HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/17/2022 Item 4a, Christie - Santa Lucia Sierra Club
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Santa Lucia Sierra Club <sierraclub8@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, October 14, 2022 7:45 PM
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:10/17/22 Architectural Review Commission, Item 4a
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Dear Members of the Architectural Review Commission
The Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club, the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization, represents the
Club’s 3,000 members and supporters in San Luis Obispo County. We are submitting this comment in regard to the proposal by the
Housing Authority to remove 54 trees, including three coast redwoods measuring between 30 and 52 inches in diameter, as part of the
project at 1422 Monterey Street.
We submitted a similar comment to the Tree Committee pertaining to this issue, one of 30 comments from the public opposing this
project as designed.
We note that Save Our Downtown has provided an alternate site plan preserving a dozen large trees on the site, and references the
work being done by Seattle activists and Trees for Life Oregon in promoting development that preserves the urban canopy. We also
recommend Green Infrastructure, the website of the American Society of Landscape Architects, which states "In the urban
environment, green infrastructure covers everything from parks to street trees and green roofs to bioswales -- really anything that helps
absorb, delay, and treat stormwater, mitigating flooding and pollution downstream. Green infrastructure also creates oxygen,
sequesters carbon, and creates wildlife habitat. Urban greenery has also been proven to improve mental health and well-being." They
also note that the value of residential properties with the trees and vegetation are 3 to 10 percent higher than properties without, and
that Portland realized an increase of approximately $14,500 per tree for home value, including surrounding homes.
In short, we urge your commission and the City to ask the applicant to submit alternative site designs that integrate as many on-site
trees into their projects as possible.
Thank you for your attention to this issue.
Andrew Christie, Director
Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club
P.O. Box 15755
San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
(805) 543-8717
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