HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/19/2005, PUBLIC COMMENT - SPECIAL ELECTION OF 26 APR 2005- PROPOSED ""MARKETPLACE"" DEVELOPMENT - MISLEADING STATEMENTS FROM ""Y" 19 Apr 2004 To City of San Luis Obispo from Micbael.Sullvan Page 1 of 3
R)rMisleading statements from"Yes on A;B,C"side "Marketplace"special election of 26 Apr 2005
To: City of San Luis Obispo
From: Michael Sullivan, 1127 Seaward St.,San Luis Obispo,CA 93405
(805)545-9614 Cly-x/l
RE: Special election of 26 Apr 2005 - Proposed"Marketplace" development Misleading statements
from"Yes on A,B, C"side
Abbreviations
CEQA-California Environmental Quality Act
DA-Development Agreement
EIR -Environmental Impact Report
FEIR-Final Environmental Impact Report
LOUR-Los Osos Valley Road
SLO- San Luis Obispo
Examples of false or misleading statements from the"Yes on A, B,C"side:
A. Michael Morris, Attorney for Dalidio family, 14 April 2005 at SLO
Chamber of Commerce debate on the Marketplace: (55:05)
"The EIR is predicated on the proposition that the overpass will not be built. That's the way it
had to be done." (Michael Morris, debate of 14 Apr 2005)
Response:
The Final EIR includes the Prado Road interchange as part of the project within the project
description given in section 2.3 of the FEHL At Figure 2-3 the proposed Prado Road interchange
is shown as a component of the project and the interchange is described on page 2-4 of the FEIR.
Figure 2-8 shows a proposed land use plan with the Prado interchange shown in the figure. In
the FEIR at page 2-10 is the statement, "The proposed project is a request by San Luis Obispo
Marketplace Associates, LLC, working with the Dalidio Family, for approval of a General Plan
Amendment, annexation and development of the 131-acre Dalidio property, as well as the
approval of the Prado Road Interchange." The Prado Road interchange is also listed as a project
objective(Final EIR at p. 2-34). The Prado Road interchange is also listed as one of the
proposed land uses(Final EK p. 5-14).
"If you include the overpass, what the EIR says is, improved access to U.S. 101 would better
distribute traffic within the study area. Thus,the impact of increased ramp volumes is
considered less than significant." (Michael Moms, debate of 14 Apr 2005)
Re�nse:
The statement of Mr. Morris is misleading because it gives the impression that highway 101
on-ramps or off-ramps will not have significant traffic impacts. In fact,the final EIR found
several significant and unavoidable traffic impacts, including impacts on some of the 101 ramps.
For example, Impact T-7 states, Project generated traffic would be expected to exacerbate
unacceptable operations at several of the ramp junctions on U.S. 101..... Therefore, the proposed
project would result in a Class I, significant and unavoidable impact to U.S. 101 operations under
r.,
19 Apr 2004 To City of San Luis oispo from Michael Sullivan gage 2 of 3
RE: Misleading statements from"Yes on A,B,C"side-"Marketplace"special election of 26 Apr 2005
Buildout Plus Project conditions." Also, Impact T-13 lists another Class I impact under
"buildout plus project "conditions at the US 101 and Madonna Road northbound ramps.
B. Clara Dalidio, letter dated 07 Apr 2005, sent via U.S. mail to city residents:
"I am upset by the claims about traffic. Opponents say the Dalidio Ranch Marketplace will
increase mffic throughout the city. The truth is the construction of the new Prado Road.
interchange will improve traffic circulation throughout the city. "
Response: The Final EIR states that with the project(including the Prado interchange),the net
impact will include several Class I(significant and unavoidable)traffic impacts, as shown in
Table 1:
Table 1 -I+:=am les of Class I traffic impacts
Impact Description of impact Impact class Timeline
T-1 Severe congestion at Madonna Road and .Class I Baseline phu project
LOVR (sip ficant and
umdvoidable
T-7 Cumulative impacts on traffic on US 101 if Class I Buildout plus piojed
- third fireeti lane is lidt bmlt (significant and - - ---
unavoidable
T43 Excessive side street delays,lengthy Class I Buildout plus project
vehicle queues,conflicting vehicle turning (significant and
movements during the PM peak hour unavoidable)
between Madonna Road and.the US 101
northbound ramps.
C. Dave Romero, New Times of 14 Apr 2005, at p. 17, "Ten good reasons for
A-B-C"
Mr. Romero's discussion of traffic conveniently omits any discussion of the Class I traffic
impact T-1 at the Madonna Road/LOVR intersection under"baseline plus project" condition
and the other impacts(T-7, T-13)under "buildout plus project" conditions. This misleads
readers to think that the overall project would have-no Class I impacts.
