HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-25-2014 th Allen (2)Kremke, Kate
From: Mejia, Anthony
Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2014 9:47 PM
To: Kremke, Kate; Goodwin, Heather
Subject: Fwd: Inadequate and unacceptable FEIR on Cal Poly's Housing South project
Council Correspondence
Begin forwarded message:
AGENDA
CORRESPONDENCE
Date � ° -2 5 ,0 Item #__EL
From: Paul Allen <pallen3(a sbclobal.net>
Date: May 11, 2014 at 7:16:32 PM EDT
To: "Mejia, Anthony" <amejia a,slocity.org>
Subject: Fwd: Inadequate and unacceptable FEIR on Cal Poly's Housing South project
Sent individually to the 5 Council members, now sent to you also. Thanks- Paul Allen
-- - - - - -- Original Message -- - - - - --
Subject: Inadequate and unacceptable FEIR on Cal Poly's Housing South project
Date:Sun, 11 May 2014 09:33:00 -0700
From:Paul Allen <pallen3nsbcglobal.net>
To:cchristigslocit .or , dcarpentgslocity.org, jmarxgslocity.org, jashbaughkslocit�org,
ksmith a,slocit"
Dear Mayor Marx and members of the City Council,
I have followed public discussion about Cal Poly's Housing South project with growing dismay
and anger. As have many other residents of the City, I have written letters to the Editor of the
Tribune, I have commented at public meetings, and have written formal comments on the DEIRs
for this project, all seemingly to no avail.
I have been extremely discouraged by the uncaring attitude of President Armstrong and his
administration about the impacts this dorm project, and probably future Cal Poly student housing
efforts, will have on the treasured quality of neighborhoods and community life that make San
Luis Obispo so special. President Armstrong and his administration seem to have no caring for
the sanctity of family homes, where children and families are raised and nurtured for their own
benefit and the benefit of all of us. Cal Poly has no concern about displacing families, and
actually taking property and family homes from others.
In addition to not caring for homes and families in SLO, President Armstrong and his
administration have flaunted their lack of concern for community input on the project. The two
"public forums" held in early November and December, 2013, supposedly intended to elicit
public comments, came only after Cal Poly had finalized their project plans, surely after years of
closed -door work by them. At the second of those forums on December 2, Cal Poly even stated
that they had already gone out for construction bids on the project, surely providing those
potential contractors with detailed project plans.
It is not a surprise that not one of the public suggestions for improving the dorm project, and for
reducing its harsh impact on adjacent neighborhoods, was incorporated as a change by Cal
Poly. They never had any intention of listening to public input, and the forums were a total
sham.
On March 15, 2014, a sensible petition was presented to your City Council. The petition was
signed by past Mayor Ken Schwartz and over 20 other ex- Mayors and past Council members,
and requested that the City and Cal Poly embark on serious, ongoing discussions about student
housing plans and impacts on the City, When a copy of that was delivered to President
Armstrong, what was his response? He immediately scheduled one -on -one meetings with each
of the petition signers to wine and dine them, and persuade them to support the Housing South
project.
At various meetings and at the March 25, 2014 public forum at the Ludwick Center, several City
Council members have spoken out strongly in support of the adjacent neighborhoods and family
residences that will experience the greatest impact from Housing South. In fact, all of us in the
City will feel the negative impacts of Housing South, as the vibrant quality of life in SLO is
diminished. At that forum, two other Council members opted to wait until the Final EIR was
completed, to see if Cal Poly would listen to that virtually unanimous input and make any
changes to their proposal.
The FEIR is now out, and available for review as a PDF document on -line. I have read pertinent
new sections of it, and I find it to be just more smoke and mirrors from Cal Poly and their
consultant. No changes or meaningful mitigations are proposed for Housing South.
I was pleased to read the good RDEIR comment letter prepared by City staff, and signed by
Community Development Director Derek Johnson. I call your particular attention to the second
and third paragraphs of his March 31, 2014 comment letter, tagged as SLO -2 and SLO -3 in the
FEIR section: Response to Comments on the 2014 RDEIR. These are on page 10.1 -275 of that
PDF document on -line. The response to these vital concerns from the City, by Cal Poly and their
consultant, begin on page 10.1 -429 of that same document, and totally fail to address the
concerns.
I implore all of you, Mayor and members of the City Council, to place the legal adequacy of
the Housing South FEIR on your earliest next meeting agenda, and to vote in a unanimous
finding by the City that it is inadequate! This should be done before the May 20 & 21 CSU
Trustees Meeting in Long Beach, and a City representative should be directed to attend
that meeting to convey the findings of the City to the Trustees.
We absolutely need to take every available measure to protect the special quality of life we all
treasure in San Luis Obispo, or see it eroded to become like so many other cities in the state. I
call on those City Council members who chose not to act at the March 25 public forum, to meet
their promises to take strong action now.
Respectfully,
Paul H. Allen
191 Luneta Drive
San Luis Obispo, 93405