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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-30-2014 ph1 Chamber of Commerce - Rosales895 Monterey Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 -3278 Ermina Karim, President/CEO September 30, 2014 City Council City of San Luis Obispo 990 Palm St. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Subject: Land Use & Circulation Element Dear Mayor Marx and City Council Members, COUNCIL MEETING: p l q ITEM NO.: RECEIVED SEP 3 0 2014 SLR CITY CLERK The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce has appreciated the opportunities to participate in the city's Land Use & Circulation Element (LUCE) update. We have been sharing our recommendations throughout the public process which included numerous hearings at Planning Commission and City Council meetings, several community workshops and 30+ city task force meetings. Thank you for thoroughly engaging the San Luis Obispo community in this very important process for the 20 year plan. This multi -year project is coming to a conclusion and we strongly support the approval of the LUCE updates as proposed. We support the extensive community and city advisory body input that supports a greater focus on the availability of housing in our community. While work remains to move towards a better jobs- housing balance, this update as currently proposed accommodates significantly more opportunities for those who wish to work and live in the same community. The lack of housing available for our workforce is consistently among the top needs identified by residents, a top business challenge for local employers of all sizes and the chief contributor to greenhouse gas emissions as people commute to work from other areas in our region. Improving the jobs- housing balance is a goal of the city, and is a goal within the city's Climate Action Plan. We look forward to future city efforts - such as updating the city's zoning code - to further enhance this goal. T 805.781.2670 805.543.1255 slochamber ®slochamber.org slochember.org visitsla.com elo- buiness.com 895 Monterey Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 -3278 Ermina Karim, President/CEO Furthering the goal of more complete communities, the Chamber appreciates the independent analysis that the city pursued to analyze the appropriateness of housing and commercial development within areas near the county airport. The Chamber supports our city's elected officials, as representatives of city residents, to make important, long -term decisions on land use, expansion areas and housing needs that are legally compliant and consistent with long term public planning efforts. We support the City Council in exercising their right, if needed, to overrule the Airport Land Use Commission's (ALUC) recommendations based on the city's own independent analysis by Johnson Aviation Consultants regarding compliance of city regulations with the State Aeronautics Act. The Chamber is also supportive of the circulation element updates as presented. In particular we support the flexible language that has been incorporated into the update to allow for future decision makers to evaluate specific proposals as they come forward. We are encouraged by the proposed goals regarding multi -modal transportation but urge that these aspirational goals and any funding goals be based on data. The Chamber would like to again thank the city for utilizing grant funds in order to conduct the necessary updates to its land use and circulation plan. We are in favor of moving the process forward as scheduled and seeing your support of strong positions that reinforce your stated goals for additional workforce housing and thoughtful residential and commercial development and connectivity in long - planned areas. Sincerely, Charlene Rosales Director of Governmental Affairs 805.781.2670 805.543.1255 cc slochamber @slochamber.org tAxAlw1aw urg vhft�loxam Wo buiiui?.g cam