Dana Reserve Circulation
Dear Neighbor,
Hello, I am Nick Tompkins, Managing Partner for the Dana Reserve development in Nipomo. The project
site is part of the original land grant from Mexico to Captain Dana. Captain Dana was my great, great
grandfather. Our family has been in Nipomo for five generations.
Therefore, it was important to our family to design a project that was good for the community. We worked
on the plans for two years with 28 versions of the evolving project. Once we were confident that we had
maximized the benefits for the Nipomo community and the surrounding areas, we submitted the application
to the SLO County Planning and Building Department.
One key component of the project we carefully considered was the existing and future traffic circulation for
Nipomo. We asked, how the development of the project could improve and fund circulation infrastructure?
We brought in a traffic consulting company to provide suggestions, advice, and complete studies. We
proactively completed new traffic counts throughout the area, updated Level of Service (LOS) metrics for
area intersections both now and after the project was complete along with ideas about limiting impacts on
our closest neighbors.
As a result, the Dana Reserve will accelerate existing plans from the San Luis Obispo Council of
Governments (SLOCOG) to connect Willow Road and North Frontage Road. This connection will include
the addition of a new stoplight at the intersection of North Frontage and Willow. This improvement will
create a new path to Highway 101 as an alternative to the current Tefft Street access, reducing congestion
on the overpass, especially during the weekend Swap Meet. This extension of North Frontage Road is
planned to be completed before anyone takes occupancy at the project and will be funded by the Dana
Reserve project even though the County had allocated $8,000,000 for these improvements.
New traffic signals will also be installed at Willow and Highway 101 on both North Bound and South Bound
intersections to help manage and control school traffic on weekday mornings. Currently both intersections
at peak hours of travel operate at LOS F. With the signalization installed and including the full build out of
the Dana Reserve both intersections will improve from the current LOS F to a LOS C at peak travel times.
These improvements will be installed during the Dana Reserve’s development phase.
The previous SLO County plan to connect Pomeroy and Willow along the current sandy path in the front or
back yards of Calimex or existing Hetrick neighbors, will now become a new connection of Pomeroy and
Willow, inside the Dana Reserve development and away from existing residences. This alternate path
reduces travel time and mileage from the previous SLO County Hetrick and Willow connection plan.
Connecting Willow and Pomeroy directs traffic flow away from Glenhaven, Ten Oaks, and Hetrick, reducing
cut through traffic in that neighborhood. Furthermore, the project is providing the land and paying for the
construction of the street without seeking a fair share reimbursement from SLO County.
The Dana Reserve circulation plan as shown in the exhibit below has eliminated all access points into
neighboring streets and limited connections to only Willow, Pomeroy, and the continuation of North
Frontage Road. Additional access for Emergency Vehicles only, will be available from Hetrick by
Glenhaven and at Corey Rd.
The Dana Reserve has also planned for a smaller commercial shopping area along with a Village Center
with eateries and retail shopping area. These shopping amenities will offer an alternative to the existing
Tefft street retail, further reducing the circulation impacts on that area.
Also, included in the development is a Park N’ Ride and transit station near the intersection of North
Frontage and Willow Road, encouraging greener transportation.
At full buildout with all homes and buildings in the Dana Reserve constructed and occupied, with the
planned street and signalization improvements completed, two intersections currently operating before the
project at Level of Service (LOS) F, will improve to LOS C. All other intersections LOS will remain the same
as before project was constructed.
In addition to the vehicle circulation improvement, the Dana Reserve provides active transportation
amenities for Nipomo. County regulations require provision of easements for, but not improvements to,
equestrian trails. The project will provide easements for an equestrian staging area and trailhead for
equestrian trails. The staging area is approximately one acre and will contain parking for approximately
eight vehicles (sized for vehicle and trailer). Approximately 3.1 miles of equestrian trails are proposed.
Trails will be natural surface and fenced off from residential areas. Maintenance of equestrian trails will be
conducted by a combination of homeowners’ association(s) and/or non-profit.
County regulations do not require pedestrian and bicycle trails, yet the Dana Reserve also proposes 3.8
miles of pedestrian and bicycle trails and miles of Class lV bicycle paths within the neighborhoods.
Sincerely,
Nick Tompkins
