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Paulding and Compton battle over Trilogy project

March 13, 2018

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 last week to deny an appeal of the final phase of the Trilogy development in Nipomo, a vote that is now being dubbed unethical by District 4 supervisor candidate Jimmy Paulding. [Cal Coast Times]

Eighteen years ago, the SLO County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a housing development in Nipomo. In Oct. 2017, the SLO County Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit for the final phase of the development based on a review of the project and approval of an addendum to the environmental impact report that was produced almost 20 years ago.

A month later, several neighbors to the development appealed the approval of a conditional use permit to complete phase 2-B of the project, 163 homes and 45 acres of vineyards. The appellant wanted the board to require the developer to perform another EIR based on current drought conditions.

During the hearing, a representative for the Nipomo Community Services District asked the board to deny the appeal and permit the project to move forward because of the developer’s financial assistance in building a pipeline to bring state water from Santa Maria to Nipomo. In addition, Art Herbon noted that as a resident of Trilogy, he would like to see the construction on his community completed.

A second speaker questioned if Supervisor Lynn Compton should recuse herself from the vote because people affiliated with the project had donated money to her campaign.

Supervisor Lynn Compton

During board discussions, it was noted that four of the five supervisors on the board had received campaign donations from the developer. County Counsel Rita Neal said that none of the supervisors had a legal conflict of interest and that they could all vote on the agenda item.

Supervisor Bruce Gibson, a supporter of Paulding, then noted that a supervisor could recuse themselves to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

None of the four supervisors who received campaign contributions from the developer recused themselves and the appeal was denied by a 3-2 vote with supervisors Hill and Gibson dissenting.

Following the meeting, Paulding penned a Facebook post accusing Compton of unethical actions and repeating previous allegations raised by Supervisor Hill. In his post, Paulding does not mention that supervisors Hill, Debbie Arnold and John Peschong had also received donations from the developer.

“Yesterday, Supervisor Lynn Compton failed to recuse herself when she had an apparent conflict of interest,” Paulding wrote on Facebook. “She received over $10,000 from a developer, their planning consultant, and their attorney on a development project before the Board. This is exactly the sort of unethical, big money politics that I’m running against. The people of this county need ethics restored to local government. Enough is enough.”

Paulding did not respond to questions about how he would have voted on the appeal.

“Four board members would have had to recuse themselves by Jimmy’s standards,” Compton said. “This is ironic from someone who recently took a $50,000 donation from an anonymous donor. It makes you wonder who is trying to buy this election and why he won’t disclose it. All of my donors have been disclosed to the public.”


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Ladies & Gentlemen,

Jimmy Paulding is full of nonsense.


I think we all know that candidate Paulding is grasping at straws, and thi=ose who live in a glass house shouldn’t throw stones. Mr. Paulding is now taking secret donations and making hypocritical allegations in a bid to unseat Lynn Compton.


If you like the train wreck of Gibson and Hill, vote for Paulding.


George Bailey


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It appears if you want higher taxes and fees also vote for Paulding. During a recent event I attended put on by him, he talked about raising more money in taxes and fees to address many issues. I also noticed he said address issues, never solve issues, but he certainly was for the taxpayers to pay more.


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And Yes Compton you are a boarderline BabyBoomer/GenXer stop the dye and save the toxicity to our water ways. Thank you. Invite all colleagues right or left in politics to do the same. The men are going bald -and grey and looking great, meanwhile our scarce water ways are polluted by your and others toxic practices? No thanks. Grow up. Coloring hair for a new look or gray coverage is routine for many of us, but commercial dyes often contain chemical ingredients that are potentially harmful to both humans and the environment.


P-Phenylenediamine (PPD), an active ingredient in most hair dyes, has been linked to skin irritation, as well as immune and nervous system problems. Ammonia, another common hair dye ingredient, can cause respiratory problems and throat irritation.


If you’ve ever colored your hair, you’ve likely noticed these chemicals in the form of a harsh odor or burning sensation, but these ingredients can also harm local ecosystems long after they’re rinsed out.


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I guess you have never heard of Robert Craig hair dyes that work with water and have absolutely no odor!


Supervisor Lynn Compton is the right choice and the best Supervisor that District 4 has ever had!


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Coaching is exactly what is needed in our democracy. Tired old baby boomers need to coach the millennials (right or left) more so they need to yield the floor to GenX.


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Grow up people! It takes a democracy to make local governance work. Compton, yes recusing yourself would be ethical. You are a lawyer and know better. Where are ethical standards with this board? Compton, read this… Kicking knees out on a young candidate for an annonomys donation is weak. get a spine lady.


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Jimmy is a puppet of Gibson and Hill who are two dudes you would only want on the BoS if you are in favor of the Progressives masking their modernized Communisum


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Sounds like Paulding is one of those people who want housing costs to continue to skyrockets so that the only people able to afford them will be millionaires and government workers, and yes those often are the same people.


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Housing costs will skyrocket no matter what. Old retirees are the majority of residents at Trilogy, and those homes vary from 600-800k. These people are complaining about the blowing sand.


If this project happens, no more water rationing and fining people for water usage. Either the drought is over or it isn’t. Grover Beach still threatens fines for people who don’t reduce their consumption.


I DO think it is a conflict of interest morally for these Board members to be voting on issues from people who donate to their campaigns. It is essentially buying a politician.


The environmental impact report is 20 YEARS OLD. Do another one, then tell me it’s cool. I mean, we are talking about closing down Oceano Dunes because SAND BLOWS. We want 163 Mc Mansions and 45 ACRES OF VINEYARDS? Yeah, show me how that works when we are still restricting current South County residents water……


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How could housing be more expensive than at Trilogy??? Town homes start at $534,990!


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Might be the same logic that was used in Arroyo grande by Barneich, Harmon when they voted to allow Tompkins to build his clustered “workforce” housing at Courtland and Grand, pricing running around $600,000. Not private sector workforce housing only public sector and rich vactioners.


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Trillium housing. The low end model is like 590k, the higher end model is 631k. They look like they cost about 80k to build, and on a lot that has no land around it. Like a pricey trailer park.


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Pressure Paulding to reveal his donor/s. He can’t have it both ways.


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Gibson and Hill are coaching this kid.


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Paulding, Hill, and Gibson are just playing “Gotcha” politics. To have gone the way of the Hill/Gibson vote would have resulted in years of litigation at the cost of millions of $ it would have lost. Lynn did the right thing.


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