March 6, 2002
Contact: Babak Naficy, EDC: (805) 781-9932 or 805-963-1622

GROUPS SUE SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY TO ENFORCE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT
County's Approval of Woodlands Project Violates Agreement and Threatens Rural Character

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA - The Environmental Defense Center, representing Save the Mesa, has filed a lawsuit challenging the County's action to exempt the massive Woodlands project from the County's Growth Management Ordinance (GMO) which limits residential growth to 2.3% a year. The County's action would allow construction of 825 homes in only five years, the largest development project ever approved by the County. At full build out, Woodlands would include 1320 homes, a 500-room hotel, a 54-hole golf course, and massive commercial development.

The lawsuit in part alleges that by granting Woodlands an exemption to the GMO, the County violated a settlement it made in 2000 with citizen group Save the Mesa, in which the County had agreed not to grant any further GMO exemptions until it had prepared an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to evaluate the exemption granted to 180 residential buildings on the Nipomo Mesa. Although the County has yet to prepare the EIR for the Nipomo Mesa, on January 8, 2002, the County violated the settlement agreement by exempting the Woodlands project from the GMO. Exempting the Woodlands project also violates the intent and the policies of the GMO and the Specific Plan for the Woodlands area.
"We are disappointed that the County acted in blatant disregard for our settlement agreement," said Babak Naficy, attorney with the Environmental Defense Center. "By allowing Woodlands to build 825 units in 5 years on top of the 2.3% growth rate imposed by the GMO, the Supervisors violated the intent and policies of their own Growth Management Ordinance. The monstrous buildout rate for Woodlands is unfair to the residents of Nipomo and unfair to other developers who are required to play by the rules."

"Save the Mesa's members hope that the County will not ignore our agreement," said Bill Robinson, President of Save the Mesa. "We must make sure that the environment and the current residents on the Mesa are protected."

Since 1977, EDC has been serving California's Central Coast as the only nonprofit, public interest environmental law firm between Los Angeles and San Francisco. EDC represents citizen groups and educates the community on issues involving water quality and watersheds, biodiversity and endangered species, environmental health and justice, land use and open space, offshore oil and gas, and access to public lands. For more information, contact EDC at (805) 781-9932 or visit http://www.edcnet.org.

Save the Mesa is an environmentally sensitive, community based organization that is committed to orderly and sustainable growth in the South County Planning Area of San Luis Obispo County. It supports adherence to established environmental and planning processes. Visit the Save the Mesa website at http://www.savethemesa.org.