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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/21/2020 Item 08, Peck Wilbanks, Megan From:Stephen Peck < To:Bell, Kyle; Codron, Michael; E-mail Council Website Subject:April 15 Ltr to Council Re: Item 8, April 21st Meeting; 600 Tank Farm Road Attachments:April 15 Ltr to Council Final with Attachment.pdf st Attached is a comment letter in support of the Item 8 on the April 21 agenda. Please forward this to Council members and place in the Agenda Correspondence file. 1 April 15, 2020 San Luis Obispo City Council 900 Palm Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 RE: GP Initiation for 600 Tank Farm Road (April 21st Item 8) Mayor and Council: First, thank you to City staff for bringing this matter to the City Council in a timely manner. Considering other matters that have occurred since our first submittal in December 2019, we appreciate staff’s attention to this. The staff report provides a nice summary of some of the general attributes of the project, and how those attributes line up with City policies and current goals. I’d like to highlight a several other features and attributes, below and attached, that we think provide added support for the proposed action. Compatible with ALUP Update. The current Airport Land Use Plan (ALUP) has been a significant factor in land use planning in south San Luis Obispo for over forty-five years. The current adopted ALUP has caused most of the property in south San Luis Obispo to be designated for non- residential uses. Virtually all of the Airport Area Specific Plan (AASP) and most of the Margarita Area Specific Plan (MASP) areas are designated for Business Park uses as a means of complying with the ALUP. The County has adopted new noise contours for the airport and is now working on an update to the Airport Land Use Plan (ALUP) which will be complete in August of this year. The proposed changes will permit residential uses on the site, and there will be no inconsistency with the ALUP as it is proposed to be revised. This will allow the City to place housing near the shopping and employment uses in south San Luis Obispo, as preferred by City policy. Filling a Need for Attainable Housing. The project includes for-sale and for-rent units and will have units ranging in size from 450 square feet to 1,450 square feet, with an average unit size of less than 1,100 square feet. By comparison, virtually all of the housing developments on the market now have housing unit sizes ranging from a low of 1,200 square feet to a high of 3,250 square feet, with prices to match. This project will fill a niche that is currently not being met by any other projects in the community. Local Preference Program and Special Community Benefits. As noted in our application materials, there will be a preference extended to those who work in the vicinity of the project. This will eliminate some of the speculative pressure on the newer housing stock, reduce vehicle miles travelled (VMT), and place workers within walking and biking distance of their jobs and close-by shopping. Delivering Critical Infrastructure. The project will deliver important transportation improvements including the Tank Farm/Santa Fe roundabout, a bike path connection from Tank Farm to the Damon-Garcia sports park, and an extension of Santa Fe to provide access to adjoining properties. San Luis Obispo City Council Page 2 of 2 April 15, 2020 Thank you again for your consideration of this, and we request that you adopt the staff recommendation to proceed with this matter, and to initiate the RFP process for the environmental document, as recommended. Sincerely, Stephen Peck, AICP Project Manager . General Plan/Rezoning Initiation 600 Tank Farm Road Covelop, Inc. Where? …Close to shopping and jobs. Near enough to Mindbody, South Broad/Morabito Business Park, Sacramento Drive Business Park, and SLO County airport to walk or bike. Marigold Shopping Center in walking distance. An “infill” location. Why Make a Change in Land Use Designation? 1.While the production of housing has accelerated in recent years, there is still a need for projects that are smaller, more compact, close to existing services and affordable by design. 2.This project has a lower overall average unit size, in both the for-sale and for-rent categories. Average unit size for the for- sale townhomes 1,100 SF with sizes ranging from 450 SF to 1,450 SF. 3.Average unit size across the entire project is 933 SF, substantially lower than other recent projects. 4.Project results in 20+ deed-restricted mixed-use in cooperation with a local non-profit housing provider, far above the City requirement. 5.Project makes the Santa Fe/Tank Farm roundabout and connector feasible to install by private developer (with fee reimbursements). Current BP zoning does not without the City taking the financial lead. 6.Project is compatible with the proposed update to the Airport Land Use Plan. 7.Project provides a buyer’s preference for workers in the immediate vicinity. …city needs 250 acres of vacant BP, M and CS land to meet future employment needs. Developing this site as mixed use residential will leave 320 acres, an 80-acre surplus. Why? Filling a Need for Attainable Housing …the project has an average unit size and price point that are well below other projects that are currently being marketed in the community. Smaller size results in lower prices and greater attain- ability. Home Size and Price Range Of Existing Projects Home Size and Price Range of Project Why? Delivering Critical Infrastructure …Project delivers the Santa Fe/ Tank Farm roundabout, with connections to Chevron and Damon Garcia properties. New “Class IV bike lanes surround the site, and the project connects Tank Farm bike paths to Damon Garcia Sports Park. Without the project, these improvements would have to be Installed by the City, or substantially later by a large project. Why? Compatible with ALUP Update …Land use policy in the southeast area of the city has been heavily influenced by the County Airport Land Use Plan. The subject parcel has been designated for many years as Business Park because of ALUP policies. The update to the ALUP, to be adopted in August 2020, considers residential development on the site to be fully compatible with airport safety and noise restrictions. Why? Special Community Benefits and Features …Making a good project better, the Project integrates some of the most progressive features to address community needs, affordability, and active transportation. 1.Creative partnership with local non-profit housing developer for commercial mixed-use area. 1.Car sharing and other shared mobility strategies. 2.New “Class IV” bike lanes for safety. 3.Enhanced noise mitigation. 4.Buyer’s preference program for workers in the immediate vicinity to reduce VMT and encourage active transportation modes.