HomeMy WebLinkAbout1/8/2020 Item 2, Cooper
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Allan Cooper <allancoope@gmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday,
To:Advisory Bodies; Scott, Shawna
Subject:545 Higuera Street
Attachments:301_08_20...davidsspeech.pdf
Dear Shawna -
I am forwarding the letter attached below to the
Planning Commission on David Brodie's behalf.
Would you kindly include this in the
correspondence file as well? Thanks!
- Allan
1
To: SLO Planning Commission
From: Professor David Brodie
Re: 545 Higuera Street
Date: January 8, 2020
We are urging you to deny this project based on findings that this project is inconsistent with the
Community Design Guidelines. The architectural design of the project is not compatible with the
design and scale of existing, historical and non-historical, structures in the surrounding
neighborhood.
Furthermore, we are asking that you consider the following concerns we have as they pertain to
climate change :
1) Staff states that the drive aisle shall be constructed with a material alternative to asphalt, such
as concrete, in order for the drive corridor to function as a paseo consistent with the Downtown
Concept Plan. We are urging you to use cool paving which reflects heat and counters the creation
of urban heat islands.
2) The project is located within a flood plain. Staff is recommending that the buildings shall
either be elevated or protected to at least one foot above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) but that
additional protection to two feet would be a superior solution. With climate change comes
episodic flash floods that will require evacuation plans which have not been included in this
project submittal. Ideally no project of this nature would be built in this flood plain.
3) The applicant has identified “potential solar areas” on the roof. Photovoltaic systems should
be a mandatory part of the approval of this project.
4) When you consider the energy used in material extraction and construction, over 30% of
global fuel consumption, maybe we should stop demolishing so much of our built environment.
There is no provision made by staff to recycle the building materials recovered after demolition
and this should be a mandatory requirement.
5) Staff has stated that the trees proposed for removal have no value as habitat for endangered,
rare or threatened species. Today, we are aware that because of climate change nearly all species
are endangered or threatened. The eight mature trees slated for removal should be preserved
during and after construction of this project.
6) Staff states that a final landscaping plan shall be submitted to the Community Development
Department along with working drawings. We believe that you should have access to these plans.
These plans should include the following a) the precise location of the mid-block paseo
connecting pedestrians between Marsh and Higuera Streets b) the size and number of
compensatory tree plantings.