Templeton Area Advisory Group Templeton, CA 93465 August 29, 2014 San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission County Government Center San Luis Obispo, CA. 93408 RE: Planning Commission Meeting, September 11, 2014, Item 1 Proposal to amend Chapter 3 Resource Management System of the General Plan Honorable Planning Commission: The Templeton Area Advisory Group (TAAG) convened a Special Meeting on August 28, 2014 to address proposed amendments to Chapter 3 of the General Plan, specifically the Resource Management System (RMS). The RMS has undergone significant revisions, yet TAAG and other community advisory groups were not included in the review process. As a result, we are greatly concerned that this document has not been properly vetted by impacted stakeholders. TAAG voted 7-0 to not support the proposed amendments to the Resource Management System of the General Plan, noting the following concerns: The RMS attempts to enable control of resources outside the legal purview of the County, including water, wastewater disposal, highway interchanges, schools and air quality. Although the document acknowledges the Countys limited jurisdiction, it does not clearly define specific control measures. Rather, it grants implied and discretionary controls to the Planning and Building Department, Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors using the levels of severity framework. The RMS does not address specific actions or consequences should the County fail to address resource issues at LOS I or LOS II, to prevent LOS III. Nor does it provide specific measurements or executable timeframes for a community to downgrade from LOS III to a lower state of severity. The language of the document is inconsistent and ambiguous. For example, a moratorium is listed as a possible recommended action for LOS III under General Recommended Actions for Levels of Severity, but excluded as a procedural step in the subsequent tables. The document gives the County the ability to determine a LOS III for a resource they are currently mismanaging, which is unacceptable. For example, Quimby Fees assessed in Templeton are often used for projects in other areas of the County, yet Templeton could be identified as a LOS III in this new framework. Pushing higher density of development into the URL of communities that do not have supporting infrastructure or resources exacerbates the level of severity, and defeats the purpose of planning management of resources. TAAG does not support any repositioning, rezoning, reallocation or repurposing of agricultural water, private property use or water rights, or the right to farm agricultural land. RMS language supporting these items essentially equates to eminent domain without due process. Revising the projection period on water resources to 25 years is not warranted. The resource cannot be accurately projected over the current 15 year period. Excluding the incorporated cities reliance and use of resources outside their geographical boundaries and URL’s in the management and establishment of resources is misguided and illogical For example, the City of Paso Robles use of the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin must be taken into consideration when discussing water resource management. Templeton Area Advisory Group Page 2 Given these concerns, TAAG respectfully requests the Planning Commission to deny the amendments to the RMS, and direct the County Planning and Building Department staff to work with community advisory groups and other involved agencies to develop a collaborative framework. Respectfully submitted, David C. La Rue, Ph.D. Chairman Templeton Area Advisory Group cc: Board of Supervisors Secretary to the Board of Supervisors Community Advisory Councils TAAG Board Members
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 20:40:15 +0000