HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/10/2024 Item 6c, Cross
Brett Cross <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:6.c CONSIDERATION OF INITIATION OF A GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT, SPECIFIC
PLAN AMENDMENT, AND A MODIFICATION TO AN EXISTING DEVELOPMENT
AGREEMENT (SAN LUIS RANCH LOT 7, 1675 DALIDIO DRIVE, SPEC-0020-2024)
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Dear Council Members,
I see that the developer/property owner is already asking for a
General Plan Amendment to the San Luis Ranch Specific Plan. Oh,
and I get it. There is way more money right now in housing. If it
was the other way around the developer would be asking to change
residential to commercial.
Is that how you should "do planning". I hope not. Is retail now all
going to be done from the comfort of your home and now there is
no longer a need for retail space in the future or is this application
just mainly about profits for the developer.
You might want to ask staff what the "rate of return" is typical of a
large residential project. You might want to get Steve Peck in to
give you an insight on what the return was on Serra Meadows
which he did the spreadsheet on. He gave that information at the
"Citizens Planning Class".
This project should be a taught in every City and Regional Planning
course on- What not to do. I'm serious.
This project failed right from the beginning. One of the main
considerations when developing a Specific Plan for an area is
Public Participation in process.
"The specific plan process must provide opportunities for the
public, including residents of the planning area, to participate in
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defining the vision, needs, and priorities of the specific
plan." Specific Plans - Home for All
Specific Plans - Home for All
Specific Plans TOOLKIT MENU At a Glance Type: Planning or
regulatory toolWhere tool is used: Downtowns/transit c...
That never happened. The developer presented their plan and said,
"here you go". This is what we want and this is what you get. And the
staff planner told the council that CEQA doesn't allow you make changes
to the project. That's was absolutely incorrect. And now the community
has a "cookie cutter" project that was built all over California in the mid
2000's during the housing boom.
If the developer wants to change the land use on this "lot" here's a
chance for the community to participate in the design and just not react
to what the developer wants.
Some of the key issues that still bother me to this day are; completely
ignoring General Plan polices that require large housing projects to mix
housing types throughout the neighborhoods. The City ignored this
requirement and the developer wasn't required to do it. The City
allowed the developer to provide less than half the required developed
park areas. The project should have provided over 6 acres of developed
park areas but was allowed to provide less than 3 acres and then paid
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an in-lieu fee. The development certainly didn't "respect" all the trees
that were removed and continue to be removed.
The council approved "moving" all the affordable units that were
required for low and very low income residents out of the high density
area to a future development by HASLO. Who knows when that will get
built. The high density housing was apparently too good even for those
with lower incomes.
The previous council supported Statement of Overriding Consideration
after Statement of Overriding Consideration. It was housing at any
cost- for current and future residents.
It's time to do better. The community deserves it. Like I said, if the
developer wants to change the use from commercial to residential then
let's start right at the beginning with public input into the what is going
to happen on that "lot", not just reacting to another
If the council wants to change the Specific Plan that's fine but lets start
with Public participation. Real participation. Where the public
actually participate in defining the vision, needs, and priorities of the
specific plan.
Brett Cross
Resident City of San Luis Obispo
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