will help identify neighborhood problems, and
undertake a wide range of focused development review, capital improvement, and code
enforcement efforts to help residents preserve and enhance their neighborhoods.
Neighborhood Officer Program – Police Department
In 2013, the Police Department launched a Neighborhood Officer Program that divides the City
into 13 distinct “neighborhoods,” each with dedicated patrol officers assigned to address City
neighborhood issues. The Neighborhood Officers act as liaisons between the Police Department,
the community, and a variety of city agencies. In 2019, the Neighborhood Officer program
continues to be a strong resource for residents and business owners. Neighborhood officers
conducted “Walk & Talks” in the neighborhoods surrounding Cal Poly in the fall to educate and
acclimate student residents to living in San Luis Obispo. Neighborhood officers have continued
to be a consistent “go to” for residents needing assistance with a variety of quality of life
concerns. Neighborhood officers also provided crime prevention help to Neighborhood Watch
groups throughout the city.
Code Enforcement – Community Development Department
The City’s Code Enforcement Office, which reports directly to the Community Development
Department’s Chief Building Official, deals primarily with violations of building codes and zoning
regulations. Examples of code violations that impact neighborhood quality include:
• Property Maintenance Violations
• Sign Violations
• Unpermitted Construction
• Substandard Buildings
• Occupancy Violations
• Land Use Violations
• Homestay Violations
In 2019, there were 280 code enforcement cases opened in response to requests for field
investigations and proactive enforcement. These included land use and zoning violations,
property maintenance and substandard building violations, among others. In addition, there
were 649 Neighborhood Services code enforcement cases, which included violations such as
visible storage, failure to screen waste containers, dead or overgrown vegetation and yard
parking. The number of Code Enforcement cases and Neighborhood Services cases increased by
21% and 14 % respectively from 2018 to 2019.
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Neighborhood Outreach – Police Department
Police Department SNAP employees (Student Neighborhood Assistance Program) continue to
conduct parking enforcement in neighborhoods during evening hours. In 2019, they issued 4,638
parking citations for violations in residential parking permit districts. SNAP issues Disturbance
Advisement Cards (DACs) which are formal warnings, in response to substantiated noise party
complaints. In 2019, SNAP issued 264 DACs. SNAP also assists with graffiti abatement and
identifying abandoned vehicles for towing.
In response to the need for non-adversarial processes that address community conflicts, the City
of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly, Cuesta College, and Creative Mediation, a local non-profit, developed
the SLO Solutions Program in 2004 to offer free conflict resolution and mediation to City
residents. The program served 1,100 residents in 2019.
2019 proved to be an incredible milestone for neighborhoods in San Luis Obispo. 1,228 noise
complaints were made, a 52% decrease from just 10 years ago. The extensive outreach the police
department conducts with student groups, neighborhood HOAs and resident groups, and the
overall community has made a significant impact on the wellness of the neighborhoods.
The graph below shows the impressive decline in Noise Party (NSPY) calls from 2009 through
2019. The number of DACs have not dramatically decreased nor has the number of citations
(CITE), enforcement of the noise ordinance remains strong.
Figure 4 - Noise Part (NSPY) Calls (2009 to 2019)
Source: San Luis Obispo Police Department, 2019
In addition, the party registration program that launched in 2017 is also proving to be a successful
tool for residents to use when planning social events in their h omes. Party registration provides
eligible events the ability to receive a 20 minute phone warning if the police department receives
a noise complaint. In 2019, 242 party registration applications were approved, 38 phone warnings
were made and only 3 citations issued to registrations who failed to quiet down their events.
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Conservation & Open Space Protection
The General Plan contains many goals, policies and programs focused on open space protection.
The policies apply to sensitive lands within the City’s urban reserve as well as land in the greenbelt
area that is protected for its biological, agricultural, aesthetic and/or watershed protection value.
The Land Use and Circulation Element and Conservation and Open Space Element address this
subject in detail. The highlights of 2019 include:
1. Partnered with Ranger Service to continue working on Waddell Property in the Irish Hills
road improvements to reduce sediment delivery into Froom Creek, installation of a
boardwalk to channel users through the meadow in a sustainable manner and built a decked
platform as a resting area for the public.
