HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-28-2015 PC Agenda Correspondence - Item 1 (Irion)RECEIVED
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
OCT 2 S 2015
From: Doug Irion fmailto:dirion(-W-gmail.com] COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Sent: Wednesday, October 28, 2015 12:42 PM
To: Codron, Michael; Bell, Kyle
Subject: 2390 Loomis Street and 48 Buena Vista Avenue - zone exemption
Planning Commission Members,
I am writing to express my opposition to the height and setback exception for a lot on
Buena Vista.
If a zoning exemption is made for the applicant, it will set a dangerous precedent that
will inevitably make the Monterey Heights neighborhood more attractive for developers
and less attractive to single families.
The decline of the Monterey Heights neighborhood is primarily due to the exodus of
single families (often Cal Poly staff and faculty). We know from experience that a
neighborhood comprised primarily of student rentals is a neighborhood in decline,
because students are not going to invest in creating a neighborhood community in the
same way that permanent residents do. In addition, clustering students in one
neighborhood leads to noise disturbances, alcohol violations, and increased assault.
We should do everything we can to reverse this dangerous trend and encourage single
families to buy homes in the area.
When a home once owned by a single family is bought by a developer and rented to
students, the home becomes a ghostly shell of its former self. We all know what these
houses often look like. Without the pride of ownership in the home that single families
enjoy, the paint peels and the yard turns to dirt and weeds littered with empty kegs and
red plastic cups. The developer's only concern is maximizing the return on her
investment, so the home is essentially transformed into a mini - apartment complex
disguised as a single family dwelling. We know that some of these homes have illegally
converted their garages to bedrooms, further adding to an already overpacked street,
both in terms of cars and people.
The existing zoning regulations were written to preserve the character of the
neighborhood, but this is not just about preserving character. It is about preserving
livability. Let's not give up on preserving the livability of the Monterey
Heights neighborhood. I urge the Planning Commission to reject the zoning exemption
for this applicant.
Thank you,
Doug Irion
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