HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-19-2016 Item 14, HoffmanRECEIVED
JAN 0 8 2016
Mayor Jan Marx, Jan. 6, 2016 SLO CITY CLLR
This an impassioned plea from a couple of elderly residents of Buena
Vista Ave.
My neighbor Bill Cochran and I were sitting and watching a re -play of
our last Planning Commission meeting to see what areas of the Buena
Vista project that the Commissioners found most questionable when
we looked across at each other and at the same time asked, "Why, at
our age, do we have to spend our precious time fighting for the right to
live in peace and quiet ?
For the past five months we have been struggling to keep a five -
bedroom, three -bath, two - livingroom, two - kitchen, two laundry -room
"single family home" from being built on a steep sloping lot on our
narrow red - curbed street with no on- street parking. Those five months
look to stretch out into the future as I suppose the Council could ask
for more hearings. When will this end ??
I realize that this is not the most important business that demands
your attention and that I am imposing on you by asking for your
attention. However, since I am basically an optimist, I felt that by
writing to you I might come to understand why the process of
determining the fitness of that project might carve such a hole in my
life
I was told by hearsay, that there will be an ARC hearing next Monday.
I have not been notified of it as of today, even though I signed on for
email notifications. That leaves us little time to prepare for it.
This project has been called a difficult one" by one of the Planning
Commissioners because it has so many negative and complex
aspects to it and so many valid reasons to deny this permit.
COUNCIL MEETING: ! 11 U
ITEM NO.: - 1A
Just one of them may interest you in particular. The developer says he
will plant oak trees to screen the view of this house from the planned
future Scenic Highway 101. There are laws as to what can be built in
that view shed as you know and this building is not attractive. I hired a
certified arborist from Greenvale Tree Co. to determine if that was
feasible. His negative written report will be given to the City. The
health and safety issues related to this building are easily determined.
So, I guess my question is what is there in this process that prevents
a more timely resolution to these matters? Might it have to do with
young and inexperienced planners trying to prove their abilities?
For example, why is this matter referred to Architectural Review before
the Council has reviewed it? Ken Schwartz who lives on our street,
feels that this is a question of staff over - reaching their authority by
scheduling this meeting. The Council should do this if they seek more
information to approve or deny the appeal.
You can see that this whole process has been both difficult and
unpleasant for me. I am concerned that this beautiful city is losing it's
ability to be a place where families and retired people can enjoy it and
that makes me sad.
I apologize for the length of this letter but I feel so strongly about
these things that I was compelled to write. I am grateful for your
service to us all. I know what you do is really selfless and difficult and I
thank you for it.
-- .
Naomi Hoffman
20 Buena Vista Ave
San Luis Obispo, CA. 93405