2. The City’s Ranger Service program, in partnership with the Central Coast Concerned
Mountain Bikers (CCCMB) and other volunteers, continued brushing of both single-use and
multi-use trails in the Irish Hills Natural Reserve. On Cerro San Luis, trail work and turf paver
improvements in naturally occurring wet areas to reduce sediment generation from trail use
and increase public use.
3. Johnson Ranch trailhead saw extensive improvements for users and safety. New parking
areas, entrance to the natural area and kiosks have been installed. A new Coast live oak
(Quercus agrifolia) grove was installed through a community partnership with the Rotary
Club. A fuel reduction project was completed removing several eucalyptus trees and
associated fuel.
4. Continued invasive species vegetation control along Froom Creek and San Luis Obispo Creek
and continued planting native plants to restore the habitat, including butterfly gardens in in
City parks in support of the Mayors Monarch Pledge; a partnership with the National Wildlife
Federation.
5. Continued to implement the Stormwater Management Program as required by the Regional
Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB). The Plan focuses on improving stormwater quality
through Best Management Practices (BMPs), including construction site monitoring,
municipal operations, development review, littler control and public participation to reduce
pollution run-off.
6. Participated in planning and implementation of several important ongoing City projects,
including the San Luis Ranch and Righetti Ranch developments. Continued meeting with
project teams contributing to the planning and development of Avila Ranch and Froom
Ranch properties.
7. Continued steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus
tridentatus) surveys along San Luis Obispo Creek with biologists from California Department
of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Also, initiated baseline monitoring
of the endangered Chorro Creek bog thistle (Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense)in several City
open space properties in collaboration with Cal Poly botanists.
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8. Ranger Service continued to implement the adopted City of San Luis Obispo Open Space
Maintenance Plan. The Open Space Maintenance Plan provides a comprehensive strategy
for day-to-day maintenance activities, as well as long-term improvements and
enhancements, including items such as signs and kiosks, gates and fencing, or parking and
trash. The Open Space Maintenance Plan also includes two technical appendices: The City
of San Luis Obispo Vegetation Management Plan: The Wildland–Urban Interface and
Integrated Vegetation Management Plan for Open Space Lands of the City of San Luis Obispo
2015-2020. Substantial progress continues toward all parts of the plan with most kiosks and
trailheads fully improved and new improvements and trails coming with new acquisitions.
9. The City purchased a new 266-acre property for conservation purposes that is now being
called Miossi Open Space. The acquisition protects 6 different special status wildlife species
and six different special status botanical species, while also serving as critical area of the
upper San Luis Obispo Creek watershed and as a key wildlife migration corridor along Cuesta
Ridge. City Council has since adopted a conservation plan for the property and staff and
currently working on implementing the necessary steps to open the property to the public
for compatible passive recreational uses.
Panoramic view from Miossi Open Space
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Parks & Recreation
In 2019, the Parks and Recreation Department continued to offer a wide variety of programs and
activities that enhance the quality of life in the community. The following tasks were
accomplished implementing the Parks & Recreation Element of the General Plan:
Collaborative Programs
Sports: The City provides recreation sports opportunities for youth, ad ults and seniors. The City
continues to collaborate with local community groups (such as the San Luis Obispo County YMCA
and San Francisco Jr. Giants Baseball program) to form partnerships in effort to provide
recreational activities for over 1,200 local children through youth basketball, futsal (indoor
soccer), Jr. Giants Baseball Program and the Major League Baseball Youth Camp. The City’s
recreational programming focuses on building confidence, teamwork, integrity, and leadership
skills. The City continues to work collaboratively with the Youth Sports Association and San Lu is
Coastal Unified School District to meet the needs of youth.
