San Luis Obispo Zoning Regulations

San Luis Obispo, nicknamed SLO for its preferred pace of life, is a popular tourist destination, part of the California Central Coast wine region, and home to a historic Spanish mission, hiking trails, and many, many wine and craft beer tasting rooms.

The City wanted to revise its Zoning Regulations after it adopted a new General Plan Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE). But MIG advised, and the City concurred, that an complete overhaul was needed to improve code administration and more comprehensively address concerns of residents and the business community. Substantive changes involved writing new parking regulations to encourage a 20% mobility mode shift, addressing land use interface issues, modernizing land use regulations, and simplifying administrative procedures. A novel inclusion is tiny homes and how they will be accommodated to expand the supply of affordable housing.

The project involved community workshops and joint City Council/Planning Commission study sessions to explore options for implementing LUCE policy.