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Pismo Beach adopts building moratorium

December 3, 2015

Pismo BeachThe Pismo Beach City Council adopted an ordinance Tuesday that will prohibit the city from issuing building permits for vacant lots. Developers can only build on vacant lots now if they complete permit applications prior to Dec. 1.

Pismo Beach’s building moratorium aims to ease the city’s water shortage. The council also passed a host of building restrictions that could be phased in over the three tiers.

The first tier, which takes effect immediately, also mandates that reuse or redevelopment of an existing building not lead to an increase in water use. The second tier only goes into effect if the water supply worsens.

If completely phased in, the ordinance will ban redevelopment of existing buildings unless the renovation produces at least a 30 percent reduction in water use. Additionally, all municipal irrigation will be banned, unless the city council directs otherwise.

If the water supply improves, the city could remove tier one.

The council voted 4-1 in favor of the building moratorium, with Councilman Erik Howell dissenting. Howell previously said the moratorium would shut down the main economic engine of Pismo Beach.

In May, the council considered adopting the moratorium but tabled the proposal following objections from developers and residents. Developer Gary Grossman called the proposed restrictions draconian.

Some developers and residents also called for the city to attempt to acquire water from the desalination plant at Diablo Canyon. In August, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors gave unanimous support for a plan to deliver Diablo Canyon desalination water to South County homes.


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AG is allowing Mr. Tompkins ( my pal) to build his hotel and homes off East Cherry before they consider even a slow down


The more the AG residents conserve, the more Mr. Tompkins can decide what AG looks like and becomes.


You might have run me and Stevie and Carmel out of town, but you left my bestie McClish to continue the inside deals.


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Interesting that this moratorium comes down right after two Grossman developments near build out in Pismo. Convenient timing.


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Come On, you really think this timing was convenient?, this has been planned down to the day, the developer made the right campaign donations and got his approvals and when he was finished he told the council to go ahead and do what should have been done over a year ago.


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my winter home is in SoCal. i can only water 1 day a week now. and, as you all say; WHY ARE WE ISSUING NEW BUILDING PERMITS?


the insanity


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And yet……Here comes Laetitia.


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The City of Pismo Beach has no control over what the county allows for development.


Laetitia isn’t the only development which is turning its back on wise stewardship of the land and water supplies.


The development practices of the Nipomo Community Services District is clearly beholding to development interests, and allows new development to occur even in the midst of a horrific drought and depletion of the groundwater basin.


Just another example of local communities being screwed by development with the cost being passed on to the residents of the communities.


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Mary Malone. You sound like a disgruntled, former employee of NCSD


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And not a very well informed one.


The City of PB has 100% control over development within their boundary – the County has 0.


The NCSD passed a similar ordinance over 6 months ago, not accepting for processing any applications for new water service. This was based on a severe water shortage condition that triggered the long-standing policy.


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And meanwhile in Katie Lichtig’s and Jan Marx’s SLO, they’re processing thousands of new homes, a 20-year supply, all in the middle of the worst drought ever. Oh sure, we’ve got plenty of water, don’t we. Gary Grossman, who thinks he owns the county, is thrilled.


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The developer-fawning bend-and-spread-’em 2-step is a popular routine in our county, despite the harm it does to our environment and existing cities.


Indeed, I believe it has become the favorite aerobic exercise by local government officials.


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PIsmo just approved two new hotels.

Now they want to limit building?


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Arroyo Grande follow Pismo beach’s example… stop issuing building permits while threatening current residents.


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Hear, hear. Paso, take this as an example of responsible leadership


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