HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-17-2015 PH1 White 2Subject: FW: Disappointed
wUNCIL MEETING: 2-11-115
ITEM NO.:� FEB 18 2015
From: Linda White [ mailto :lindaleewhitel5Ccbgmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2015 11:24 PM
To: Christianson, Carlyn; Carpenter, Dan; Rivoire, Dan; Marx, Jan; Ashbaugh, John; Mejia, Anthony
Subject: Disappointed
City Council,
I am so disappointed in our City Council that I don't know where to begin. As I sat in the standing room only
Council Chamber this evening and listened to the many well informed comments made I thought, "If the City
Council does't vote for the Neighbors on this Monterey Hotel project, then Neighborhood Wellness is certainly
dead in SLO."
I am appalled by the arrogance of council members who presume to "know" what the planning commission
"meant or thought" with this project based on their own past experiences on the commission.
This should have been sent back to the planning commission as Mayor Marx suggested. I have been told in the
past that you are not paid a working salary or some variant. If that is the case, instead of "Letting the Buck Stop
Here" you should have allowed the Planning Commission to shoulder some of the decision making weight.
If you are concerned about the lack of working salary, perhaps you are misplaced. This is supposed to be
community service. It is good to know that community now means developers and other business stakeholders
rather than taxpaying residents.
It should not be the responsibility of the City Staff and Council to allow the building of any project (hotel or
mini -dorm) that is not compatible with its surroundings regarding size, scale and mass just so a developer can
realize economic gain. If the developer paid too much for the land, it is not up to the City Staff and Council to
make the project economically viable by reducing parking requirements and granting maximum allowances.
The developer said that if he couldn't build 102 rooms, the project was not economically feasible, it would be
dead. Since when is it your responsibility to cave to that kind of blackmail? It can be done, the developer just
doesn't want to build a smaller project that will cut into his profits.
I sign as only a mere resident taxpayer and micro business owner, not influential enough for your consideration.
Linda White