Mr. Romero's discussion of open space fails to mention that the dedicated on-site open space
is only 420/a rather than the 50%of the site area as required by the General Plan. The Planning
Commission(09 Jun 2004)found the proposed amount of on-site open space to be insufficient
and potentially inconsistent with the General Plan(LU 1.13.5).
Mr. Romero's discussion of housing states, "Most of the jobs created will be filled by students
and will not create the need for additional housing." Yet the Planning Commission(09 Jun
2004)found that the proposed project, according to the E.IR, would create about 1,600 new jobs
and this would cause the need for about 700 new housing units(FEIR, p. 6-1), upsetting the
jobs/housing balance which would be inconsistent with the General Plan policy LU 1.4. — - - - —
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19 Apr 2004 To City of San Luis Obispo from Michael Sullivan Page 3 of 3
RE: Misleading statements from"Yes on A,B;C"side-"Marketplace"spacial election of 26 Apr 2005
Mr. Romero's discussion of air quality states that mitigation strategies help reduce project
emissions and that there might be a"subsequent improvement in air quality." This is quite
misleading because the Final EIR(Impact AQ-2)states that the project's operational impact is
considered Class 1, significant and unavoidable. These unacceptable emissions include Reactive
Organic Gases,Nitrogen oxides,Carbon monoxide, and particulate matter..
Mr. Romero's contention that the Marketplace project could be built in the county is
speculative at best, and represents the very same type of"scare tactic" decried by councilman
Paul Brown(debate, 14 Apr 2005) and former councilman Ken Schwartz
Alex Madonna was not able to complete his Home Depot in the County because of the need for
city services, especially sewer. Why should we believe that a much larger project like the
Marketplace could successfully develop without city sewer? if the Prado overpass were not
funded by the County,who would fund it? These questions raise considerable doubt about the
feasibility of doing the Marketplace project in the County.
D. Paul Brown, in advertisement in San Luis,Obispo Tribune, 19 Apr 2005 at
p. A-10:
"The Dalidio Ranch Marketplace....won't cost taxpayers one cent."
&Worse:
FEI1t, p. 6r3: "The proposed development would require the irreversible commitment of law
enforcement,fire protection, sanitation, water supply, and solid waste disposal services to the
project area." Since those costs cannot be predicted with certainty, and since the sales tax
revenue cannot be predicted with certain accuracy, one cannot say with certainty that the project
won't cost taxpayers one cent. Also, since the City's share of funding for the Prado interchange
would come from the City's Transportation Improvement fund(TIF),that would mean that if the
City's transportation funding needs become larger than expected,then perhaps some additional
taxpayer funds would be needed to make up the difference.
SUMMARY
The "Yes on A, B, C" campaign, in a number of instances, has presented arguments and
information that are either false, misleading, or highly questionable. Perhaps most disturbing is
the fact that some of the people who are presenting these misleading arguments are members of
our City Council. If the "Yes on A, B, C" side were to achieve this kind of pyrrhic victory
through the use of misleading arguments that distort the truth and omit important information,
what would be the cost, in terms of accountability, integrity, and credibility? That would be an
important question for the voters in the next city elections.
Attachments
1. Article from New Times(San Luis Obispo, CA), 14 Apr 2005 at p. 17, "Ten good reasons for
A-B-C" by Mayor Dave Romero
t
W,5 ORO
BY MAYOR OAVE ROMERO
-den C reasons
for A=B=C
What you should know about The Marketplace
titin past weeks,sL0 residents have been The city has recently adopted the Margarita Area shopping cen[er o[rhe county.
Specific Plan,which is located near Prado Road less City reveano After sharing fes a cost of the
subjmark t ace d misinformation regarding �n lam�f�328- inurchange,adjusting for transfers and the cast of
the Marketplace development.On April 26, t 1 mile from The Marketp city ryservices Thep net revenues
SLO voters will decide whether this project moves unit horse of a total of 868 homes is now under ci are conservatively estimated att$$7 000 a year.
review.
