Dalidio project moves forward with EIR 

In one of the first signs of action since county voters approved the development plan, lawyers for the Dalidio Ranch Project have submitted a "vesting Track Map" to the county in order to subdivide the property.

The move automatically triggers an Environ-mental Impact Report, a procedure that the project's opponents have long been seeking.

The EIR would likely take another year, according to Michael Pick, whose parent firm, James McKiernan Lawyers, is representing Dalidio. The move suggests Dalidio's intent to move forward, despite pending litigation that could stop the project.

The Dalidio Ranch project was approved in 2006 by a county initiative, Measure J, after failing to win favor as a city development via Measures A, B, and C.

The new project is the source of two ongoing lawsuits. Dalidio has filed suit against the city's Downtown Association and the Responsible County Planning LLC, alleging racketeering and misuse of funds, among other charges. ECOSLO and a group called Citizens for Responsible Planning have brought the second lawsuit against the county, questioning the legality of Measure J.