A piece of land off Tank Farm Road in San Luis Obispo was approved three years ago for a mixed-use residential development, but changes to nearby roads must be made before construction can begin.
“Traffic is very, very busy through here,” said San Luis Obispo resident Mardi Hall. “You see pedestrians and bike riders along here all the time.”
“Trying to get on from the side streets, it's so much traffic and hard to get on,” added Robert Sarellano who often drives Tank Farm for work.
In 2022, the San Luis Obispo City Council approved the mixed-use development with 280 homes off Tank Farm Road, just west of Broad Street. But before construction could start, the project needed to meet certain safety specifications, especially for vehicles coming in and out of the job site at Tank Farm and Santa Fe Road. The city suggested a roundabout but the developer ran into a bind.
"They tried to work with the neighboring property owner to acquire the land, which is Chevron, to build the roundabout. Chevron would be cooperative except they're not in a position to sell or dedicate any land for that because they are dealing with certain onsite soil issues they need to resolve first," explained John Rickenbach, City Contract Planner. “Now instead of a roundabout, it will be an intersection that is improved with landscaping, roadways are widened, signage, and shared use paths to make it safe.”
This proposal was vetted by the city’s Active Transportation Committee last month and now will be taken to the Planning Commission.
The goal of the roadway improvements is to provide a safe connection for bikes, pedestrians, and cars between the development site and Broad Street.
The proposal is going before the Planning Commission on Thursday, if approved, it’s expected to go before the city council in early April.
