HomeMy WebLinkAbout5_28_2025 Item 4a & 4b, Walker, S.Steven Walker <
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:Planning Commission Meeting 5/28/25 - Item 4.aand 4.b.
Planning Commission Meeting
May 28, 2025
Re: Items 4.aand 4.b
Dear City Planning Commissioners,
While making your decisions about item 4.a, and 4.b, re-reviewing theexisting conditional use permits
fortwo fraternities, pleaseremember theimpacts ofthese fraternity operations onneighborhood
livability. The negative impacts arereal, and Ihave discussed them atlength
here: https://howtoruinaneighborhood.com/disruption-retaliation-and-issues/
Iamwriting toyou as aSLO resident whose qualityoflifehas decreased duetotheincrease infraternity
operations and Greek lifeintheAltaVista neighborhood. Iamafirst responder, ashiftworker whoworks
nightson thelatter half ofmywork week, and apilot. Myshift isfrom 7:30pm to8:00amand canrun
longer ifI'monaflight. Iamresponsible forgetting mycrewsafely toascene and then transporting my
crew and patient tothenearest trauma center. When I'm onmy rest period, Ineed torest. Thisshouldn't
bemuch to ask forin aresidential neighborhood. However, DeltaChi had this massive party after
receiving thenotice toappear before thePlanning Commission. They simply donotcare. Iwas woken by
thebass last Saturday afternoon and asked mywife ifshe could goand locate thesource. Itwas more
than 1500' away using Google maps. Idon'tknow how itdid, butitgot anegative violation ofthenoise
ordinancebySLOPD. Mywife took avideo, and themusic was blaring over thecar'ssound. She was
approximately 160 feet away, according toGoogle Earth.
Both fraternities appearing before you should feel privileged to liveinthecorrect residential zone, where
they have aCUP. Butlet'sbehonest withourselves: they violate itwith impunity. City Staff is asking that
one oftheconditions for re-review allowthree violations. How many violations happen in your
neighborhood? They should behaving these massive events atthird-partyvenues, butthey don't. Please
see how many violations they'vehad since receiving notice of this hearing.
Ialso askthat youdeny these fraternities theirCUP. There arecurrently 18fraternities inthe
Interfraternity Council at CalPoly. Many with additional "satellite" fraternity houses inR1 and R2
neighborhoods that hold events. Only6have CUPs. Other fraternities would feel privileged tolive in the
correct residential zone. Denying theCUPs would bethefirst step inopening apublic conversation
around CalPolyGreek life. The City and CalPolywould beforced todeal with thesituation. The public
needs to know how pervasive this issue isand how hands-off CalPolyiswith Greek activities inthe
neighborhood.
1
Thecurrent system isnotworking, andthere isaperceived double standard when compared toother
neighborhoods inour wonderfulcity. Please deny theCUPs tocreate meaningful conversations and
change intheneighborhoods close toCalPoly. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Steve Walker
2