Updated January 23, 2024
January 23, 2024 Update:
The SLO county Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to approve the Templeton gas station project proposed by Doug Filipponi.
Supervisors Arnold, Peshong, and Ortiz-Legg voted in favor of the project while Supervisors Gibson and Paulding voted against.
January 17, 2024 Update:
The agenda for the January 23 9:00AM Board of Supervisors meeting has been posted.
Please plan to attend this meeting in person to speak, and send an email to the board of supervisors prior to the meeting to let them know you are opposed to this new gas station.
Even if you previously sent an email, please send a new one for this meeting.
These new emails will be distributed to the Supervisors and considered for this meeting.
December 9, 2023 Update:
The appeal of this project has been scheduled with the Board of Supervisors for Tuesday, January 23, 2024.
This meeting will take place in the Board Chambers in the County Government Center located at 1055 Monterey St., SLO.
The meeting starts at 9:00AM, but the exact agenda will not be posted until January 17.
Please plan to attend and speak at this meeting in person if possible. Any member of the public will be allowed 3 minutes to speak and voice their concerns.
The Board of Supervisors' decision cannot be appealed, so this will be the last chance to stop this project from being built.
A large turnout at the meeting will demonstrate to the Board of Supervisors how negative this project is for Templeton.
August 27, 2023 Update:
An analysis of other gas stations in the county shows that if this gas station is built,
it will be the largest gas station in all of San Luis Obispo County.
Even though the appeal document is finalized, please send me your name to
[email protected] if you support the appeal. I will keep adding to the list of names
to show to the Supervisors or media during the appeal process.
Please encourage anyone you know who you think might oppose the project to send an email as well.
August 25, 2023 Update:
The appeal of the Planning Commission's decision to approve the project has been filed with the county.
Thank you to the 85 residents who signed on to support this appeal!
The appeal can be read here.
The New Times also published an article about this project.
August 23, 2023 Update:
Adequate funds have been raised and the appeal to deny the entire project is moving forward. Thank you to all who donated!
If you support this appeal to deny the project,
and want to have your name added to a list of residents on the appeal document who support denial of the project,
please send an email to
[email protected]. Please state your full name and indicate that you support the
appeal to deny the project. As part of the appeal, your name will be added to a list of residents opposed to the project
and supporting the appeal. Your contact information will not be included in the appeal, just your name.
August 21, 2023 Update:
There has been significant interest from the community for filing an appeal. I have created a GoFundMe campaign to raise the necessary funds. The link is here:
GoFundMe campaign to raise $850 for the appeal.
All the proceeds will be used for the appeal, and donations will be closed once the goal is reached. If for any reason the appeal is not filed, all donations will be refunded.
August 19, 2023 Update:
At the August 17 TAAG meeting, TAAG discussed the process of filing an appeal, but decided that TAAG had already made their recommendation.
If an appeal is be made, it would need to be by a member of the public. Any appeal must be filed with the county by this Thursday, August 24.
Many Templeton residents at the TAAG meeting were in favor of filing an appeal.
August 12, 2023 Update:
The project was approved by the Planning Commission at the August 10th meeting
with a vote of 2-1:
Commissioner Campbell: yes
Commissioner Villicana: yes
Chairperson Simpson-Spearman: no
Commissioners Wyatt and Shah were not present so did not vote on the project.
The recording of the meeting can be viewed here. This project begins at 3:03:00 in the recording.
A decision by the Planning Commission may be appealed within fourteen (14) calendar days of the decision. All Planning Commission appeals are considered by the Board of Supervisors.
The upcoming TAAG meeting on Thursday, August 17 at 6:30 PM will discuss filing an appeal to the Planning Commission's decision.
July 18, 2023 Update: The applicant has submitted modified plans to the county. The modifications include:
- Removal of the fast food restaurant and car wash.
- Convenience store hours increased to 24 hr/day (from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM).
- Convenience store size increased from 3200 square feet to 5200 square feet.
- Increase of gas storage tanks from 20,000 gallons to 40,000 gallons.
- Signage decreased from 1229 square feet to 802 square feet.
- Addition of 9 EV charging spaces.
TAAG will be reviewing the modified project on Thursday, July 20 to make recommendations to the county.
The public is encouraged to attend this meeting to provide input.
The Planning Commission is scheduled to consider this project on August 10, 2023.
The latest project description is available here.
The latest detailed site plans are here.
Other revised documents are available at the
SLO County website for the project (DRC2021-00102). To see the revised documents, sort the attachments by "Creation Date" and look for documents uploaded on 07/12/2023.
Templeton needs your help!
A developer has proposed building a giant 24 hour gas station and convenience store on a vacant 2.47 acre parcel less than 500 feet from both the Peterson Ranch and Peoples Self Help residential developments.
The project is called "East Bennett Village", and the County Planning Land Use Permit project number is DRC2021-00102.
This gas station and convenience store complex is huge. The 2.47 acre site is 4.8 times the size of the .51 acres of the near-by Chevron station.
If built, it will be the largest gas station in all of San Luis Obispo County.
This project is seeking adjustments to one Templeton Design Plan standard and two County code standards.
Adjustment 1:
The developer plans to operate the gas station and convenience store 24 hours/day. However, the Templeton Community Design Plan
section V.F.3 limits the hours of operation of all retail businesses in Templeton
from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM for any business within 500 feet of residences.
