HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/1/2025 Item 8a, Lenz, R.
To:Hanh, Hannah
Subject:RE: Citizen Comment LOVR Broadstone Village
From: Rebecca Lenz <
Sent: Tuesday, April 1, 2025 4:46 PM
To: Hanh, Hannah <hhanh@slocity.org>
Subject: Citizen Comment LOVR Broadstone Village
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To whom it may concern,
This letter is in regards to the proposed residential development of Los Osos Valley Road. I am
grateful for the opportunity to be able to share my thoughts and concerns regarding this proposal. I
know that a lot of time and effort goes into these decisions, so thank you for taking the time to read
this letter.
I have lived in San Luis Obispo for 15 years. My husband and I graduated from Cal Poly over a
decade ago and started a family shortly after. We were fortunate to rent an apartment near downtown
for over 12 years, and recently had the opportunity to move to the Los Verdes 1 neighborhood, again
as renters.
I understand that there is a need for affordable housing in San Luis Obispo. For years there
was very little development, and then suddenly, several new neighborhoods began popping up. Each
promised more housing at a price point middle class families could afford which is shocking given that
all of them have missed them mark. When I recently checked, Noveno sells in the 700-800k, Avila
Ranch at over 900k, San Luis Ranch starting in the mid 700’s, and Enclave is boasting homes in the
whopping 2 millions! Homes were built, but middle class families still cannot afford them. Homes in
new developments or renovated fixer uppers are not being purchased by local families; they are often
bought by older, retired folks, or middle aged Bay Area parents looking for an investment property to
house their college aged child before turning it into a rental. These new developments simply do not
provide a solution of home ownership for local families.
While these housing projects fail to provide options for the middle class, they also don’t do any
favors to the charm and character of our town. San Luis Obispo is gorgeous, world renowned, and
has a rich history. Obviously throughout that history new neighborhoods have been built up- I live in
one such example. But the rate at which these homes have been built in the last 5-10 years has
drastically changed the feel of our town. The unique small town vibe that SLO is known for is slowly
disintegrating- we won’t be able to truthfully proclaim our slogan of “Not the Bay Not LA” because we
are inevitably going to become just like them. More homes bring more people, and in many ways our
town cannot accommodate this influx without significant changes. You are already aware of the
overcrowded streets.
Speaking of traffic. A change in the road connecting LOVR and S. Higuera will most likely need
to happen regardless of a new development. Having lived in Los Verdes 1 for 2 years, I can say that
turning left from the neighborhood onto LOVR is a significant downside to this location. I have
witnessed many close calls and angry drivers while waiting in line to turn. And that is with the
EXISTING traffic, let alone with HUNDREDS of new units added to the problem.
In addition, while this was not stated on the card mailed to residents, I have heard that there is
a plan to connect the proposed development with the existing Los Verdes neighborhood. This would
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be devastating, and would greatly impact the neighborhood with negative effects. Los Verdes has so
many young families; its enclosed design makes it a wonderful place for kids to play and explore
without having to worry about much vehicle interference. Connecting the neighborhoods would
significantly alter that freedom and security that residents enjoy (and quite frankly, pay for). If this is in
fact a proposed idea, please reconsider!
And lastly, on a slightly less important point, but still one worth considering, a new
development on these proposed lots would completely destroy the homes of some many animals,
particularly large bird species. Drive out to the area really any time of day and you will see all kinds of
birds of prey hunting and living in or near those fields. Hawks nest in the nearby trees every year, and
destruction of that habitat would have unfortunate results.
I know that this is long and I appreciate your time in reading and considering my thoughts. I
just wholeheartedly disagree with the development of this land to the degree that is being proposed.
The negative effects that it would have on my neighborhood and the quality of life we enjoy is
alarming. Not to mention the change it would bring about for animal habitats and the flow of our town.
Since many middle class families, and even many dual income couples with no children can’t afford
most of these new homes, I think I’d rather stick with trying to make things work with the existing
homes available, and still be able to enjoy all the beauty and charm this town has to offer.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Becca Lenz
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