Nipomo residents work on an alternative Dana Reserve option 

More than 50 community members attended the first Nipomo Action Committee meeting of the year, where they discussed creating an alternative map to propose for the Dana Reserve project—one that would hopefully balance residents' concerns and the developer's needs.

Alison Martinez told New Times that the turnout at the Black Lake Community Room on Jan. 7 was less than usual, but the public participation was overwhelming.

"A lot of people present are considering the population size of Nipomo, which is around 18,000, and they see this huge project coming to town trying to add 4,000 to 5,000 new people, and it's concerning," she said. "I'm just hoping that the Board of Supervisors are prepared to listen to what the community is saying."

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• File Photo By Peter Johnson
• COMMUNITY OUTREACH The Nipomo Action Committee is working on stepping up local involvement in 2024 by asking SLO County to tell them what alterations they would like to see in the Dana Reserve's proposed housing development.

The Dana Reserve is the largest development proposed for San Luis Obispo County in 25 years, and it plans to cut down approximately 3,094 oak trees, Burton Mesa chaparral habitat, and other nonnative grasslands to help make room for its 1,318 residential units, 203,000 square feet of recreational space, village shopping center, California Fresh Market grocery store, South County Cuesta College campus, and neighborhood parks, according to an August 2023 SLO County staff report.

Nipomo residents like Martinez were outraged when the SLO County Planning Commission voted in October 2023 to move the project onto the next step—a hearing before the Board of Supervisors—and started to work on an alternative map that the committee believes would be more environmentally and Nipomo friendly.

"We have an expert who's working with us and has a wide range of experience, and we have hills and valleys all throughout the land, so he tried to take that and be conservative with using the existing open spaces," she said. "He tried to find waves through the trees so we can put roads where they would naturally fall and using more of the natural environment of the property rather than just clear-cutting everything, tearing a bunch of soil, grading it all to flat, and then building."

Dana Reserve developer Nick Thompkins didn't respond to a request for comment before New Times went to press.

Although still in the planning phase, Martinez said the Nipomo Action Committee's map aims to keep more of the 288-acre property's natural features and decrease the number of housing units being built.

"While the developer does have some equestrian trails and walking trails, most of those are surrounding the property of the project, but we want to encourage trails through the open spaces of the property so people can walk their dog, ride their horse or a bike," she said. "We have other projects in Nipomo right now that include over 300 homes that are going in on Frontage Road and also new homes proposed behind the post office."

Martinez said most of the homes are low-income housing and with those being built, the Dana Reserve can develop less, ensuring that more of Nipomo's oaks stay intact.

"We're just trying to get a balance; we're not against development but it needs to be sensible and responsible," she said. "We think there's an opportunity for the Board of Supervisors to be like the cutting edge instead of just approving a massive project that could be just placed anywhere.

Martinez said the Nipomo Action Committee would present its map to the South County Advisory Council on Feb. 5.

"We need help from the community so that we can be heard in front of the Board of Supervisors," she said. "We just want to be heard." Δ