This adjustment goes against the character of Templeton and will negatively affect local residents with all night noise and light pollution.
No one wants to live next to the all of the excess noise pollution, traffic, light pollution, gasoline and exhaust pollution, and potentially increased crime that a 24/7 gas station and convenience store
will bring to the area.
Adjustment 2:
The maximum amount of signage allowed by the county code 22.20.060.A.2 for this parcel is 237 square feet. The developer is requesting an adjustment
to increase the signage to 802 sq ft, 3.4 times the normally allowed amount.
This project is also asking for 6 freestanding or monument signs (double the 3 normally allowed by 22.20.060.A.2.c), 4 wall signs on the gas station canopy (double the 2 normally allowed by 22.20.060.A.2.a),
and is asking for 80 sq. ft. for each gas station canopy wall sign, well in excess of the 15% of wall faces allowed by by 22.20.060.A.2.a.
Such excessive signage is unsightly, will cast an enormous amount of light all night long, and is out of character for Templeton.
Adjustment 3:
County code 22.10.070.D.2 limits storage of flammable liquids to 20,000 gallons. To support the demands of this oversized gas station, the developer is requesting an increase to 40,000 gallons.
This adjustment may pose a safety or environmental concern. There are good reasons why the county code normally restricts flammable storage to 20,000 gallons, or that restriction would not have been added to the code.
Call to Action:
Make your voices heard that this giant 24 hour gas station and convenience store should not be built. Sensible development
standards make Templeton a great place to live, and developers should not be granted exceptions when inconvenient. This project
does not belong in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
Your email will become part of the county record for this project, and will count as evidence that this project is undesirable.
The email recipients are the following members of the Templeton Area Advisory Group (TAAG),
the district supervisors, and the planners at the county:
Scott Shirley – TAAG Chair - [email protected]
Murray Powell – TAAG Vice Chair - [email protected]
Bruce Jones - TAAG member - [email protected]
Joe Jarboe - Maintainer of this web site - [email protected]
John Peschong - 1st District Supervisor - [email protected]
Bruce Gibson - 2nd District Supervisor - [email protected]
Dawn Ortiz Legg - 3rd District Supervisor - [email protected]
Jimmy Paulding - 4rd District Supervisor - [email protected]
Debbie Arnold - 5th District Supervisor - [email protected]
Eric Tolle - Senior Planner - [email protected]
Trevor Keith - Planning Director - [email protected]
Planning Depart Hearing Adm - [email protected]
Board of Supervisors Adm - [email protected]
Wade Horton County Administrator - [email protected]
Rita Neal County Counsel - [email protected]
Planning Commission Approval Hearing:
The project was approved by the Planning Commission at the August 10th meeting
with a vote of 2-1:
Commissioner Campbell: yes
Commissioner Villicana: yes
Chairperson Simpson-Spearman: no
Commissioners Wyatt and Shah were not present so did not vote on the project.
The recording of the meeting can be viewed here. This project begins at 3:03:00 in the recording.
The Planning Commission decision has been appealed to the Board of Supervisors by a group of Templeton residents. The date for the Board of Supervisors to consider the appeal has not yet been set.
References:
Templeton Community Design Plan
SLO County Title 22 Land Use Ordinance
Title 22 governs land use in unincorporated SLO County land such as Templeton.
(outdated) Developer Presentation to TAAG on March 16, 2023
Environmental Quality Act Impact Study
SLO County website for the project (DRC2021-00102)
Templeton Design Plan Standard V.F.3: Business Hours.
Hours of operation. The conduct of retail business within the Templeton Urban Reserve
Line, except for essential medical services, is limited to the hours between 5:00 am and
2:00 am daily, and between 5:00 am and 11:00 pm daily for any business within 500 feet of
any residential land use category,y unless alternative hours are approved as part of any
land use permit.
Intent: The intent of the following Standard is to address potential issues
with businesses that are open 24 hours.
Templeton Design Plan Standard V.F.4: Drive-Through Facilities.
Drive-In and Drive-Through Facilities. Retail trade or service uses which conduct
business while customers remain in their vehicles, such as drive-through facilities that
are accessory to a principal building, where business is conducted inside or businesses
that conduct all business by means of drive-through facilities; shall be limited to areas
that are more than 500 feet from any residential land use category unless specifically
approved through a minor use permit.
Intent: The intent of the following Standard is to address potential conflicts
between drive-through windows and residential areas.
TAAG Review:
The Templeton Area Advisory Group (TAAG) reviewed this project on April 20, 2023 and voted to recommend denial of the project.
On July 18, the applicant submitted modifications to the county which removed the fast food restaurant and car wash, but increased
the hours of the convenience store to 24 hours/day, increased the convenience store size by 63% to 5200 sq ft, and increased the gas storage
from 20,000 gallons to 40,000 gallons.
TAAG reviewed the project with these modifications at the Thursday, July 20, 2023 meeting and recommended denial of the project
unless the convenience store hours conformed to the Templeton Community Design Plan standard of 5:00AM to 11:00PM. TAAG also made a recommendation to remove all
north facing signage and only allow externally lit signs with no internal lighting. TAAG requested that California Highway Patrol be consulted on
whether Duncan Road should be an “entrance only” to the gas station.
