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SLO County moves forward with housing development near Pismo Beach

November 23, 2025

Del Mar Ranch

By KAREN VELIE

San Luis Obispo County is moving forward with a proposed 100-unit residential development that will help satisfy the state’s housing mandate. The SLO County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 on Tuesday to start the approval process for the housing development near Pismo Beach and Arroyo Grande.

The project, Del Mar Ranch, includes 70 single family homes with up to 30 senior housing units including duplexes and triplexes. The 154-acre property is located at 1007 Oak Park Boulevard near Coastal Christian School.

Of the 100 units, 20% will be affordable housing.

“The State of California, including the San Luis Obispo region, is experiencing housing affordability issues and the need for immediate relief has been prioritized at the local and state level,” according to the SLO County staff report. “The request would increase the residential development potential on the site by providing a variety of housing types and housing affordability levels.”

During public comment, Pismo Beach City Manager Jorge Garcia asked the board to table the request to process the developer’s application for rezoning from rural lands to residential suburban and residential multi-family. Garcia argued that because the land falls under Pismo Beach’s sphere of influence, the city wants to provide input on sewer and water availability.

Both supervisors Bruce Gibson and Jimmy Paulding then attempted to delay the vote.

Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg questioned why Paulding and Gibson are giving “pushback” for a much needed housing project that includes affordable housing. She then made a motion to allow the application to move forward.

The supervisors then voted 3-2 to approve the motion, with Gibson and Paulding dissenting.

SLO County staff will now process the application for rezoning, which will then head to the SLO County Planning Commission for approval.

 


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There is no such thing as ‘affordable housing,’ . . . . at least not along the coast of California. This plan is yet another spin by a developer to be able to build market value homes. Have you seen the prices of new homes around here? Young families? Not a chance.


13

There is when the taxpayers are paying for 50% or more of your rent.


3

If they cracked down all the Airbnb’s there would probably be plenty of housing without building. Building more housing in a tourist town just creates more vacation rentals not affordable housing for the locals. But its doubtful the elected officials care about that aspect as long as they can get their backdoor deals.


16

If you want to see the kind of things that get approved drive out Froom Ranch Road across from Costco. Frightening.


28

Just know if the State has a mandate for development, you can expect the LA lifestyle and a twist of SF in your backyard. That will be the Central Coast with beaches that will have more stay out of the ocean days. As for State funds, for local highway mitigation, we will be in line behind all of the other tax revenue machines that fund our very hungry State Heros. Happy Thanksgiving


27

Building more houses doesn’t solve anything when the problem is affordability. Minimum wage would have to be $66 now to match the same buying power of minimum wage in the 1970’s :/

And corporations, should not be allowed to own the majority of single family homes in this country!


27

I found your citation of a $66 minimum wage in today’s dollars to be grossly exaggerated when I checked sources (History of Minimum Wage rates – U.S. Dept of Labor, and U.S. Inflation Calculator.com). From 1968 to 1973 the minimum wage was $1.60. That $1.60 in ’73 had the same purchasing power as $11.70 in 2025. In 1976, the $2.30 minimum wage was equivalent to $13.13 in 2025 dollars. The $2.90 wage in 1979 was like $12.97 in 2025, and the 1980 minimum wage of $3.10 had the purchasing power of $12.22 in 2025 dollars.


I’m not sure where you got that $66.00 minimum wage figure, but the sources I checked made it sound like pure hyperbole. Supply and demand are intrinsic to the issue of affordability. Personally, I think the comment by avghuman makes an excellent point.


6

If the county really cared about bringing down the cost of housing they would help the feds deport the tens of thousands of illegal aliens in the county. Obviously government employees writing these “reports” don’t understand supply and demand


38

“The SLO county staff report…” . I have zero confidence in anything these people produce. The goal is always more population density allowing more taxes to be collected and keeping those developers happy and the donations flowing.


We’re told there are water shortages. Power in SLO goes out on a weekly basis and we’re rarely told why. But somehow, when it comes to more development, these “problems” suddenly become non-problems. It’s the way the political class manipulates the voters.


To be sure, there will be no benefit to the existing residents. Taxes, of all types, will increase and quality of life for them, will decrease.


54

What about the benefit to the people that will live in the new houses being built?


The seniors who have a smaller place to retire? The young new family which can move into these newly built houses or into the houses vacated by those seniors moving into this project? The kids who can buy a house near where they grew up rather than being forced to another county? What about the small businesses which can hire local living employees and sustain themselves with new customers? And yes there are now new taxpayers which means there is less pressure on existing taxpayers to rebuild old infrastructure and fund public safety.


Most importantly I was always taught to mind my own business – if someone bought the land and wants to build something on it, there had better be a good reason to deny them their right to do so; absent a very good reason, let people be free to build in this country again.


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