HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-27-2016 PC Agenda Correspondence Item 2, (Lakeman, Letter #2)n
Meeting: P(!, 127 -2DI�
Item:
ENT
RE: 1101 Monterey Street Project: Item #2
Planning Commissioners -
This site is in the Retail Commercial [CR] zone and the height in this
area is limited to 45 feet. The Conceptual Plan for the City's Center
requires designers to "reserve in general the existing building height
patterns of two and three stories ", not six or seven stories as proposed.
It also recommends a major pedestrian connection across Santa Rosa
Street. Since this is one of the entrances to the historic downtown, this
connection could be designed as a welcoming entry point in the form of
a bridge.
If you sketch the various floor levels that are in the adjacent area, you
will understand the aesthetic problems that a seven -story building will
produce. It reminds me of a situation I encountered recently in my
travels.
I frequently travel to the island of Sardinia, the second largest island in
the Western Mediterranean and I stay in the small historic town of
Alghero that is located on the Northwestern corner of the island. Due to
its location this town was heavily influenced by Spanish architecture.
The center of the town has stone or brick buildings all attached to each
other at the same height surrounding a small public piazza. It provides a
wonderful walking experience as it sits on the natural harbor of Alghero
enclosed by grandiose stone ramparts, a really great photographic
subject. But recently while visiting the area I was preparing to
photograph the town a distance away from the Northern shore when I
noticed this huge RED building sticking up right in the center of town. It
was twice the height of the entire town. I of course had to realign my
camera to exclude or mask out this very out -of- place, way- too -tall
building. Do we want that same situation in our town? I don't think so.
Sandra Lakeman
Author, Architect and Photographer
Emeritus Professor of Architecture
San Luis Obispo, CA