It’s now or (maybe) never for Nipomo’s Dana Reserve. No more roadblocks | Opinion

The latest version of Nipomo’s much-maligned Dana Reserve housing project comes back to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday for what should, hopefully, be a final blessing.

This is not the same plan the board approved on a 3-2 vote back in April. That version was the subject of a lawsuit filed by opponents who, among other concerns, objected that the project was too massive and would remove 3,000 oak trees and other vegetation.

As a result, the plan the board will consider on Tuesday is a scaled-down version — 1,242 homes rather than 1,470 — that saves an additional five acres of open space and 195 oak trees.

But make no mistake, this is not a new-and-improved plan.

Much of the affordable housing included in the previous version has been gutted. The number of deed-restricted, low-income apartments was cut in half, from 156 to 78. One hundred accessory dwelling units are gone as well, though homebuyers will have the option of adding them later.

Those were among the concessions the developer agreed to in order to settle a lawsuit. Otherwise, the case could have dragged on for years.

Without the approval of the Board of Supervisors, Dana Reserve could be back in legal limbo.

‘Secret settlement’ of CEQA lawsuit could be point of contention

In addition to reducing the number of housing units, developer Nick Tompkins agreed to pay an undisclosed amount of money to the plaintiffs who sued under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The California Native Plant Society will receive funds for projects such as preservation of rare manzanita, and the Nipomo Action Committee will use its share for local community projects.

The undisclosed payments have been a sticking point with Supervisor Bruce Gibson, who believes the amounts provided to the plaintiffs should be made public before the board votes on the project.

“How else can we assess the public benefits of the proposed settlement?” he wrote in a Tribune op-ed.

Gibson went on to acknowledge that the previous version of the project — which he voted against — was “far superior” to the revised one the board will consider on Tuesday.

We don’t disagree with either point.

We would rather see decisions made in the open. And the loss of affordable units is a setback that will affect families who have been priced out of many other neighborhoods.

Ideally, Dana Reserve would have included even more affordable units than initially proposed. Now we’re left with fewer. This, in a county that has designated housing a “top tier” priority, yet is not even close to meeting goals for low- and moderate-income housing.

It can’t all be laid at the feet of the county, however.

The convoluted CEQA process played a role by effectively nullifying the decision made by local elected officials, leading to a deal hashed out during closed-door settlement proceedings.

Day-care centers, a supermarket and maybe even a YMCA

But here’s the good news: This is still a project that keeps local residents in mind, rather than catering to wealthy retirees looking for amenities like golf courses and spas and high-end restaurants.

School employees will have priority for affordable rental units; vacation rentals will be banned; and at least 406 for-sale units will be less than 1,600 square feet to bring down the price. Plus, the developer is putting up $3.2 million in a down-payment loan program for first-time homebuyers.

The development will include day-care centers, sites for a future fire station and health care facility, and a commercial center — California Fresh has already committed to opening a supermarket.

Tompkins also is offering to donate land to Cuesta College for a future South County campus. As a back-up plan — in case the college decides against that location — for the past several months he’s been in talks with the YMCA, which is looking for a site for a recreation center in Nipomo.

To help local agencies deal with the influx of new residents, he’s paying approximately $4.5 million in public facility and school fees over and above what would normally be charged.

Then there’s this: The county imposed a condition of approval that requires the developer to pay $92,100 toward improvements at the dog park located at Nipomo Regional Park. That’s in addition to the parks, bike paths and equestrian trails to be built inside the actual development.

The county has driven a hard bargain, and it’s time to move on. No more hurdles or hoops.

Approve the Dana Reserve project, once and for all.

This story was originally published November 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM.