HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-15-2015 Item 16 - MeierFrom: ron meier [mailto:ronboslo@yahoo.comi]
Sent: Monday, September 14, 2015 4:25 PM
To: E-mail Council Website
Subject: APPEALS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S DECISION TO APPROVE A BOWLING ALLEY,
NIGHTCLUB, AND RESTAURANT WITH LATE HOUR ALCOHOL SERVICES WITHIN THE HISTORIC
DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL ZONE (1144 CHORRO STREET, USE -1127-2015)
Please find attached a letter concerning agenda item 16 for September 15: APPEALS OF THE PLANNING
COMMISSION'S DECISION TO APPROVE A BOWLING ALLEY, NIGHTCLUB, AND RESTAURANT WITH
LATE HOUR ALCOHOL SERVICES WITHIN THE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL ZONE (1144
CHORRO STREET, USE -1127-2015)
Please Red File this letter.
COUNCIL MEETING:
ITEM NO.: �7
RECEIVED
SEP 14 2015
SLO CITY CLERK
From: Ron Meier, Owner/Operator Ash ManagementRED FILE
To: San Luis Obispo City Council
September 14, 2015
Dear Mayor and Council Members,
I am writing this letter to address concerns regarding the proposed downtown project known as
Discovery Bowl that will be discussed at tomorrow night's Council meeting. After reading the staff
report, I see many flaws in the logic of its size, scope and proposed uses. I must admit that I was
surprised by the speed at which such a large project of this nature and proposed use had so quickly
worked its way to this point in the approval process.
During the past 16 years that I have owned and or operated businesses in downtown San Luis Obispo
and the eight plus years I served on the Board of Directors for the Downtown Association, there has
always been the spirit of community outreach and involvement on projects with so many potentially
harmful impacts to the downtown. Stakeholders have had the opportunity to get together with the
developers and through the dialogue, were able to draw informed opinions of their projects.
By questioning the feasibility of the Discovery Bowl project, I have heard the opinion tossed around that
we, the current restaurant and bar owners, are just trying to protect our businesses. Of bigger concern
to us, is the overall economic health of downtown San Luis Obispo. Here are our major concerns:
1. While we embrace the idea of a location that promotes entertainment that appeals to all
demographics, we feel that the elements that would allow the operators of Discovery Bowl to
stray from their proposed use including size, scope, and late hours of operation should be
eliminated.
2. Potential negative impacts of the Discovery Bowl project include: parking issues, drain of police
resources, over saturation of the marketplace, sidewalk queuing paired with the inherent issues
that arise from it as examples, along with the possibility that it would morph into a giant
nightclub are topics that should be seriously considered and offered for discussion in a public
forum with organizations that are involved in the management of downtown.
3. The long term effects that such a massive undertaking could lead to including permanent
change of use to space, negative public/city opinion of downtown nightlife, desperate
competition practices, and further avoidance of downtown by local citizens due to poor access,
make it tantamount, that if nothing else, a longer, more thoughtful, all -stakeholder - involved
look be taken at this project. The mere requested change of use should have triggered a public
forum on the matter.
4. This project is asking to change 24,500 sq ft of retail space to four unique bar -supported
environments all under one liquor license. Essentially four bars (all of which combined out size
the largest existing downtown bar) for the price of one.
Sincerely Yours,
Ron Meier
Owner/Operator
Ash Management