ahead in its present form.Voters
decisions Therfor should developmentthe City�o kil states These are rax revenues now going to other vide a
be based on factual information. Therefore.I sub The IIR finding adopted by of The Marke Lae nities and will help our city continue to provide a
mit the following,supplemented by my observa- that 1�Use m(h°tts+t�nnP �• high level of services to our residents,
tytIIbe u ttnP�ted amteve' = a When the Board of
tions and a Marketplace
: For thea Possible o�tY pPia°L
Size The Marketplace proposes ro crmstruct 48 2• ,_ >'p�tned .. w s rs allowed the City m reconsider The
acres of general retail,which includes stores aril, haAilad a>t.�t[urehangu at Pree N RAiViat_. �^'ssO�in 2002 to"work With the applicant in
required city parking This. much smaller t4�t�� ply fad M wag at fund i�until the MSP Board indicated that
pro' came bdum us mrd a to adiorict cher faitlt,"ould not � agreement,the
arca we consider downtown It is appro�ly ft- J4Ft wnIl enerate924 rt rnccuY the� 4
size of the two Madonna Road centers on th[adp' i hange and othtr neirtiF-I CctittlX would Ptov[de1NE sa has this rolevel of Uir pes
cent sites ed Oo develop in die near fnauf. , r. and property righp Tlr4 t project
Trak Upa&completion The Marketp Mis Cit a rile
17.7 TheetplaQ wr!<. "Pen�nB-
expected to grncra[e
20 000 vehicle tr}ps ger daft.*: . '• tbh 70.1 t as it builds tfa intac . If vorees inn to them county,
Many n these at aheady shopping k Wid work the city responsib)e forZ9 9 peroet3 t qr , no. the
Madonna 'oilici h� fx no city control.In
generated by.ciq rests But many vain be geper he Gom tmffic impact fees from"pilta nisw. P
„- �s¢ >nve approved aumer-
aced by shopped dcj 1 pit SLCon IV1 ve]ppmertl(=ict by general taxes).
' to vaih water and sewer solutions
on their w mcirthe�ot�,�or•5out�i�aild. the development agreantem calls f thsraty; 'aril a I am confident
tm� assist in em of the bonds by co p ]'ect.if the
Santa Matti PfadO Radd.iu ge(a n of 11ie sales carr generated by the Mare t5ldb{1t ,muldberespl _ on this
oI the condi-
most s}h�oopge� s W dt4 1 TJfts pa- is estimated at$750,000 year sapEiytsftt;a this}Aujec
LeutMadortnaFtTgq ts),ftorn QlW! 10 pro
ing to use city streets; 1 f -- ,when the project u built I believe this ss art excel tideit worlttd Rltt6y[tic rorty(open space,
The Environmental Impact.Re ak(EIR)findm&' lent deal for t�city since the developer hay the interchangS ttxt$t 1te elimi-
feadopted by the Giry Coupol states°Traffic am basic obh non to pay o((the bond backed fry chs nate a6ordabk jtotssing,e �
t
value
of the Dalidio Ranch New developtneiit is natrd littd th4atywTou 1n 1 cm a year
tion impacts will be redtmedto less*�nmzmfiran 119
for all the interchange cost however most A in tartrdernrcit �. w
tt under[he Exist�n +PmjeSr s61barfo with 1* pati g a the. �ame8 f
mplentenration or mitl�fio a tn[mvices identified in [he revenue will be generated by shoppers speeding' C>� t�t ;
alspstmes the project Win their money in SLO tether than o ted by thecitI t p� �g
rbc,E[iit"The fmfintg to ted Years with die-assistance oft
b "fie�teak atZ ✓ Ah QaaFhy The EIR fining adopted by
[ ' ceinet roadways, and Courra]states "Mitlgatioit strategies help
a r�dahta o»att$ c �.2 acres of farmland. jut emissions to rite degree feasible
with estab one objecdveenv as p re
y calls for: Developer pput the air basin in in closer compliance
,. The der elopnnept ag seat fished state and federal stardads.".stated another • w&tkf meed toe b o
t'win pthvldCSmxikitvanon easemet}t presertdng shopping trips from SLO[o other mmmum- Final Council votes c4 The,bjat
54.7 aa45 Pp site in agriculture QXD' space. ng
b)Developer will pay up m$192000 to preserve 24 ties are reduced,there will be rover ehi le au quality. John Easm,and mmyse,lie_Mayor TkC R e 4
on-site acres.m opftr space=• �and a gJ on a comprehensive ed mncifi ian Paul&Vw0',dbwmowu b ''
The,city i&plasming to use the$192,000 as our
share to ablaut[ederel attd'sra[e open span grants s by the city's economic consultant,Allen man,has diligently studied T�ri�etpl?Se doe!moei
to ticquire a much far acreage at the edge of the Kotin,around 30 percent of The Marketplace rev- and is ilso a strong advbcati
dry.The 54.7 aces to be preserved on the Dalidio ettues w ll come From extstir[g business within the We believe the cit ryhas crafted a us as we
Farm are pcimarily'along 101 to minimize changes /city.This will come primarily from large stores simi- ect for our commune Please J '
in the views along the freeway. lar in nature to those proposed For the Marketplace. San Luis Obispo to become the very best citg�in
Housing Even with open space,floodplain,and Kotin's study states:"In summary
there should be California.
airport related limitations,The Marketplace will ." relatively modest adverse impacts on downtown Vote yes on April 26.0
provide 60 affordable housing units.Most of the retailing resulting from the proposed San
is
Jobs created will be filled by studems reached at dromero(a?rorrtemfonnoy
and will pbt Marketplace."In future years,all areas of the city Dave Romero is mayor of San Luis Obispo.Hr cent be
create the need for additional housing will benefit as SLO regains its place as the regional