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HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/26/2022 Item 4a, Cooper Delgado, Adriana From:Allan Cooper <allancoope@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, September To:Advisory Bodies; Bell, Kyle; Whipple, Anthony; E-mail Council Website Subject:Letter To The Tree Committee Attachments:1scan - aia98368@gmail.com - Gmail.pdf; 209_19_22...1144monterey.pdf This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond. Dear Kyle & Anthony - Would you kindly forward the letter attached below to the Tree Committee? This letter pertains to the Committee's September 26, 2022 review of Agenda #4a: 1422 Monterey Street. We would also like this letter to appear in the City's Correspondence File. 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 Tree Committee, Kyle Bell, Housing Coordinator, Anthony Whipple, City Arborist, SLO City Council Re: September 26, 2022 Meeting: Agenda Item #4A: 1422 Monterey St. Review Of The 7 Proposed Removal Of 54 Trees And Replanting Of 54 Trees. Tree Removals Are Proposed To Facilitate A Mixed-Use Development Consisting Of 106 Affordable Units And Up To 4,366 Square Feet Of Commercial Space From: Allan Cooper, Secretary Save Our Downtown, AIA Date: September 19, 2022 Dear Chair Canella & Committee Members - When the Karleskint Crum nursery closed, a requirement of development was that the old trees, especially the magnificent redwoods, be maintained. Your task, as a Tree Committee, should not have to involve the redesign of this project. Ideally, before you make your determination, this project should have been first routed and reviewed through the ARC. But as architects, we can assure you that there exist viable alternatives to the layout of these buildings that would result in the preservation of at least a dozen or more on-site trees. By way of example we are including below (and via attachment) an alternative site plan showing all 106 affordable units along with the commercial space being preserved. Besides saving the following trees: 11 inch diameter black acacia 10 inch diameter coast live o 42 inch diameter coastal redwood 32 inch diameter coastal redwood 49.5 inch diameter coast redwood 5.5 inch diameter coast redwood 14 inch diameter coast redwood 13 inch diameter coast redwood 17 inch diameter coast redwood 14 inch diameter victorian box 9.5 inch diameter evergreen pear 8 inch diameter evergreen pear this plan addresses the excessive scale of this project by placing most of the 5 story structures toward the back of the site while placing the 3 story parking garage at the front. In the City of Seattle, housing and environmental activists are calling on the City to commit to a ‘Trees and’ approach, rejecting the perceived conflict between housing affordability and a healthy urban tree canopy. Trees For Life Oregon showcases the creativity and thought processes of developers, architects, and occasionally City engineers who are taking the time to design buildings and streets with trees in mind. Their work, which preserves or creates space for trees, illustrates that new development or new streets are not incompatible with large trees. Bristol, England’s planning policy BCS9 (p.74 of the Bristol Development Strategy Core Framework) states that “Individual green assets should be retained wherever possible and integrated into new development”. Thus, existing trees, especially where they are on the edge of the site, should be incorporated into development proposals. The advantages in retaining trees will be a much easier ride through the planning process and local support rather than strong opposition. In addition, the subsequent development will be much higher quality and would instantly benefit from any mature trees that are on the site. In conclusion, this is a “home-grown” project, being initiated by the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo. It is therefore incumbent on both the Housing Authority and the City to set a shining example of how both scale and tree preservation can be feasibly integrated into affordable housing. Thank you! ______________________________________ References: “How To Preserve Both Affordable Housing and Urban Trees” Housing and environmental activists are calling on the city to commit to a ‘Trees and’ approach, rejecting the perceived conflict between housing affordability and a healthy urban tree canopy. Compose Labels More Inbox 13 Snoozed Sent Dra!s All Mail Spam 705 Trash Categories Social Promotions Accounts AIA Alan Galumbeck Alice & Larry Loh Allan Cooper Andrea Berlowitz & Keir … Andy Kakelaars Angela Brantley Bailey Drechsler Benson Tower 15 scan Inbox × 4:16 PM (3 hours ago) to me R. Cooper Reply Scan2022-09-19_… Reply Forward Back Archive Spam Delete Mark as unread Snooze Add to tasks Move to Labels More 4 of 147 Search in mail Page 1 /1 Scan2022-09-19_161558.pdf Open with CloudConve!Open with CloudConve! https://www.planetizen.com/news/2022/04/116968-how-preserve-both-affordable-housing- and-urban-trees “Where Affordable Housing Meets, and Keeps, Large Trees” A Designing for Trees Feature By Kyna Rubin Trees For Life Oregon showcases the creativity and thought processes of developers, architects, and occasionally City engineers who are taking the time to design buildings and streets with trees in mind. Their work, which preserves or creates space for trees, illustrates that new development or new streets are not incompatible with large trees. https://www.treesforlifeoregon.org/affordable-housing-meets-large-trees “New Developments Should Be Built Around Existing Trees” https://bristoltreeforum.org/btf-2020-newsletter/new-developments-should-be-built-around- existing-trees/ Compose Labels More Inbox 13 Snoozed Sent Draft s All Mail Spam 705 Trash Categories Social Promotions Accounts AIA Alan Galumbeck Alice & Larry Loh Allan Cooper Andrea Berlowitz & Keir … Andy Kakelaars Angela Brantley Bailey Drechsler Benson Tower 15 scan Inbox × 4:16 PM (3 hours ago) to me R. Cooper Reply Scan2022-09-19_… Reply Forward Back Archive Spam Delete Mark as unread Snooze Add to tasks Move to Labels More 4 of 147 Search in mail Page 1 /1 Scan2022-09-19_161558.pdf Open with CloudConvertOpen with CloudConvert