HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-09-2014 PH1 MulhollandCOUNCIL MEETING: t'2. vet 2b l''1
ITEM NO.: Pt± J T -
Christian, Kevin
From: Mejia, Anthony
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2014 11:14 AM y
To: Christian, Kevin I
DEC 0 9 2014
Subject: FW: PH1 -- Correcting Buildout Text Error
PH1 12/09/14 from Christine Mulholland
Anthony J. Mejia, MMC I City Clerk
City Of S<ln IUIS OBISPO
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
tel 805.781.73.02
From: Christine Mulholland [mailto:cm1334 @outlook.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2014 10:58 AM
To: Richard Schmidt
Cc: Marx, Jan; Ashbaugh, John; Carpenter, Dan; Rivoire, Dan; Christianson, Carlyn; Mejia, Anthony; Lichtig, Katie
Subject: Re: PH1 -- Correcting Buildout Text Error
I join Richard in urging you to fix this error. It is fundamental to our General Plan.
Thank you,
Christine Mulholland
On Dec 9, 2014, at 9:23 AM, Richard Schmidt wrote:
Dear Council Members,
At your last meeting, Mayor Marx called to the council's attention an error in the "buildout" section of
the LUCE, and attempted to fix it. As your LUCE conversation continues, I urge all five of you to join
her in fixing this error.
The issue is the consultant's omission of the following sentence: "This element seeks to establish an
ultimate population capacity." I call this omission an "error" because the alternative — that
Administration was using an out -of -town consultant to undermine 37 years of consensus planning on
"buildout" — is too abhorrent an attack on democratic planning process to contemplate as a possibility.
(If I am correct in my assessment, one would think Administration would join tonight in recommending
correction of the error.)
So, if a text error by an out -of -town consultant is discovered, it seems only correct that the council
unanimously correct that error.
Leaving the error intact undercuts the concept of "buildout." Buildout has been the lynchpin of our
general plan since 1977. It stemmed from vigorous public conversation about what our town should
eventually become — a copy of LA or Santa Maria or San Jose, or something unique unto itself. We
opted for uniqueness. It was realized that "buildout" policy must address both physical boundaries
and numbers of people; without both, one has no coherent buildout policy. I was there for those
conversations, and I can assure you nothing remotely similar to them has accompanied the LUCE
process, suggesting there was no intent by the Council to replace or even reassess "buildout" as the
key concept towards which the rest of the plan is aimed. Certainly no such intent was ever articulated
by Council or by staff. Leading, again, to the conclusion the consultant made a mistake you need to
correct.
For the Council to adopt such a fundamental change in planning without vigorous public discussion
explicitly targeting the change's significance breaks faith and trust with residents who have entrusted
their future to you. Failure to correct the error Mayor Marx has brought to your attention would
constitute the means for that beach of faith and trust.
shouldn't think any council member would want to do that.
Please correct the error.
Richard Schmidt