HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/6/2023 Item 4a, Spoto
A S <
45 AM
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:Planning Commission – Safe Parking Program
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To Whom It May Concern:
I strongly oppose the Safe Parking Program.
As a resident, business owner and family, I think this parking proposal is horrible and sincerely hope the city considers a
new plan.
The Safe Parking Program spits in the face of San Luis Obispo residents and goes against everything that the people of
San Luis Obispo know and love. This transient and homeless problem we see in downtown San Luis Obispo is slowly
seeping into our neighborhood and areas we once thought to be safe.
In 2021 we bought a home just outside the downtown corridor on San Luis Drive. We had previously lived near Higuera
and Pepper Street, and enjoyed the downtown area but greatly disliked the busy, traffic, and transient interactions we
would encounter. We specifically waited for several years to find the perfect home in a quiet and safe neighborhood
where we could begin to grow our family. I would not feel safe letting any of my children ride their bike or play out front
with some unknown vehicle parked out in front of my home.
As a business owner, the idea of losing parking space for clients is unimaginable. We specifically moved our “in home
business” outside of the downtown corridor, knowing it would be nice and easy to allow for our clients to easily come and
go. Having a vehicle parked in front of our home for an underminable amount of time greatly challenges my business for
ease of client visits and degradation of the image of our company. We are a high-end personal assistant business, and
having a broken-down vehicle with bikes strapped to the top, windows blacked out and garbage jammed inside is not a
good image.
I am honestly sick and tired of the changes that the City of SLO has done to our community. I have lived in San Luis
Obispo since 2006 when I came to Cal Poly as a freshman. I loved the SLO live and knew I wanted to be here. Since
then, the SLO life has slowly died. I remember when SLO was voted the happiest place in the USA. It was a huge and
something the community was proud of. Since then, the City of SLO has grasped to keep this image alive, despite the
homeless troubles brewing, revision of the cookie-cutter homes and bike trails stacked on top of each other. This is a
mess and more of a hinderance than a help with restoring the SLO life image. I remember when I enjoyed visiting
downtown, but now I see the area as a hassle and headache. The downtown corridor is ruined, with parking fees until
9pm, bike lanes that make no sense, homeless people yelling at me or begging for change, loss of lanes and no space for
delivery trucks… but now slowly moving towards my doorstep.
I believe that if you want to help support the Safe Parking Program, it needs to be done elsewhere. Use an area by the
Sherrif’s facility off Kansas Ave. Put it in a place that doesn’t impact the tax paying residents. A place that can be
monitored for everyone’s protection and doesn’t become a health and safety hazard to the community. DON’T MAKE
THIS THE COMMUNITY’S PROBLEM. If programs like this continue to pass and push out the residents, the community,
and all things that SLO stands for will die.
Sincerely,
Ari Spoto
1
Homeowner, Business Owner, Resident
San Luis Dr. SLO
2