Los Osos houses for sale closest to the Ocean

If you want to live close to the ocean, these five Los Osos homes for sale now could help you live where you want. Click on the images below to learn more about each Los Osos home for sale. 

Los Osos residents can protest a proposed sewer rate on July 18

Los Osos property owners will soon have an opportunity to voice their opinions regarding proposed sewer rate changes. 

The annual "Right to Vote on Taxes" process has been scheduled by San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors for July 18. The proposed sewer charges, which will appear on property tax bills, only cover the financing portion of the $183-million sewer project and not the actual flow of water from properties, according to Estero Bay News. The charges vary depending on water usage. 

The county's assessment district for the sewer system does not include all of Los Osos, as certain areas were not required to connect to the communitywide system. 

The county public works is responsible for providing sewer service in Los Osos, including the Monarch Grove subdivision near Sunset Terrace. 

In 2020, the county passed an ordinance allowing for rate increases under the state's Proposition 218, which mandates an annual protest vote by ratepayers to contest any increases. 

However, sewer and water services are considered essential, making the protest largely a formality to ensure the provision of these basic services.

Iconic Los Osos castle auction will be live streamed Thursday

Bidding started Friday for the iconic Los Osos Venetian Castle, described by some as a small Hearst Castle, with an opening offer of $1.5 million. Bid increments will be at $100,000.

The auction will conclude on Thursday in a live stream at 2 p.m. West Coast time from Sotheby's in New York City.

DESCRIPTION
~ Breathtaking panoramic coastal and ocean views meet their match in this move-in-ready secluded castle. Renaissance Artisanship and European Craftsmanship elegantly transforms every day into a luxury lifestyle.

This Venetian Castle is designed for living life to its fullest, with a floorplan that will comfortably host family and friends. The fully-equipped chef’s kitchen boasts appliances and ample space for the largest of dinner parties, while the formal dining room will seat ten for a gourmet experience with both ocean and mountain views.

Elegant living room, beside a crackling fireplace and beneath 20-foot high barreled cedar ceilings for a truly opulent experience. Retire to the wine cellar where you can welcome up to ten guests for an intimate tasting or visit the hookah lounge for a truly unique experience. The estate’s top deck borders Montana Del Oro State Park and features views of the endless coastline.

Elevate your work from home experience from the top floor, ideal for corporate meetings, or as a games room for family-friendly fun. Whether you desire a unique corporate retreat beyond compare or a private sanctuary to cherish for generations, the coastal Venetian Castle is a dream come true.

Garbage rate hike hearing set for March 21

The San Luis Obispo County Supervisors have set a hearing date of March 21 for proposed garbage rate hikes in the unincorporated towns of San Luis Obispo County, with Los Osos garbage customers alone facing a 41% increase. 

However, rates outside cities will double, jumping over 82% for the rest of this year, due to various reasons such as capital investments, market rate wage adjustments, increased costs of insurance premiums, and increasing operating expenses. 

While customers living in towns where the CSDs hold the franchise agreements can vote in protest against the rate hikes, those living outside the jurisdictions of the local CSDs cannot as garbage service is not mandatory. Source: Estero Bay News

New streetlights for Los Osos and other county locations

New streetlights are being installed in Los Osos by the San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Works.

The new streetlights and associated improvements are being installed in Templeton, Los Osos, Pismo Beach and Arroyo Grande.

Work started last week and is expected to be complete by March 2023, depending on weather.

Los Osos woman who killed cyclist pleads guilty to another DUI

A Los Osos woman who struck and killed a cyclist in a previous DUI case faces up to six years in prison after she pleaded guilty to felony driving under the influence of alcohol in another DUI case.

District Attorney Dan Dow announced today that Gianna Catherine Brencola (DOB 10-15-1999) of Los Osos entered a plea of guilty to felony driving while under the influence of alcohol. Brencola faces up to six years in state prison based on her guilty plea.

The incident occurred on Halloween evening, October 31, 2021, in Morro Bay. At a preliminary hearing the court heard evidence that Brencola struck several parked cars while driving with a blood alcohol level exceeding .30 percent, more than three times the legal limit for driving which is .08 percent.

Expect delays on Los Osos Valley Road for road work

Expect one-way traffic control and delays of up to 10 minutes near Los Osos for two weeks.