Adult recreational sports include
adult softball, adult soccer,
ultimate Frisbee, table tennis,
volleyball, and dodgeball programs,
as well as the introduction of a
drop-in basketball league. Senior
sport activities (55+) include
Pickleball programs and Boomer
Softball. Pickleball continues to
exhibit high popularity with the
total number of participants playing on a regular basis steadily increasing. In 2019, the City
constructed and completed three permanent Pickleball Courts that included the relocation of the
basketball court to the former site of a volleyball court at French Park. Parks and Recreation
continues to provide Pickleball play opportunities within existing city parks, facilities and
resources through a sports court restriping project.
Community Programs: Parks and
Recreation provides high quality programs
that are responsive to industry trends and
changing community needs. New
programming in 2019 encouraged
participation, built community amongst all
users, and strengthened the Department’s
operational commitment to programs
across all age groups.
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In 2019, Community Services developed a number of pilot programs designed to support unmet
community needs such as Cornhole Tuesday, Food Truck Night, Yoga at the Jack House, Mario
Mash-Up, as well as a drop-in basketball league. These pilot programs are activating under-
utilized parks within the downtown corridor aligning with the Downtown Vitality Major City Goal.
In addition, Community Services has continued hosting events such as Snow Night and
Leprechaun Lost at Farmer’s Market (in collaboration with the Downtown Association), Egg Hunt,
Family Water Safety Day, Night Golf, Family Camp Out, Major League Baseball Clinic, Movie
Nights, Back to Pool Night, September Scramble, Gobble Wobble, Pix-On-Peaks, Turkey Break
Skate camp, Kids Play Free at the Golf Course, the 40th Annual SLO Triathlon and numerous
Community Garden Clean-up Days. Additional collaborations, from Health and Wellness
Seminars and Senior Center Contract Classes, have provided much needed services and programs
to the community, especially underserved
populations. Community Gardens are provided at
five locations with the garden location at Laguna
Lake Golf Course opening in April of 2018. There
are 100+ garden plots available to City residents
to lease. The Parks and Recreation Department
continues to offer online program registration,
facility reservations, and satisfaction surveys to
its customers. In 2019 the Department enhanced
its web and social media presence which resulted
in an increase in event awareness and
attendance.
SLO Triathlon: In 2019, the City sponsored the 40th annual SLO
Triathlon. The SLO Tri occurred on the fourth Sunday in July at
Sinsheimer Park and included a .5-mile swim, 15-mile bike and
3.1 mile run course. Approximately 200+ community volunteers
made this annual event possible. The SLO Triathlon focuses on
completion, rather than competition, and draws over 800
participants state-wide annually to the event.
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Youth Services: The Transitional Kinder (TK),
Kindergarten), Sun ‘N Fun (Grades 1 – 3) and
Club STAR (Grades 4-6) programs continue to
provide necessary childcare and social
experiences for over 1,200 elementary school-
aged youth, in a culturally rich and inclusive
environment. Program staff design curriculum
that promotes resiliency, healthy choices and
active lifestyles, STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math) learning opportunities,
community service, and diversity awareness,
along with good old-fashioned play. Program is
enhanced with local partnerships including Cal Poly sports, clubs and programs, City/County
Library, SLOPD and Fire, local doctors and dentists, Sheriff’s Posse, SLO Rangers, Guadalupe
Dunes program, and numerous local non-profit groups. Program staff collaborate with school
district personnel, CAPSLO, homeless services, Cal Psych Care, STAR of California, Family Care
Network, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Autism Connections and other local agencies to ensure
children with a variety of diverse needs have access to the childcare programs.
In the 2018-19 school year, Youth Services provided programming at five school sites in support
of the Joint Use Agreement with the San Luis Coastal Unified School District . All five school sites
are operating at capacity and have ongoing waitlists, due to limited space at the schools and per
State Licensing mandates the City is legally required to maintain a staff to child ratio.
Other programs during the school year included two Teacher Workday Camps, a week-long
Spring Break Camp for school-aged youth, as well as numerous onsite special events.
Summer programming also provided essential care for over 600 families. KidVENTURE’s Ultimate
Day Camp provided traditional camp experiences to school-age campers and a training
opportunity for the 14-16 aged Counselors-in-Training (CIT).
