HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/5/2017 Item 12, Vujovich-LaBarre
Purrington, Teresa
From:Codron, Michael
Sent:Monday, June 19, 2017 3:09 PM
To:Gallagher, Carrie; Christian, Kevin; Purrington, Teresa; Goodwin, Heather
Subject:FW: High Time for a New Idea
FYI
From: Mila Vujovich-LaBarre \[ ]
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2017 12:05 PM
To: ghgvpr@gmail.com
Cc: Harmon, Heidi <hharmon@slocity.org>; Pease, Andy <apease@slocity.org>; Gomez, Aaron <agomez@slocity.org>;
Rivoire, Dan <DRivoire@slocity.org>; Christianson, Carlyn <cchristianson@slocity.org>; Lichtig, Katie
<klichtig@slocity.org>; Codron, Michael <mcodron@slocity.org>
Subject: High Time for a New Idea
June 19, 2017
Gary Grossman
Coastal Community Builders
330 James Way
Pismo Beach, California 93448
Dear Gary Grossman -
It is high time for another great idea! As you may recall, two years ago I creatively suggested that you build all
of your homes and commercial development on Cal Poly land. In return, Cal Poly would have been able to use
the 131- acres of Class 1 agricultural land that you currently own to farm and work for eternity. That was a
“win-win-win” idea that would have saved the agricultural land for the public and students. It would have
provided housing, jobs, a hotel, and event center on Cal Poly land. That idea would have also have saved you
the cost of the Prado Road overpass or interchange. Although that awesome public/private partnership idea
made sense to a lot of community members, it did not blossom. I am now offering another suggestion!
Since Proposition 64, which provides for the legalization of cannabis, had not been passed when you initially
started planning for San Luis Ranch, I think that there is another viable alternative for the 131- acres of prime
agricultural land that you may not have ever considered.
As you may remember from our previous conversations, this novel idea is coming from me, a person who has
spent over 34 years in public education, teaching United States History and Spanish. I have also consistently
worked to combat the negative effects of alcohol and other drugs within the student population through
prevention and intervention programs. Marijuana, for as insidious and detrimental as I believe that it is for
developing teenage bodies and brains, has been embraced by a majority of California voters for both medicinal
and recreational use.
So, have you considered the enormous profit that you would gain from a legal, agricultural operation planted in
marijuana? The San Luis Ranch - formerly known as the Dalidio land - could be preserved as agricultural land.
There are plenty of people, including college aged students, who would be interested in working at the location
to learn how to cultivate, grow, and market marijuana. There are also people in our community who are doing
formal experiments with both the CBD and the THC produced from the drug. A crop at that location could
potentially be grown pesticide free.
1
The other benefit of having a farm at that location is that the crop could be easily protected. There is a freeway
on one side, the SLO City Farm on another, and Madonna Road. It would be easy to install a security system
and fencing.
In addition, the commercial grow would be great for tourism. It could be called “Grossman’s Green Acres.”
There could be an innovative small commercial retail center on site with parking along Madonna Road. There
could be a variety of products for sale, including ones that do not include cannabis - Cal Poly cheeses and
chocolates, local breads and wines, fresh fruits and vegetables and even a petting zoo!
The “Forever 21” building could be transformed into a store called “Forever 420” by a budding entrepreneur.
The store could carry a wide variety of marijuana and hemp based products. I also think that a pro-cannabis
area, such as the farm and retail outlet, would do wonders for the profits of the surrounding restaurants.
Neighbors in the immediate area may find the odor from the crop offensive, however as most people know the
prevailing winds are from the ocean, across town, west to east. The odor would blow over the freeway to the
sewer treatment plant, the drive-in and the new Homeless Shelter at 40 Prado.
The farm could utilize forms of alternative power for the 2030 design buildout of industrial buildings, taking full
advantage of solar and wind power.
Why would this proposal be more favorable than the current one? Most people realize that the homes currently
proposed for this site are not “affordable.” At maximum buildout, there will only be 34 homes for truly low-
income people. As a developer, you will sell a home once. The marijuana crop would be a renewable,
continued source of income.
The Prado Road overpass and/or interchange is not going to happen anytime soon both due to funding and
Caltrans restrictions.
However, the immense profits from this marijuana farm would help to pay for that overpass eventually and help
with our City's debt. So, maybe you could examine the long term profitability of growing marijuana vs. selling a
few homes and having to grapple with the fickle retail/commercial market for the remaining land.
The profits from this cannabis grow could potentially also help to build a secondary transit center and provide
the infrastructure of Class 1 bike lanes in that part of town.
Preserving agriculture at this site would be well-received by the Airport Land Use Commissioners. In
addition,the current San Luis Obispo City Council members appear to be very open to marijuana legalization,
promoting a “farm to pipe” ideology, and protecting the rights of citizens to grow and use cannabis.
A large commercial grow on your site would stifle many smaller growing operations throughout town and on the
fringes of our City limits. Having a grow confined to one large area like this would make most residents happy.
The processing of this marijuana could occur on the other side of the freeway along Buckley Road where the
controversial Avila Ranch homes are being proposed. That area is perfect for industrial manufacturing and
processing.
Since I was President of Save San Luis Obispo in 2005 when City voters stopped the previous development
desired by the previous owner Ernie Dalidio, I am again hearing from a wide variety of residents who
vehemently oppose your current development plan for San Luis Ranch.They do not see the proposed homes
as affordable, they are concerned about the horrible traffic that will be created on Los Osos Valley Road,
Froom Ranch Road and Madonna Road, they object to the chopping down of the trees along Madonna Road,
they are concerned about damage to the current vista from Highway 101 to the west, and the severe impact
this development will have on the surrounding neighborhood character.
2
Why not at least consider the idea outlined here? It will save you a significant amount of money now and make
you more money in the long term.
Then, if you give the marijuana cultivation business a chance and it works, you will have preserved this
precious piece of agricultural land for the next generation! If it does not, well then you can build homes, an
overpass, and the additional traffic infrastructure.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss this idea further.
Sincerely,
Mila Vujovich-La Barre
650 Skyline Drive
San Luis Obispo, California 93405
milavu@hotmail.com
Cell: 805-441-5818
3