Cal Poly is “exploring” a “mixed-use development” of prime agricultural land at the western entrance near Highland Drive. The Aug. 20 article “A plan to develop Cal Poly’s west campus puts agricultural land at risk,” says: “The land could become something very different.” In this regard, I would like to support retired plant science professor David Headrick in his opposition to this so-called: “West Campus District.”
Furthermore, the article makes no mention that there is a branch of San Luis Obispo Creek flowing through that same area. I taught fish courses for 26 years at Cal Poly, and that particular branch of SLO Creek was always the first stop on our creek survey lab. This branch, and the farmland it drains, was an important part of Cal Poly’s Biological Science education program. It should remain so.
Cal Poly spokesperson Keegan Koberl is quoted as saying that: “There will be no net loss of agricultural land used for student learning.” That statement ignores the quality of this specific land having prime agricultural soil. It also doesn’t tell us what would happen to the water quality of that branch of SLO Creek, or its effect, for example, on the endangered steelhead trout (and/or other fish species therein) that likely use the creek’s upper branches to spawn.
Finally, if the university has really “spent a year discussing the idea with people across the campus community,” then why are some of us retired faculty only hearing about it now in your newspaper? Thank you, New Times, for informing us about this project.
Richard J. Krejsa
San Luis Obispo
This article appears in Sept 3-10, 2026.
