Tomorrow is Election Day, and controversial Measure J is on the ballot. I would like to quickly inform you about Measure J and encourage you to vote “no” tomorrow. Measure J allows the construction of Dalido Marketplace, a huge retail development on the Dalidio’s farm by the Laguna Lake area post office.
Additionally, 60 housing units, a hotel, a business park and some “green” features are planned. Big-box stores Lowe’s and Target are to occupy retail space. Old Navy is rumored to be coming, but other sources say it will open in the Irish Hills Center. Measure J is controversial because it creates a land-use category specific to the Dalidio Ranch.
In laymen’s terms, Mr. Dalido gets special treatment. Currently, he cannot develop his agriculturally zoned land. With special zoning, he can circumvent typical regulations. The creation of a land-use category specific to a particular property has not yet happened in San Luis Obispo County.
Also tied to Measure J is the Prado Road overpass. Many are deceived about Measure J’s impact. Measure J will not create the overpass at Prado Road. Instead, the developer sets aside close to $8 million towards the overpass, which it says is 23 percent of the cost – its “fair share,” according to Dalidio. Caltrans, however, estimates that the overpass will cost $49 million.
I encourage you to vote “no” on Measure J tomorrow to stop the invasion of big-box stores and preserve the character of San Luis Obispo.
Riley Gerbrandt
Civil engineering grad student