HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-18-2014 C13 JessChristian, Kevin
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NOV 18 2014
Mejia, Anthony COUNCIL MEETING: %k ks I %'k
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 4:48 PM ITEM NO.:3
Christian, Kevin
Anthony J. Mejia, MMC I City Clerk
city ol: SAn WIS OBISPO
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
tel 805.781.7102
FW: Council Agenda item C13 (11 -18 -14 City Council meeting) Grant of Appeals and
Denial of Pacific Courtyards project. Attached Resolution Suggestion.
From: Thom Jess [mailto:t ess @arris - studio.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2014 4:47 PM
To: 'info'; Mejia, Anthony; Council—ALL
Cc: Dietrick, Christine; jameslopes @charter.net; kp3slo @charter.net; Ricci, Pam; Johnson, Derek; Davidson, Doug;
hamish @auzcodev.com; Charles Braff
Subject: RE: Council Agenda item C13 (11 -18 -14 City Council meeting) Grant of Appeals and Denial of Pacific Courtyards
project. Attached Resolution Suggestion.
Mayor Marx, City Council Members, Stew Jenkins & James Lopes,
Good afternoon. Just a quick introduction. I am Thom Jess with Arris Studio Architects. We have recently been hired by
the developers of the Pacific Courtyards project at 1327 Osos Street to carry the project forward and to respond to the
comments from the CHC, ARC and your Council.
We are a local architectural firm and care deeply about our city. We have a design concept for the project that we are
very excited about and feel confident that we will come back to the CHC /ARC with a design that complies with the
Historic Preservation Program Guidelines. We met with Stew Jenkins yesterday and shared the design sketches with him
and his wife. Our goal is to develop a design that will be a benefit to our community.
I received the email from Stew Jenkins with several suggested revisions to the proposed resolution. While I appreciate
his attention to detail, I respectfully ask that these changes not be made to the resolution. If they were simply
correcting spelling or punctuation mistakes we would have no objections. However, it appears that the effect of the
revisions will modify the language so that it reflects the appellant's interpretation of the Council's intent. We prefer tc
leave it to the City Council and staff to accurately document the City Council's intent.
know this is last minute and I apologize for that. However, I hope that you will consider our desire to leave the
resolution as drafted.
Thank you,
Thom Jess, AIA
Arris Studio Architects
From: info [mailto:infoOstewjenkins.com]
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2014 7:33 PM
To: amejia(aslocity.org; council all@slocity.orq
Cc: cdietrick@slocity.org; tjessOarris- studio.com; jameslopes @charter.net; kp3slo @charter.net
Subject: Council Agenda item C13 (11 -18 -14 City Council meeting) Grant of Appeals and Denial of Pacific Courtyards
project. Attached Resolution Suggestion.
Mayor Marx, Council Members,
Thank you all for your thoughtful consideration of the Davis and Jenkins appeals of the Pacific
Courtyards project [1327 Osos Street to Morro Street; ARC 96 -13] last Monday.
I noticed that Section 2 of Staff s 11 -18 -14 proposed resolution upholding the appeals contained a
goof in punctuation which locks the CHC, ARC and Council into approving the exact square footage of the
denied project in any resubmission.
This not being the intention of the Council when it upheld the Appeals and denied ARC 96 -13
without prejudice to a new plan being submitted, I thought it would be helpful to suggest a correction [SEE
ATTACHED WORD DOCUMENT] by breaking the first paragraph of Section 2 into two sentences to convey
that the "Said denial is without prejudice to the applicant submitting a new design ARC 96 -13 to the Cultural
Heritage Committee and Architectural Review Commission for a mixed use moiect of residential and office
units ", and providing instructions from the Council about the new proposal being required to "conform to the
Historic Preservation Program Guidelines for the Old Town Historic District."
I also noticed that the "Whereas" clauses outlining the history of the project failed to memorialize the
Council's chief concern and direction by omitting the history of the Cultural Heritage Committee's two
hearings, or the CHC's findings and recommendations to deny the project. So it is suggested that the two
underscored paragraphs in the attached proposal immediately before and immediately after the Staff s proposed
first "Whereas" related to the December 16, 2013 ARC meeting should prudently be added.
Besides adding this history to protect and accurately convey the Council's decision, I sensed that the
Council was seeking to educate the public, the members of the two advisory bodies, the City's staff, and
development professionals on the meaning of Community Design Guidelines 3.2.1, 3.2.2 and 5.2 in order to
expedite good planning within the Historic Zones. To give effect to that I hope the Council will consider the
three underscored proposed "Whereas" clauses addressing those guidelines and the role of the CHC that are also
suggested in the attached revised draft resolution.
A few technical amendments are suggested to conform to the Council's directs given staff.
Naturally, I copy the City Attorney to assist her in analysis of these suggestions, as well as Mr. Thom
Jess who I understand is now redesigning the structures on behalf of the Pacific Courtyards applicant. It is
Diane and my hope that the project will be improved by the Council's actions and by the attention so many have
paid to help it fit the Old Town Historic District.
Stew Jenkins
Law Office of Stewart D. Jenkins
1336 Morro Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Phone: (805) 541 -5763
Fax: (805) 547 -1608
E -Mail: info( a�stewjenkins.com