A new legal settlement will cut the number of affordable housing units in the controversial Dana Reserve project by half.
Two nonprofits, the Nipomo Action Committee and the California Native Plant Society, have reached a conditional settlement with NKT Commercial after months of negotiations. The groups sued to stop the project over environmental concerns, including the removal of the Nipomo mesa manzanita, a rare plant that only grows in San Luis Obispo County.
The settlement reduces the original 1,400-unit project’s size by about 230 units. It also cuts affordable housing in half from 156 units to 78.
Melissa Mooney with the San Luis Obispo Chapter of the California Native Plant Society says balancing housing needs with conservation was a challenge.
“We have a very rare species that exists only in this area and we need to do what we can to stop this extinction crisis that's going on in the state of California,” Mooney said. “California is a very biodiverse state, and with expanded development, we continue to lose biodiversity,”
The deal also protects 10% more oak trees and 3% more manzanita on the site. Offsite habitat restoration will be overseen by the Native Plant Society.
NKT development did not respond to KCBX’s request for comment in time for broadcast.
The County Planning Commission is expected to review the settlement within the next three to four months and decide whether to approve it.
