HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-23-2015 PH1 LopesCOUNCIL MEETING:.3 t�
ITEM NO.: ,SUN 19,
1x1:7
Lomeli, Monique
Subject: FW: Request for Funds in Preliminary 2015 -17 Financial Plan
From: James Lopes [ mailto :iameslopesCabcharter.net]
Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2015 4:56 PM
To: Ashbaugh, John; E -mail Council Website; E Thyne; Russ Brown; Sandra Lakeman; Diane Duenow; Dixie Cliff; Joseph
Abrahams; Linda Groover; David & Rachael Drake; Sara McEre; Jennifer Lakeman; Allan Cooper; Stew Jenkins; Alice
Davis
Cc: Lichtig, Katie; Johnson, Derek
Subject: Re: Request for Funds in Preliminary 2015 -17 Financial Plan
Dear Council Member Ashbaugh:
Thank you for responding to my June 16, 2015 email concerning the input on the 2015 -2017 Financial Plan
from Save Our Downtown. I really appreciate your sincerity in communicating to me. I would like to clarify
the points in their order in my email and your response:
1. An open -ended update of the Community Design Guidelines is exactly what concerns me. I could not find a
staff report description of this project other than its listing in the April 21 staff report, although Director Derek
Johnston has spoken about it to Save Our Downtown. I support updating the guidelines if one major purpose is
to clarify that their application is mandatory, perhaps by stating so in the Zoning Ordinance. Currently, a
statement such as in "A Note on Innovation" in Section 1.2 (page 4) is sometimes cited, or a reference to
"Architectural Style" in Section 3.1 B (page 18), is made by commissioners or staff to treat lightly or avoid
other guidelines, in spite of Section 1.3 - Use of the Design Guidelines by the Architectural Review
Commission (page 8). As important, I also asked that a more extensive treatment of urban design practice be
included in the updated guidelines, so that the context of projects will be analyzed with precision in a project
application and no longer ignored or treated lightly. Granted, practices by commissioners and staff were far
worse ten years ago than currently. However, some commissioners still seem to derive pleasure in simply
preferring a project design in spite of its inconsistency with guidelines. These measures are essential to an
update of the Community Design Guidelines so that they truly reflect the public's intent in their adoption.
2. I support the request by Save Our Downtown made earlier this year, to include a new section in the Zoning
Ordinance that limits the density of alcohol outlets on block faces in downtown, and their operation, as part of
the ordinance update. The topic should be included by the City Council. Or, is the update going to be open
ended to address the problems?
3. Street trees are currently being replaced from a short list of trees that was chosen by the Tree Committee
when I was actually a member as a representative of the Architectural Review Commission. The list includes
smaller trees such as olives, which are not conducive to the singular "living room" canopy which makes
downtown so distinctive and comfortable. I support the request by Save Our Downtown to prepare a planting
plan for the placement of trees in specific locations where they can provide this canopy or other urban purposes,
such as for a sense of arrival or for a view out to the peaks. The plan would take the guesswork out of what
trees to plant, and avoid a very potential erosion of the canopy when current ones are removed.
4. As we discussed a few years ago, the "creek walk" along San Luis Obispo Creek has landscaping that has
died or outlived its healthy life, or it was entirely the wrong choice when it was planted, such as the Trees of
Heaven and Agapanthus. A native plant landscape plan,estimate and planting project is way overdue and
needed soon to implement a vision of the creek that is more locally based. The proposed Mission Plaza Plan
does not include this effort in its vision or funding. The project should be separate and more rapid than the
plaza plan, to respond to the long - standing knowledge that the creek area needs attention.
I hope that these points will bring you and others on -board for the very important task of addressing needs
within the heart of the city, in the downtown, where thousands of residents and visitors travel every day. I am
not going to estimate their cost for you as staff can easily look into this aspect more accurately. But, I think the
value of the expense will be obvious in the future appreciation of the many people who use downtown.
Sincerely,
James Lopes
James Lopes
1336 Sweet Bay Lane
San Luis Obispo, CA 9340
Ph. 805 - 781 -8960
On 6/16/2015 4:37 PM, Ashbaugh, John wrote:
See responses below.
1. The City will be reviewing its Downtown Design Guidelines, as I understand it, over the next
two years, and their application IS mandatory to any project coming before the ARC; however
their interpretation will continue to be a matter of discretion.
2. This is a matter for the Council to consider separately, not as a part of our budget
deliberations.
3. I'm not sure what is intended here, but I believe we have a data base on most (if not all) of our
street trees. A Master Plan would accomplish what purpose?
4. We're preparing a new Master Plan for the extension of MIssion Plaza, and I believe that task
could consider the need to address "holes" in the existing infrastructure including the
landscaping of the creekway.
Finally, the request for window replacement in the Wineman should be addressed by the
Housing Authority and TMHA, in conjunction with the owner of the property. If requested, I
would think the Council will be quite willing to fund this renovation as we are doing tonight with
a separate property used as a group home.
JA
John Ashbaugh
Vice Mayor
CITY OF
SHIR LUIS OBISPO
Office of the City Council
990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 -3249
E wash bauah(a)-slocity.org
T 805.781.7122
C 805.550.7713
slocity.org
From: James Lopes
Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2015 8:46:25 PM
To: E -mail Council Website; E Thyne; Russ Brown; Sandra Lakeman; Diane Duenow; Dixie Cliff; Joseph
Abrahams; Linda Groover; David & Rachael Drake; Sara McEre; Jennifer Lakeman; Allan Cooper; Stew
Jenkins; Alice Davis
Subject: Request for Funds in Preliminary 2015 -17 Financial Plan
June 16, 2015
RE: Downtown Expenditures Needed in Financial Plan
Dear Mayor Marx and Council Members:
Please ask staff to implement the following suggestions in downtown:
1. Revise the design guidelines to be mandatory, not optional, and to
include detailed urban design guidance.
2. Include restrictions on the number of alcohol outlets on each block
face, with use permit limitations on noise exposure.
3. Prepare a Street Tree Plan with detailed locations for canopy types
of trees.
4. Prepare a Creek Landscaping Plan within Mission Plaza, to estimate
and then fund a native plant installation.
These points were delivered to you from Save Our Downtown. I support
their inclusion in this financial plan and budget.
I also ask that you have staff fund and work with the Wineman Hotel to
install noise - attenuating windows, which were excluded when the current
units were built. Windows are now made which look historic and can
replace the antiquated ones still in place, and they would alleviate
some of the noise impacts on current residents from downtown events and
alcohol outlets.
Sincerely,
James Lopes
James Lopes
1336 Sweet Bay Lane
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Ph. 805- 781 -8960