Supervisors OK land-use change

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors approved a land use change Tuesday that would allow construction of an asphalt plant adjacent to the Santa Maria River, but the applicant has now pulled the project off the table.

With a 4-0 vote, the supervisors tentatively approved changing zoning on 14.5 acres from commercial service to industrial to accommodate the proposed plant at the edge of the river just west of Highway 101.

The tentative action will come back to the supervisors on April 8 for a final vote, according to County Planning and Building Department staff.

Jim Diani, co-owner of A.J. Diani Construction Co., requested the zoning change, which was recommended for approval by the Planning Commission on a 4-1 vote at its March 13 meeting, to allow the asphalt plant project to move forward.

However, prior to that commission meeting, Diani pulled a conditional use permit application for the proposed asphalt plant project, said Brian Pedrotti, county planner for the project.

“He's not proposing an asphalt batch plant at this time,” Pedrotti said, adding Diani told the supervisors Tuesday that he still wanted the General Plan amendment.

On Wednesday, Diani reiterated by phone from his Santa Maria office that A.J. Diani Construction Co. has no future plans to pursue development of an asphalt batch plant at the site.

“We decided to not go forward with the asphalt plant,” he said, adding A.J. Diani was committed to the property owner, the Biorn family, to see the zoning change through. “We needed that General Plan amendment to meet our obligation.”

Although Diani has no plans to construct the asphalt plant, Pedrotti said the land use change will allow such a project to be developed by another party on the property.

In 2003, A.J. Diani requested the General Plan amendment for the 14.5 acres, but the supervisors went even further. The board authorized planning staff to consider changing the category of another 39.5 acres from commercial service and residential suburban to industrial north and west of the project site.

The Planning Commission recommended the land use be changed on the entire 54 acres, but the supervisors only approved the zoning change for the original request - 14.5 acres - Pedrotti said.

Diani had proposed constructing the plant on about 8 acres at the eastern end of the site near the existing Troesh concrete plant.

If another applicant suggests a similar undertaking at the site, Pedrotti said the reduction in the acreage that was rezoned wouldn't affect a proposed project.

April Charlton can be reached at 489-4206, Ext. 5016, or acharlton@santamariatimes.com.

March 27, 2008