Torrente Major Grading Permit (GRAD2025-00040 / ED25-0133)

Joe Torrente has applied for a Major Grading Permit (GRAD2025-00040) to construct a 1,894-square-foot single-family residence with a 528-square-foot attached garage, a septic system, and associated site improvements on a 2.32-acre parcel located at the west end of Reindeer Place in San Luis Obispo County, approximately 5.5 miles east of Paso Robles, within the Agricultural land use category and the El Pomar-Estrella Sub-area. The proposed development will disturb approximately 0.83 acres of land, involving 561 cubic yards of cut and fill. The project is subject to strict environmental mitigation measures under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) due to its location within habitat critical to the San Joaquin Kit Fox and other sensitive species. A Focused Mitigated Negative Declaration has been prepared, requiring compliance with a series of site-specific biological conditions labeled BR-5 through BR-15, which mandate pre-construction surveys, daily monitoring during work, wildlife exclusion zones of 50 to 150 feet around active dens, and fencing designed to allow safe passage for Kit Foxes with either a 12-inch ground clearance or 8-by-12-inch openings every 100 yards. Construction is prohibited after dusk unless specifically coordinated with the County, and all trenches over two feet deep must include escape ramps approved by a County-qualified biologist. Additionally, all personnel must receive environmental training, food waste must be kept in animal-proof containers, and the use of pesticides and herbicides is tightly regulated to protect the ecosystem. Any incidental take of protected wildlife must be reported immediately to the County, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Mitigation fees totaling $3,049.75 are required, including $2,100 paid to The Nature Conservancy as an in-lieu fee for kit fox habitat conservation, with payment accepted via cash, check, or credit. The County of San Luis Obispo’s Department of Planning & Building serves as the lead agency for oversight, with Andy Knighton as the primary point of contact, and final acceptance of the work is contingent on full compliance with all environmental conditions. There is no formal contract value, procurement structure, or federal acquisition regulation (FAR) clause framework in place; this is an administrative land use permit under state and local environmental laws