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Home My WebLink About2/26/2020 Item 2, Cooper Wilbanks, Megan From:Allan Cooper < To:Scott, Shawna; Advisory Bodies Subject:Letter To The Planning Commission Attachments:202_22_20...lettertopc.pdf Dear Shawna - Would you kindly forward the letter attached below to the Planning Commission and include it in the City's correspondence file? This is pertaining to the Planning Commission's February 26, 2020 review of 545 Higuera & 486 Marsh. Thanks! - Allan 1 Save Our Downtown ______________________________________________________________________________ Seeking to protect and promote the historical character, design, livability and economic success of downtown San Luis Obispo. To: San Luis Obispo Planning Commission & Shawna Scott, Senior Planner Re: February 26, 2020 Meeting Item Number 2: 545 Higuera & 486 Marsh  From: Allan Cooper, Secretary Save Our Downtown Date: February 22, 2020 Honorable Chair and Commissioners - The Planning Commission at their January 8, 2020 meeting directed the applicant to “consider additional setbacks along the Marsh and Higuera Street frontage, which would be more consistent with policy”. The Commission added that they did not want to “reduce or effect proposed residential density”. The applicant did not follow this direction. In response to this direction from the Planning Commission, the Higuera Street facade should be stepped back above the ﬁrst ﬂoor in order to respect the height of the one story Pollard House. This design modiﬁcation would not effect residential density as this portion of the project is proposed to be a hotel. These step-backs would only slightly reduce the size of the the hotel suites facing Higuera Street. z SUM:[zSUNo,Yz z@ U)zY^ >z[MzSUMSUdz@3GYz[Mz @ANpz#MVz zw-YC4 Bz \U GY,\.OHz[Mz < H[zYE@@UzY[UeajUYz z SUM; [zY[SYzNpIz\MzzyY[NUuz$ zGr]z[Nz*8Y^NU/zY^Uf[kVz z Y]V^z%UMI\z& Yz UzUM>GzNqGz[Nz !zMES b5@xz p0c+z ; G[ze,@P3G)Yz z Hpz pMMzY,0G)zNFSA6EL[Yzr,Y\,J)zpMMzY,Q7G)zMGz G UvzY[Ug_hVYz zY^MGz@ 3G)zNET@,EG[Zzs0Y\1J)zW29zKz @M?zM'zR=(H`zY[Xi^lUYz z Y[gNzMESD8F"I[Yz t,Y^0I)zY[hMzMGz ; G^zY\Um^nUYz ATTACHMENT 1 Packet Page 41 Per the Planning Commission’s direction, the Marsh Street facade should also step back above the second ﬂoor in order to respect the height of the two-story Bank of the Sierra. Again this design modiﬁcation would not effect residential density as the two third ﬂoor 2-bedroom units are clearly above average in size at 1,192 and 1,025 square feet respectively. Both 2-bedroom apartments can be reduced in size down to 800 square feet (the national average being 1,006 square feet for a 2-bedroom apartment). These step-backs at Higuera and Marsh Streets would conform to objective standards as cited in the City’s Community Design Guidelines which state: In order to assure that tall buildings respect the context of their setting and provide an appropriate visual transition to adjacent structures new buildings shall “reinforce the established horizontal lines of facades in adjacent buildings;”. These step-backs would also conform to other objective standards as cited in the City’s Community Design Guidelines: “Except on a pedestrian- oriented public street where buildings are at the back of the sidewalk, structures over 20 feet in height (typical for structures of two stories or more) should step-back the building mass at least ﬁve feet for the portions of the structure above 14 feet (or the height where an actual second story begins) to provide visual variation. The facade of the areas stepped-back above the actual or apparent ﬁrst ﬂoor should include detailed building articulation with windows, eaves, and decorative details such as tiles, wood trim, etc. as appropriate. It is also important that the facade below the step-back have a substantial structural appearance, and not simply appear as an awning “tacked-on” to the building.” The Planning Commission at their January 8, 2020 meeting also directed the applicant to insure that the trees planted along the Pollard House property line be tall (in order to provide privacy between the Pollard House and the balconies facing onto the Pollard House). Again, the applicant did not follow this direction. The choice of trees buffering the Pollard House from this 50 foot tall structure includes the Arbutus unedo or the Strawberry tree which attains a height of 8-15 feet. These are slow- growing trees and are not considered “tall” by any measure. We are urging the applicant to plant fast-growing trees that will grow at least 40 feet in height to provide the privacy required for the historic Pollard House. Tall trees planted between the Pollard House and the proposed 50 foot tall structure at 545 Higuera would conform to objective standards as cited in the City’s Community Design Guidelines which state: “Consider neighboring development. Each development proposal should demonstrate consideration for the existing conditions on and off the site including the following: Privacy and solar access of the site and neighboring properties”. “Screening can protect and separate uses and site functions to decrease adverse noise, wind, or visual impacts and to provide privacy. The need for screening should be considered early in the design process so that screening elements (such as fences and walls, berms, and landscaping) can be effectively integrated into the overall project design and not added later as an afterthought”. It should be noted that the applicant did not follow the ARC’s direction either. The ARC asked for step-backs at the third ﬂoor for both facades facing Higuera and Marsh Streets. Instead, the applicant maintained a “three-story element on the Northeast portion of Building A”. And only a portion of the southwest facade facing Marsh Street was set back (but not “stepped-back” as directed by the ARC) thereby leaving the facade of Building B facing Marsh at three stories. Finally, we agree with Dr. James Papp who said that the City is not following its own Conservation and Open Space Element, which says, “In evaluating new public or private development, the City should identify and protect neighborhoods or districts having historical character due to the collective effect of Contributing or Master List historic properties,”. We believe that because of this, the City must require an EIR (environmental impact report) for 545 Higuera-486 Marsh and/or 564 Higuera because of the cumulative impact of 36 new multi- story, multi-unit buildings either built in or approved in this part of town in the last three years.