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If the L.A. and Texas developers’ initiative were passed it would:
1. Create regional gridlock on Hwy 101, Los Osos Valley and Madonna Roads,
and cause local taxpayers to pay MILLIONS for costly roadwork necessitated by the Initiative, including an Interchange, just to handle traffic created by this mega-mall. CalTrans estimates the Interchange would cost about $40-49 million in 2006 costs, not counting the unknown costs of related flood control projects, but the developers cap their cash share at only $4 million. This would leave taxpayers paying 90% of the bill.
2. Circumvents zoning laws, the General Plan process, and normal community safeguards required of all other projects.
The project would be exempted from County zoning, agricultural land protections and growth management rules. The 131-acre property is zoned agriculture and its Class I soil has ranked very high in economic productivity.
3. Set a dangerous precedent in SLO County by giving the entire county electorate the right to decide the future of a local community
Any developer with enough money could then use the same process to build any size business or factory anywhere, even if local residents and/or elected representatives believe it would be bad for their community. SLO Citizens rejected a nearly identical project in April 2005 for very good reasons. Local control should be respected.
4. Cut these developers a special deal at Taxpayers’ expense.
It would allow them to sidestep County regulations and the full disclosure requirement for an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). They would evade paying their fair share of assessments that would be required of any other developer, leaving County Taxpayers to foot a huge, ever mounting bill as costs rise.
5. Give the developers a $100 million windfall,
since with its present “agriculture” zoning, the land would sell for “only” $10 million. (Assessor 2005 estimate).
6. Put a Sewer in the middle of town and increase flooding on Highway 101 and nearby neighborhoods
by paving over most of the flood plain without mitigation. The developers also want to put a private sewage operation near homes in that flood hazard plain, a recipe for smelly maintenance and operation problems.
7. Duplicate other stores already in the County,
damaging local business and city residents by draining one third of the business and sales tax from San Luis Obispo and unknown amounts from all the other cities. There would be no net increase in sales tax overall. The mega-mall would only “rob Peter to pay Paul.”
8. Allow construction of a huge, high impact mall with no way of holding the developers accountable.
It enables the developers to evade responsibility for cost over runs, unknown problems or damage to neighbors. Any store could come in, including Wal-Mart. There would be no way to make the developers live up to their campaign promises.
9. May impact regional funding on other interchange projects
Such as Highways 46 and 101, Brisco Road, Willow Road and others which county residents have waited for years to be completed.
10. Create Hidden Problems, Hidden Costs.
Like the proverbial Trojan Horse, this slick initiative is full of unknown dangers. Once passed, it can’t be changed at all by the public except by another election. Interesting that the developers have written a “one-way escape hatch” for themselves, so that current and future landowners do have the power to initiate changes. The normal development and environmental review process is designed to: 1) flush out hidden problems, costs and impacts and 2) make developers protect the public from intended and unintended consequences. Do not let the developers circumvent the process.
