Long-planned Dana Reserve project in Nipomo receives final approval from SLO County commission

NIPOMO, Calif. - The long-planned and much-discussed Dana Reserve project for Nipomo moved a major step forward by earning its final San Luis Obispo County government approval Thursday afternoon.

The San Luis Obispo Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) voted 6-1 in favor of the project site being annexed into the Nipomo Community Services District (NCSD) boundary.

San Luis Obispo County Fourth District Supervisor Jimmy Paulding, who represents the Nipomo area, was the lone dissenting vote.

Paulding, along with Second District Supervisor Bruce Gibson, voted against the project when the Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 in favor of the development this past April.

The project needed the approval in order to secure water, wastewater, and solid waste service for the development.

"We are very pleased with today’s vote," said Nick Tompkins, Dana Reserve Managing Partner. "By offering a full spectrum of housing—a housing ladder—affordable daycare, down payment assistance, public transportation, and priority for locals, we can provide a leg up for young families, our workforce, and others in need of a home."

The approval follows several others from local government boards over the past year, including the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors, the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission, and the NCSD.

The Dana Reserve proposal is a 288-acre, master-planned community with up to 1,370 residential units, 110,000-203,000 square feet of commercial and non-residential (Visitor Serving/Hotel, Education) floor area, a minimum of 55.6 acres of open space and 6.3 acres of recreation, and related circulation and infrastructure.

The project site is located on a highly visible 288-acre piece of property adjacent to Highway 101, on the west side of the freeway, just south of Willow Road.

The property is passed by thousands of vehicles daily traveling on Highway 101 and is located about one mile north of Tefft Street, the main commercial corridor of Nipomo.

Since it was first proposed four years ago by local developer Nick Tompkins, the project has generated a significant amount of discussion in the Nipomo area, particularly due to the potential impacts it may create on both the community and the environment.

Following the development plans, the Nipomo Action Committee (NAC) was formed which included a number of community members who joined together to formally oppose the project.

The group has been highly visible over the years, posting signs throughout the Nipomo area, as well as coordinating an organized alternate plan for the project site.

Earlier this year, NAC, alongside the San Luis Obispo chapter of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS), filed a lawsuit that challenged the approval of the Dana Reserve housing project.

The lawsuit argues San Luis Obispo County’s approval of the project violates the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Even with Thursday's LAFCO approval, construction will not begin at the Dana Reserve site due to the ongoing litigation.

NAC President Alison Martinez released a statement to News Channel 3-12 after the LAFCO vote. Her statement read in full:

We are of course disappointed with the 6 to 1 vote of the LAFCO commissioners to annex the Dana Reserve project.

We believe today’s result has created a lose-lose situation.

A loss for the environment with the cutting down of over 3,000 oak trees and the destruction of unique plant habitats.

A loss for the current Nipomo residents who will have to ensure the 19 significant adverse impacts to our community for years to come.

A loss for the hopeful new Nipomo families who find themselves unable to obtain one of the only 156 low-income housing units or unobtainable so-called median-priced house.

It was of course a financial win for NKT commercial development and Shea homes who stand to make millions of dollars from the project and for people who come from outside our community and can afford homes costing over 1 million dollars.

Nipomo Action Committee will continue its lawsuit alongside the California Native Plant Society which is likely to go before a superior court judge in February 2025.

Nipomo Action Committee will continue to stand strong for responsible and sensible development for our community.

According to NAC Martinez, a court date for the lawsuit filed against the Dana Reserve is set for Feb. 5, 2025.