HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-17-2015 PH1 VixSubject: FW: Monterey Hotel
COUNCIL MEETING: i"_ (-I. S FEB 17 2015
- - - -- Original Message - - - -- ITEM NO.: From: Marlin Marlin D. Vix [mailto:mvix @calpoly.eduj
Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2015 12:43 AM
To: Marx, Jan; Ashbaugh, John; Carpenter, Dan; Christianson, Carlyn; Rivoire, Dan; Mejia, Anthony
Subject: Monterey Hotel
Dear City Council Members,
We live in the San Luis Drive neighborhood and are very concerned about the proposed Monterey Hotel. In particular,
the departure from the mandates and guidelines of the Conservation and Development of Residential Neighborhood's
component of the LUCE document is worrisome on two fronts.
1. Section 2.2.3 - Residential Next to Non - residential states, "In designing development at the boundary between
residential and non - residential uses, the City shall make protection of a residential atmosphere the first priority." Every
decision the council makes regarding the Monterey Hotel project should be prefaced with, "How does this impact the
San Luis Drive neighborhood ?" You will hear or have heard from our neighbors that a primary objection to this project is
its size and mass. The structure is overwhelming, imposing and incompatible with our neighborhood, as well as being
incompatible with the other buildings along Monterey Street.
2. Section 2.2.8 - Parking states: "The City shall discourage development of large parking lots and require parking lots
screened from street views. In general, parking should not be between buildings and public streets." The proposed
parking lot for the Monterey Hotel is not a large parking lot; it is a very large parking lot. Granted, the applicant has
made concessions to enclose the bottom level of the parking structure, however, the remainder of the parking is not
enclosed and faces directly into our neighborhood, albeit buffered to some extent by the trees along the creek.
Nevertheless, the size, location and the parking arrangement for the Monterey Hotel are inconsistent with the design
strategies envisioned in Ordinance 1130 and the LUCE document. One would think that the way to discourage large
parking lots is to discourage large hotels.
Finally, the members of the City Council must make a choice, that in our view, is not a difficult one to make. It is a
choice between a large hotel designed to provide shelter for tourists who come for a weekend or the preservation of a
neighborhood where families, young and old, live, work, and contribute to the prosperity of this community each and
every day. It really is that simple.
We recommend that the City Council of San Luis Obispo reject the Monterey Hotel application.
Regards,
Cindy and Marlin Vix
1787 Conejo Avenue
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 748 -9551; (805) 748 -9549
cindvvix@charter.net; mvix @calpoly,edu