Public input wanted in community planning project for Nipomo
Dave Alley
NIPOMO, Calif. (KEYT) – San Luis Obispo County continues to seek additional public input in its ongoing effort to update the Nipomo Community Plan.
Last updated more than 30 years ago in 1994, the Nipomo Community Plan is described by the county as a document that establishes a vision for the future that will guide land use and transportation over the next several years.
This past spring, the county kicked off a year-long project to update the plan, which included a community survey that asked respondents what issues, wants and needs they prioritize as most important.
According to results posted by the San Luis Obispo County Department of Planning and Building, more than 1,200 responses were submitted during the survey that lasted between May 3 and June 10.
Survey results showed traffic congestion is the biggest concern currently in the growing community.
Other top concerns are lack of sidewalks and bike lanes, not enough restaurants and shops, lack of community planning and future growth/housing development.
Now, as the planning project enters another phase, the Department of Planning and Building is seeking additional input from the community with a second three minute online survey.
On Monday night, San Luis Obispo County Fourth District Supervisor Jimmy Paulding, who represents Nipomo, helped provide the community with an update on the project and the new poll at a regularly scheduled meeting of the South County Advisory Council at the Dana Adobe.
“One of the things on the agenda was to promote Community Plan Update, where our planning staff gave a good update as to where we are, kind of the roadmap,” said Paulding “Last night, we actually, showcased another survey that we’re doing that’s trying to really drill and drill down on the things that the community wants to see in the context of this plan update.”
Questions on the second poll include those involving travel choices, pedestrian connectivity, transportation flow and community services.
One of the specific questions asked states, The typical approach of collecting fees from new development in Nipomo could take over 60 years to raise enough money to help pay for a new Highway 101 junction at Southland Street. Do you think it’s important to build this new junction, even if it takes a long time to raise the money for it? Yes or No?
A follow up question respondents are asked is, If a yearly fee or tax for Nipomo property owners is proposed for a new Highway 101 junction at Southland Street🛣️, would you support: (select one of the following): Higher yearly fee or tax and shorter timeframe to build the junction; Lower yearly fee or tax and longer timeframe to build the junction; Neither, I don’t think a new Highway 101 junction is important for Nipomo.
Looking ahead,
“Right now where we are in the process, we’ve done a lot of community engagement,” said Paulding. “We’re going to have our consultants prepare a draft Public Facilities and Infrastructure Financing Plan, and this second survey, we’re really help inform that plan and the consultants work. The plan will then come back to the community and in more community meetings, and then to the Board of Supervisors for review and approval.”
Paulding indicated the plan will likely be reviewed by the Board of Supervisors sometime early next year in the spring 2026.
“This comes before the Board of Supervisors,” said Paulding. “Then we’ll have some really important policy discussions as to what funding mechanisms that we want to utilize to focus on the projects that the community has identified as a priority.”
For more information about the ongoing Nipomo Community Plan or to find the online survey, click here.