Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-28-2015 PC Agenda Correspondence - Item 4 (Smyth)RECEIVED Cal Poly Master Plan Comments CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO From OCT 28 2015 Larry D. Smyth COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Hi Brian, This is the follow up to our telephone conversation regarding my comments on the Cal Poly Master Plan. First, cap Cal Poly with 18,000 students. Going to 25,000 has a very large footprint in a community the size of San Luis Obispo with a population of only 45,000. Any time Cal Poly makes a move, either on campus or off campus, it has a direct effect on the local community. Most concerning in the Cal Poly Master Plan is the Housing component. As we all are aware, Cal Poly housing is a Hot Button issue in the community and on campus. Of particular concern in the Master Plan is the planned housing adjacent to R -1 residential areas of the City of San Luis Obispo. Student housing and large gathering activities should be confined to the inner campus areas. The plan identifies three housing areas. The area in and along Stenner Creek on campus is an excellent area for housing, as it would be totally on campus, including roads and services. The other two areas are more problematic. The proposed housing area adjacent to Slack Street, north of Grand, butts up to a traditional R- 1 residential neighborhood. There will be issues of ingress, egress, noise, and general disruption of the neighborhood. All of these items affect the owners and property values of the neighborhood. This is without any consent of, or concern for, the owners themselves. In effect, owners are seeing their property values decline due to Cal Poly. I have not even begun to address the traffic, parking and other issues that spill in the neighborhoods. The other area of concern is the proposed housing area along Highway 1, adjacent to another residential R -1 area of San Luis Obispo. Again, many problems exist with this site. First is the ingress, egress issue. Ingress /egress off Hwy 1 will not work, as there is a center divider with speeding traffic in both directions on a major State Hwy. As a result, ingress /egress would have to come right through another San Luis Obispo R -1 residential area. So this site affects not just one, but two R -1 Residential neighborhoods in the city. The additional traffic down Highland and through these neighborhoods, wear and tear on the streets, additional parking issues, more noise, and the intrusion into what the city desires to be an open -space buffer around our city limits will have a very negative affect on local property owners and property values. And, as the Bella Montana development has proven, most of the residents and owners of this new building development will not be Cal Poly staff, but instead students and largely the general public. We already know Cal Poly will try to justify building housing by declaring it will be for faculty and staff. Well, we have already seen an example of this with the development of Bella Montana at the corner of Hwy 1 and Highland. This development was intended for faculty and staff, but allowed for other uses classified in a ranking for twenty categories or classification of potential buyers. In fact, almost all the units sold now are advertised and sold to the general public, not to Cal Poly staff. Already we are seeing families working around the system to get their students and their roommates into the complex, since it is close to campus. There was little interest by Cal Poly staff in purchasing these units, for various reasons. In addition, the added traffic in the area has created an awkward and dangerous situation with a very direct effect on the other properties in the area. That part of Highland Drive is already very treacherous to drivers and cyclists as the road narrows there and cars speed through going both ways, dodging cyclists and cars leaving and braking to enter Bella Montana. Adding more cars in order to access yet a new Cal Poly development will only increase the danger for cyclists, drivers and pedestrians in the area. Knowing that the Bella Montana residents have few Cal Poly staff owners and many general public owners, then all Cal Poly will be building is housing for the public to buy, while at the same time ignoring the greenbelt- buffer intentions of the city. Let the private contractors build homes for the general public elsewhere, while at the same time respecting and following the wishes of the City of San Luis Obispo for a greenbelt buffer around its city limits. And although this particular open space appears to be near Cal Poly, residents will have a long drive, bike or walk in order to get to campus. No shortcuts running across a busy State Highway and jumping over the median barrier. Cal Poly may promise to have only Faculty and Staff housing, but administrations change, both on Campus and at the State level, while the housing remain in place. Future use will change as we have already seen, no matter the original intentions. All this was done with no input from the community. In conclusion, Cal Poly needs to be more sensitive to the San Luis Obispo Community. We already have flight of long -term residents, to get away from the student neighborhoods. The City of San Luis Obispo has strived to surround our city limits with open space, but it seems to have little influence over the lands adjacent to the city that Cal Poly owns. It is hoped that Cal Poly would be respectful and sensitive to our city's long term goals with regard to leaving open space around our city limits. As Cal Poly grows, it needs to contain itself to the inner campus areas and provide an open space buffer to all residential areas of San Luis Obispo. This applies to not only housing, but all building. Cal Poly has all the space and ability to grow with care within its own confines and leave the local residents alone. The city of San Luis Obispo has been very accepting and accommodating to Cal Poly over the years, but our city is now at the breaking point, due to the numerous negative impacts of Cal Poly's decisions with regard to its student population growth, location of student housing and other buildings and its insensitivity to the concerns of the City of San Luis Obispo. Now and into the future, let's please work together closely to make sure Cal Poly respects the ideals and mission of our city while planning for sensible campus growth. Sincerely, Larry D. Smyth 635 Skyline Dr. San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 805 - 545 -7880 Community Development Department Date: ID-a-16' Distributed ay: To: Planning Commissioners Q ARC Commissioners CHC Committee Members { Asst. City Attorney Tyler Corey Xzandrea Fowler a Original to: ! r )