"The property may not remain as-is indefinitely." The Los Osos Community Services District put that line on its Sunnyside Updates page after the election. On the same page, the District says the purchase terms and the schedule for buying the old school at 880 Manzanita Drive "have not yet been determined."
On June 2, voters decided how Los Osos would pay for Sunnyside. The price, how it gets paid, and what the eleven acres become are all still open. Any reportable action from the latest closed-session price talks is scheduled to be announced at the LOCSD board meeting on Thursday, November 5.
The June Headline and the October Agenda Don't Match
The vote itself was close. Final county results show Measure B-26 passing with 3,465 yes votes, or 54.07%, against 2,943 no votes, for a total of 6,408 votes on the measure in the June 2, 2026 primary. The county's impartial analysis notes that because this was a citizen-initiative tax, it needed only a simple majority.
Within days it sounded like the sale was nearly done. KSBY reported that San Luis Coastal Unified Assistant Superintendent Ryan Pinkerton said a tentative sale agreement was ready for approval once the election was certified. The District's own record since then reads differently:
- August 6. Board minutes record a discussion of Sunnyside financing options and a lease option. No financing structure was chosen.
- September 3. The board met in closed session on price and terms of payment and reported no action.
- September 28 and October 1. A Finance Advisory Committee update and the General Manager's report both say the District is still weighing acquisition and financing options. They add that more negotiation with the school district may be needed, and that structure, terms and schedule remain undetermined.
- October 15. A special meeting held one closed-session item on the "Sunnyside Elementary School Site." It lists General Manager Greg Kwolek as the District's negotiator, and both San Luis Coastal Unified School District and the County of San Luis Obispo as negotiating parties. The topic was "Price and Terms of Payments."
- November 5. The October 15 agenda says any reportable action from that session "will be announced at the November 5, 2026, Board Meeting."
The County of San Luis Obispo sits at that table too. The September 3 minutes and the October 15 agenda both list it alongside the school district, so the price talks involve three public agencies. Neither document explains the County's role.
What the Tax Line Actually Pays For
Since the deal isn't closed, it helps to know exactly what the measure set up. The B-26 resolution splits the special tax into two parts with different lifespans.
| Component | Amount per parcel per year | What it funds | When it ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acquisition | Up to $85 | Buying Sunnyside School | June 30, 2041, or the end of the year the full purchase price is paid, whichever comes first |
| Improvements, operations and maintenance | $100 | Park improvements, operations and upkeep | Does not sunset. The board may adjust it annually starting July 1, 2027, capped by a CPI average |
The total starts at $185, but the two parts behave very differently. The $85 share is tied to the purchase and ends once the property is paid off. The $100 share is permanent and can rise with inflation. The county's impartial analysis adds that the money is restricted to the measure's stated purposes and requires an annual public report. This connects back to November 5. The final price and payment terms determine how long the $85 portion lasts on a parcel's bill, up to its 2041 cutoff.
This section is general information about a public measure, not tax or legal advice. If you want to know how B-26 shows up on your own property tax bill, the resolution linked above, the LOCSD, or your tax professional is the right place to check.
The Numbers Both Sides Started From
No 2026 purchase price is public. Two earlier figures give a sense of the range. An undated LOCSD FAQ lists the school district's asking price as $6 million. An appraisal commissioned by San Luis Coastal Unified, with a valuation date of May 21, 2024, put the 11.90-acre site at $5,650,000 for "Value in Use" and $6,050,000 for "Highest and Best Use."
The appraisal values are more than two years old, the FAQ carries no date, and none of these figures is a confirmed offer. They show where the conversation began. Wherever the board lands, the $85-per-parcel acquisition share will have to cover it within the measure's 15-year window.
Eleven Acres in Three Pieces
The site is more varied than "the old school" suggests. The appraisal describes three zones. A terrace on the north side holds ball fields and turf. Roughly eight central acres hold the school buildings, parking and playgrounds. The southern end is undeveloped.
The buildings matter for any future community center. The appraisal counts eight permanent structures totaling about 29,700 square feet, plus 8,893 square feet of covered canopy. It also lists five relocatable classrooms and one relocatable office totaling about 5,255 square feet. In October 2025, New Times SLO reported that residents were still using part of the property, and that the fields and the large blacktop basketball area needed work.
What Residents Asked For in 2025, and Why the CSD Calls It a Starting Point
Before the vote, the District surveyed 354 likely Los Osos voters between August 18 and 31, 2025. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 5.3%. Here is how the survey results ranked the options, by the share calling each extremely or very important:
- Preserving central open space: 71%
- An accessible playground: 71%
- Planting trees: 69%
- Youth recreation programs: 69%
- Active recreation: 66%
- Senior recreation programming: 62%
- Pollinator habitat: 59%
- Walking trails: 58%
- Youth baseball, softball and soccer fields: 55%
- Pickleball courts: 24%
The top results lean toward open space, trees and programs, with built facilities further down. At the September 20, 2025 town hall, the preliminary concept showed refurbished ball fields with perimeter paths, basketball and pickleball courts, a T-ball field or dog park option, a community center, and open space with the existing trails kept. Comments recorded at a CSD workshop added more ideas, including a community pool, a pump track and adventure uses for kids around 8 to 15, and community gardens.
None of that is locked in. The District says so directly on its update page:
"Some of the concepts developed during that process were based on assumptions and constraints being considered at the time. Those concepts should not be viewed as limiting what may ultimately be considered for Sunnyside."
So the drawings people saw in 2025 aren't the plan. The real design work hasn't started.
The Seats That Open After the Price Is Settled
The next phase only begins once the purchase is far enough along. At that point the CSD says it will produce two documents. The first is a Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment covering all of Los Osos. The second is a Sunnyside Master Plan covering recreation facilities, open space, buildings, community uses, circulation, infrastructure, phasing and funding for the site.
A Sunnyside Master Plan Steering Committee of community members will help guide that work. The District will open an application period, the General Manager will review applications and make recommendations, and the LOCSD Board of Directors will make the final appointments. The CSD says it will announce the application window, committee structure and schedule "once the Sunnyside acquisition process is further along."
The order of events matters here. The committee can't form until the deal advances, and November 5 is the next date when the deal could advance in public. To get the application notice when it goes out, the CSD points residents to its Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee mailing list and District ENews, both available through the "Join our mailing list" link on the Sunnyside Updates page. Questions go to General Manager Greg Kwolek.
The CSD has said it hopes to finish the acquisition by the end of fall 2026. That is a goal rather than a schedule, and fall ends in late December.
We've lived and worked in San Luis Obispo County for more than 37 years, and we follow projects like Sunnyside because they shape what a Los Osos address means for years afterward. If you own in Los Osos and want to know how the town's next big park project fits into what your home is worth today, The Mike Oliver Group will prepare a valuation that accounts for it. Request your home valuation, and we'll share what we hear after November 5.