All Youth Services programs are made possible with the work of up to 70 supplemental staff,
ranging from entry level Aides to Site Specialists (limited benefit positions). Staff are provided
ongoing staff development to ensure programs are consistent with Department and State
Licensing standards. Topics include Positive Guidance, Safety and Accountability, Enriching
Curriculum and Mandated Child Abuse Reporting, and pediatric CPR/First Aid.
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Volunteers & Training
Over 1,000 Parks and Recreation
volunteers supported services and
programming at the Senior Center, Laguna
Lake Golf Course, Jack House, special
events and activities such as the Junior
Giants, SLO Triathlon, Movie Night, Back To
Pool Night, Boo Bash, Youth Sports,
Summer Camps, Garden workdays and
Ranger Work Days.
Parks and Recreation continues to demonstrate a culture of valuing human capital and expecting
the bet from all team members. In 2019, Parks and Recreation staff participated in trainings
provided by the Center for Organizational Effectiveness, the California Professional Recreation
Society (CPRS), and the American Red Cross.
Open Space Maintenance
Ranger Service works to provide both
educational and recreational opportunities
to the community of San Luis Obispo. The
City's 4,040 acres of designated open space
promise to have something for everyone
including rugged hiking trails, challenging
mountain biking and leisurely scenic
pathways just minutes from downtown.
The City’s Ranger Service program employs full-time rangers and other part-time staff that
actively maintain the City’s open spaces. Approximately 28.80 tons of trash were removed from
San Luis Obispo Creek and City open spaces by staff and volunteers, with the largest amounts of
material collected during the annual Creek Day clean-up event.
In 2019, Ranger Service led 16 educational hikes through City open spaces (including Cal Poly
guest speakers) and held 75 workdays. City parks, open spaces, were patrolled nearly every day
of the year. Staff provided environmental education courses through the City’s STAR and Sun ‘N
Fun programs and had two one-week Junior Ranger Activity Camps that were attended by
children ages 7-10. In 2019, a total of 1,140 hours were devoted to public education focusing on
conservation and promoting laws. In 2019, over 1,000 dog leashes were given away at trail
entrances and 1,000+ paper trail maps.
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New Trailhead kiosks, informative and education panel inserts were added in 2019.
Collaboration with the public and the Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers (3CMB) resulted
in trail maintenance at Bishop Peak, Stenner Springs, and Reservoir Canyon, and miles of trails
being maintained throughout the City’s open space network. Hundreds of volunteers turned out
for many events and provided thousands of hours of service taking care of the City’s open spaces.
New Pilot Program at Cerro San Luis Natural
Reserve During Winters of 2017-18 and
2018-19. In response to prior Council
discussion and direction, staff implemented
a pilot program at the 118-acre Cerro San
Luis Natural Reserve (the “Reserve”) that
would allow extended evening hours of use
for passive recreational purposes along
approximately 4.9 miles of trails during the
winter months when daylight savings time is
not in effect. The pilot program is taking
place during the winter season of 2018-19
(Sunday, November 5 to Sunday, March 11)
and 2018-19 (Sunday November 4 to Sunday
March 10). During these time periods, public
use will be one hour before sunrise until 8:30 PM. During daylight savings time the hours of use
for the public would return to one hour before sunrise through one hour after sunset. Nighttime
use is by permit only and limited to 65 individuals per evening. Permits for biking and hiking are
allowed up to 1 week before and available through the City website. Rangers will be present,
checking permits and educating the public on this 2-year pilot program.
Master Plan and Element Update
The Parks and Recreation Master Plan and Element
Update Project Plan was approved by the City
Council in November 2017. Over the course of the
update, the deliverables will include:
• The Community Needs Assessment Report with statistically valid survey
• Updated Plan and Maps
• Environmental Review
• Updated General Plan Elements
In January through March 2019 Parks and Recreation staff held specific focused topic discussions
at Parks and Recreation Commission meetings. A Community Needs Assessment was followed
up with a community workshop in June 2019. In summer 2020, Parks and Recreation staff and
consultant WRT, will release the Public Review Draft General Plan Element and Master Plan
Update and host public meeting workshops in fall 2020. Parks and Recreation and Planning
Commission recommendations will go to City Council December 2020 and final adoption.
