After a long road of work with the city, a planned residential development project four years in the making is closer to being realized.
The more than 2,200 on the waiting list to live at planned homes off of Madonna Road are closer to moving in after Thursday’s pivotal planning meeting.
"The project is designed toward workforce and the people who live here," said Gary Grossman, Coastal Community Builders President.
San Luis Ranch would transform a vacant area creating 580 units and bustling business opportunities.
"This project is desperately needed," Grossman said. "Not only does it provide spectacular housing, it resolves a number of issues that the city has had for long term. We’re really proud how many things its balanced and taken care of."
Thursday’s planning meeting was another step in the long development process with the request to compress the construction phases so residents can have options on the type of unit.
But a number of people spoke against the timeline, saying the impact on transportation needs to be addressed first. That includes extending a road over Highway 101.
"We need to have a Prado overcrossing, and city’s bikeway implementation in this area implemented and built as part of the project," said one resident.
"I have to admit that I’m very skeptical of this interchange," said another.
Several others testified developing housing is imperative for the town’s future.
The city projects a $14.2 million benefit from the housing development. It will be the SLO City Council that will make the final decision in July after the Planning Commission approved the measure
"Not only are we addressing workforce housing, we’re doing it in a farm to table manner," Grossman said. "We’re keeping to the agrarian heritage. We’re really excited. I think that its one of a kind and certainly is going to be the leader for communities in our area."
If approved by the City Council, shovels could dig in this fall with the hope of opening for move-in early 2020.
No word on the possible costs of these homes.
Of those on the waiting list, 81 percent work in San Luis Obispo.
