The new building on the corner of South Bay Boulevard and Los Osos Valley Road (LOVR) is now open for business. Its clever developers were allowed to build during the sewer moratorium on the basis of "Wastewater Exchange" or "Sewer Equivalent," condemning two duplexes and one three-bedroom home (10 bedrooms in all). These duplexes (9th and 12th St.) are still occupied by renters; the home on 8th St. is vacant, all are still standing and had been promised to be torn down.
For argument's sake, to take the residential dwellings "off line" for waste production is a seemingly equal "exchange" of wastewater strengths and volumes … some would argue they are not equal, but for now let's say they are. The equity is lost in the replacement businesses at the previous locations (Starbucks complex) on the corner of Fairchild Avenue and LOVR. Starbucks and the cell phone store that occupy the same space the realty office once did now has multiple plumbing fixtures and a considerable increase in customer traffic - far greater than the real estate office ever had. While, in the former insurance company space, there is a Mexican restaurant slated to open in a few days (also more traffic and wastewater flow than the insurance company historically used.)
This wastewater exchange policy is being abused. Who are the septic police? Who enforces the moratorium? Why are homeowners denied their property rights to add a bath or bedroom during the moratorium, when such blatant disregard for the basin continues?
Al Kellogg
Los Osos
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