HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-21-2014 pc - pharesGoodwin, Heather
Subject: FW: Cal Poly's dorm proposal at Slack and Grand
AGENDAa
CORR
E PONDENCE JAN tl 2014
From: Gordon Phares [gphares @pacbell.net] i'} Item #mod f
Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 6:39 AM
To: Christianson, Carlyn
Subject: Cal Poly's dorm proposal at Slack and Grand
To the San Luis Obispo City Council members:
It appears Cal Poly is determined to locate nearly fifteen hundred students across the street from an elementary school
and residential neighborhood. On the surface of it why should anyone be concerned about that? Isn't it business as
usual for an educational institution that prides itself on growth as opposed to sustainability? It's the least expensive site
for the expansion plans, and that's their only consideration as far as I can tell. While Cal Poly has some of the largest
land holdings of any of the state universities, it wants to slap this dorm next to a neighborhood. The need to rethink this
and place these new students as far away from neighborhoods as can be done, enlarge Poly Canyon housing so maybe
those so- called upper classman that existing Poly Canyon housing is targeted for will have some beneficial impact on a
nice new dorm for freshman in the same area. Let's not be in a rush or hasty to expand the school. Let's think about the
long -term ramifications for once.
Looking a little deeper the answers begin to become apparent. The impact of college students on areas surrounding the
school is utterly evident if you drive around the Alta Vista area or Monterey Heights, either on the streets or the alleys in
these neighborhoods. When school is in session, the impacts are great, i.e. increased water consumption (already
becoming obviously, seriously a significant issue for San Luis Obispo in terms of dwindling water supply, sewage, traffic,
noise, litter (metal, paper, plastic, glass and partially consumed food stuffs), public drunkenness, public urination, junk
all over the place, furniture burned up in intersections amid the broken glass liquor bottles. The college students just
discard or drop whatever they don't want to carry wherever that may be. (rats have just about reached plague
proportions in and around Cal Poly due to poorly handled garbage.) Plenty of litter has found its way into my yard. For
seasonal guests in our town, here to attend college, I would think they would have the utmost respect for long
established residential neighborhoods and the values, pride and caring the typical owner - occupied resident feels. We all
realize these students have no emotional connection to or investment in these neighborhoods. This is why residents of
Alta Vista and Monterey Heights are, on the one hand frightened by the prospect of 1500 more, newly- minted
Freshman, first time away from Mom and Dad, and feverishly anxious to party, party, party ... moving in across the street,
quarantining negative impacts on the neighborhood galore. And on the other hand outright angry that Cal Poly shows
zero sensitivity towards their immediate neighbors. The term "brewfing" which describes drinking booze up on a
rooftop was coined at Cal Poly. Students consume an amazing amount of booze. Geez city government please lean
against the dorm location proposal with all your might. If it was ever a time to do something heroic, this is the time and
this is the issue.
What is happening in Alta Vista and Monterey Heights is beginning to creep over towards Highland. When in session,
Cal Poly students exert an influence all over town. What we are seeing in these proximal neighborhoods is the gradual,
relentless process of the" studentifcation" of established residential neighborhoods within relative proximity to the
school. This leads to the "student ghetto" which is quite evident now in Alta Vista and Monterey Heights. And here's
where the City of San Luis Obispo government decision makers must understand a pretty simple and fundamental idea
as to what their primary mission is: city government exists primarily to look out for the interests of its full -time citizenry.
It is now time for city government to do everything within its power to fight for the preservation of long- standing
residential neighborhoods. I ask you council members: Are you going to rubber stamp this dorm atrocity location and
disregard the developing student ghetto? Or are you going to look out for your property tax - paying constituents? The
city of San Luis Obispo has done a remarkable job over many years caring for and nurturing the quality of life in this
community. Don't mess with this tradition if you want the place to continue to be known as where the happiest people
in the United States choose to call home.
Cal Poly students bring both prosperity and despair to San Luis Obispo. The right thing to do is to defeat this dorm
location proposal through any means the city can devise. Cal Pol is a guest in San Luis Obispo as far as I'm concerned
and the students who come in the Fall and leave in the summer are guests of a guest. Home owners need the
consideration for being the backbone of the city, the main reason we have the town at all.
Please read this letter into the record. I am not able to attend the next council meeting to make verbal comments.
Please consider this letter in lieu of those comments
Gordon Phares
Alta Vista resident and home owner
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