HomeMy WebLinkAbout8/17/2020 Item 2, Cooper
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Allan Cooper <
To:Cohen, Rachel; Advisory Bodies
Subject:650 Tank Farm Road
Attachments:908_17_20...lettertoarc.pdf
Dear Rachel -
Would you kindly forward the letter attached below to the
Architectural Review Commission? This letter pertains to
Public Hearing Item #2, 650 Tank Farm Road. Would you
also place this letter in the City's correspondence file?
Thanks and stay safe!
- 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 Architectural Review Commission and Rachel Cohen
Re: Public Hearing Item #2: August 17, 2020 review of a mixed-use project
located at 650 Tank Farm Road
From: Allan Cooper, San Luis Obispo
Date: August 17, 2020
Honorable Chair and Commissioners -
The Community Design Guidelines state that “each project should be designed with careful
consideration of site character and constraints and minimize changes to natural features.
The ARC should discuss how the project fits in with the best examples of appropriate site
design and architecture in the vicinity of the site. The ARC should discuss whether the project
site activities are logically oriented so that the project will operate efficiently and effectively for
all users.”
Your staff report fails to mention that this project will involve the removal of 206 onsite trees.
169 (or 82%) of the 206 trees have been determined to be either in good or in moderate
condition. I am attaching for your convenience a view of this mature grove of trees taken from
Tank Farm Road. I am also forwarding you via attachment an aerial view of the site and a site
plan of the proposed building project. As you can see by comparing the aerial view with the site
plan, there is hardly any justification for removing this number of trees given that nearly 2/3rds
of the property surrounding the former mobile home park is unencumbered by trees.
Please allow me to draw your attention to a May 27, 2020 SF Examiner article titled “Green
Space: Stop Taking Trees Down” (to read more click on: https://www.sfexaminer.com/news-
columnists/green-space-stop-taking-trees-down/). This article states the following: “While new
trees were proposed at several of these sites (i.e., building sites within the City of San
Francisco), replacements may not provide the same benefits as the ones removed. For
example, older trees can capture more carbon and divert more water from sewers than
younger trees. Trees that don’t shed their leaves are also better at filtering air pollution, and
may help reduce communities’ vulnerabilities to respiratory diseases, such as the coronavirus”.
The article goes on to state that "… too many trees were simply chopped down because they’re
inconvenient. Lance Carnes, a volunteer with Healthy Trees Initiative, has compiled an archive
of the Department of Public Works’ tree removals since November 2019. Out of 210 removals,
65 were authorized simply to make room for new construction projects, infrastructure
improvements and private driveways.”
You probably know that funding for the City’s Urban Forest Master Plan effort is currently being
deferred due to the economic impacts resulting from COVID-19. However please help us
address the City’s Climate Action Plan for Community Recovery by merely disallowing the
wholesale removal of these trees. These trees are being removed simply because the architect
was unable (or unwilling) to work around them. Thank you!