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Islay Park Playground Replacement Project
Public outreach for the
replacement of the playground
at Islay Park occurred at
community events and at the
park in late 2018 and approved
by the Parks and Recreation
Commission in 2019. The
feedback received was included
in the design and construction
of the park, set to occur in late
spring/summer 2020.
Sinsheimer Park Facility Upgrades
A couple of major renovation projects were completed at the SLO Swim Center in 2019. The warm
water therapy pool was re-plastered to address some concerns to the degradation of the
originally installed plaster in 2006. New LED lights were installed at the SLO Swim Center to
increase both safety by assisting in providing better nighttime coverage for lifeguards and better
visibility for programming uses during the evening hours, as well as address sustainability with
energy cost savings. The Sinsheimer Stadium received a new hydration station as a part of the
City’s sustainability improvements at City facilities. In addition to the new backstop installed at
the Stadium in Winter 2018, an upgraded PA system and speakers were installed in Spring 2019.
North of Broad Street Neighborhood Park
In June 2018, City Council, as part of the adopted budget, approved a project for the North Broad
Street Neighborhood Park that will develop a new park facility in the location of the existing
community garden. Multiple public engagement sessions with neighbors of the North Broad
Street were held in 2019 to assess priority amenities and feedback on initial concepts and
designs. A final design was presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission for approval. As a
part of the park design, a portion will remain to be used as a community garden. Council approval
is planned for 2020 with construction beginning in Winter/Spring 2021
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Public Art Program
In 2019, the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo
(HASLO), the City’s Public Art Program and the
Utilities partnered on the biggest utility box art to
date. The project objective set out to decoratively
paint the dark gray utility box (72”x96”x32”)
located at 206 Margarita Avenue, within a gated
area of the HASLO Margarita Apartment complex.
The project has added to the warm neighborly
feeling of the area. Tree branches were painted in
the upper part of the mural to blend in with
nearby trees and a bright sky and distant hills
reflected the local landscape giving the image depth. The lower portion of the painting is full of
bright and colorful plants and flowers of various heights and sizes. Birds, bees, and butterflies
surrounding the plants gives the image life. In July 2019 the Margarita Lift Station Utility Box
Public Art Project was completed.
In the Fall 2019, Downtown San Luis Obispo
became a bit more colorful, thanks to a new public
beautification project. New art was installed at toll
booths at the City’s three parking structures.
The booth art matches artful banners that were
recently installed throughout Downtown in the
summer that represents the vibrancy of our
community and conveys a sense of welcome,
diversity, and inclusion to both visitors and
residents.
The Public Art Program will continue to support the Downtown Vitality Major City Goal and
collaborate with Downtown SLO and the Promotional Coordinating Committee on a future
downtown mural project.
In 2019, The City’s Public Art Program continues a long-standing collaboration with the San Luis
Obispo County Arts Council, the Cultural Arts Committee with the Downtown Association, Cal
Poly and Cuesta Art Gallery.
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Conclusion
The City’s General Plan guides the use and protection of the City’s various resources to meet
community purposes. It reflects consensus and compromise among a wide div ersity of citizens’
preferences, within a framework set by state law. The General Plan is published in separately
adopted elements, each containing policies and implementing programs. The General Plan
Annual Report summarizes the major programs in these elements that saw activity in 2019.
One outcome of an annual report is the evaluation of whether actions that have occurred indicate
a change in the general vision of the community that requires a more comprehensive update of
the General Plan. The most prominent activities undertaken by the City in 2019 related to
implementation efforts of key General Plan elements. That vision was in part reflected in the City
Council’s continued Major City Goals for FY 2017-19 described on page 11, as well as newly
adopted Major City Goals for FY 2019-2021 described on page 12. Staff will continue to
implement these goals and objectives related to Housing, Climate Action, Sustainable
Transportation, and Fiscal Sustainability & Responsibility, and Downtown Vitality which will be
further reported on in the 2020 Annual Report.
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