County roadwork will be occurring on Los Osos Valley Road between Turri Road and Los Osos Bridge Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This roadwork is part of a year-long asphalt-paving project on roads throughout the county, beginning in October and expected to be complete in fall 2023. Other sites and scheduling will be reported as that information becomes available.

For the safety of the public and the workers, traffic will be reduced to one-way controls with flaggers and pilot cars.

Please see map for locations.

Repaving starts on Los Osos Valley Road this month

Watch for road crews along Los Osos Valley Road as a series of repaving projects kicks off this month in San Luis Obispo County.

San Luis Obispo County Public Works will begin an asphalt paving project on multiple county roads in the Nipomo area, Arroyo Grande area, and on Los Osos Valley Road.

The work locations are divided into five sites, see the attached vicinity maps for details.

Cambria area leads North Coast home sales in June

Homebuyers found more of what they were looking for in the Cambria area in June than in other North Coast locations, according to statistics from the California Association of Realtors.

The association reported 24 home sales in the Cambria area, compared to 16 in Los Osos and 17 in Morro Bay. In all three locations, homebuyers preferred 3 bedroom homes the most, accounting for most sales. 

Will Los Osos become an official city?

A group of Los Osos residents wants the community to become its own city by incorporating. 

"I feel like it's a good time with the redistricting that kind of left our community orphaned during the election and not really having a representative," Los Osos resident Kristin Horowitz told New Times SLO. "Now we sort of have essentially no power."

Cambria and Los Osos set for guardrail upgrades this summer

Guardrails in Cambria, Los Osos, and rural San Luis Obispo will be getting an upgrade starting this week.

The height of the existing guardrails at these locations is below current state and federal guidelines and replacing them with the appropriate height will ensure compliance and increase safety.

Cambria led May home sales along North Coast

May was a good month for home sales in Cambria, putting the community in the lead among North Coast communities for transactions for the month. 

Twenty homes found new owners in May, according to statistics from the California Association of Realtors. Home buyers heavily favored 3 bedroom houses above all others with 14 sales compared to one sale for 1 bedroom homes, two sales for 2 bedroom homes, and three sales for 4+ bedroom homes.

Los Osos followed with 15 houses sold for the month, and Morro Bay lagged with 10 sales. 

Fiber optic installation will slow traffic between Morro Bay and Los Osos

Expect lane closures and slower traffic between Morro Bay and Los Osos for the next several months as crews install new fiber optic cable in the area.

The fiber optic cables will be installed along South Bay Boulevard, from within the Morro Bay city limits, to Santa Ysabel Avenue in Los Osos.

Work will be located mostly in the bike lane and on the road shoulder. Construction will begin June 20 and is scheduled to be completed on October 2.

Coastal Commission scolds SLO County Planning Department

The California Coastal Commission last week scolded the San Luis Obispo County Department of Planning and Building for willfully disregarding permit requirements on development applications in Los Osos despite insufficient groundwater to support them.

"It appears that the County’s disregard of permit requirements is “knowing and intentional,” said Dan Carl, director of the Central Coast District for the Coastal Commission.

"There is insufficient water supply to serve even existing development in Los Osos without coastal resource harm (including where an over-drafted groundwater basin can adversely impact sensitive natural resources such as wetlands and marshes, coastal streams and adjacent riparian areas, and marine habitats, as well as adversely impact coastal priority uses such as agriculture and lower-cost visitorserving development), let alone adding to it new water using development," Carl said in the letter.

In recent years, county planners have approved at least 10 projects the Coastal Commission says local officials knew didn't meet groundwater requirements.

Carl said this gave the applicants "false hope," leading to appeals to the Coastal Commission for their approval. One project has been rejected with four other appeals pending. Five of the applicants have withdrawn their appeal.

As a result, county planning director Trevor Keith issued a memorandum, emphasizing that planners would not entertain applications for development on undeveloped lots in the Los Osos Sewer Service Area, nor applications for accessory dwelling units.

Applications can still be made for "New residential additions, remodels, guesthouses, and other water-neutral development/land uses on lots with existing single-family dwellings within the Los Osos Sewer Service Area."

"The Department appreciates and shares the Coastal Commission’s concerns regarding groundwater sustainability in Los Osos," Keith wrote in the memo.

A copy of the county memo and the Coastal Commission's letter can be read HERE.