HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-18-16 ARC Correspondence - Item TBD (Benson)• y - Ibarim.
Item; 116D
Lomeli, Monique
From: Goodwin, Heather
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2016 11:08 AM
To: Leveille, Brian; Fowler, Xzandrea; Davidson, Doug RECEIVED
Cc: Lomeli, Monique CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
Subject: FW: proposed project at 71 Palomar in SLO MAR 14 2016
Hello ARC, CHC and PC staff liaisons, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Below is correspondence regarding 71 Palomar. Please forward to the appropriate committee/commission as the email
does not specify.
I will be forwarding this email to Council as Mr. Benson indicated that he will be speaking during tomorrow night's
meeting.
Thank you,
Heather Goodwin
Deputy City Clerk
City Administration
City Clerk's Office
990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3249 E hgoodwin@sloci , ,orpl T 805.781.7103 slocity.org
-----Original Message -----
From.
Sent: Sunday, March 13, 201610:34 PM
To: Advisory Bodies
Subject: proposed project at 71 Palomar in SLO
My name is Edward Benson, M. D., and I am going to read this message at open comment at the beginning of the SLO
City Council meeting at 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 15.
I own a house directly opposite to the automobile entry to 71 Palomar, on Luneta Dr. I bought this then newly built
house in 1995. For the duration of the time since then I and my neighbors have enjoyed a quiet, lovely environment. The
3 barrier posts just beyond my house were already there. My understanding is that the barriers were placed due to the
fraternity residents at 71 Palomar, who were racing up and down Luneta, endangering children who lived on Luneta. I
never expected to have the barriers removed, and have been happy with them.
Now there is a proposed project to totally redo the area where I live. Since the fraternity was justifiably kicked off
campus several years ago the fraternity has rented the house on the property to non-member students, and nothing
much changed. In fact it was a relief to have the very noisy fraternity gone. Their parties were epic.
The current proposed project is to be developed by a developer who doesn't live here and has no commitment to the
community. The fraternity owners seem to be mainly motivated to place as many living units as possible on the property
to maximize their potential profit. The current plan is to place 41 residential units on that property. Supposedly the
current house, which is on the historical register of the city, is to be moved closer to my house. And the barriers on
Luneta are to be removed, opening the street to 2 way traffic for the first time in many years. Also, historically
registered beautiful trees are to be removed.
Currently all the neighbors are opposed to the grandiosity of the proposed project. And not just on Luneta or Palomar,
but also on Serrano. The proposed project would greatly increase traffic on all the local narrow streets. There is already
a severe shortage of parking on our streets. Our local streets are continuously traveled by motorcyclists, bicyclists, skate
boarders and pedestrians. My immediate neighbors have 4 children from the age of 14 down. They are used to full
access without danger on Luneta. If the barriers are removed Luneta will turn into an auto raceway, as it once was. It will
be hazardous to even cross the street.
Traffic would certainly be snarled to a great degree. It is already hard for me and some of my neighbors even to get out
of the area by car. I am a bicyclist and routinely bike up Luneta to Palomar, and then over to Serrano and out Broad
heading downtown. l would be afraid to even take a bike out on the street if the proposed project is allowed to go forth.
Additionally, there is no plan to make a traffic survey of this area, no current idea of having the Planning Commission
review this project, and apparently the historic nature of the house and trees at 71 Palomar isn't being considered
much. Moving the house may cause it to deteriorate or even collapse. Furthermore, the trees are also officially historic.
Plus they are filled with raptors who keep down the rodent population in this area. There has been no consideration of
the welfare of these birds. An ornithologist has not been consulted.
In addition to all of this the proposed project hasn't even been placed on the City Council agenda. We neighbors strongly
request that it be placed on the City Council agenda, and that a traffic study be done, and that the Planning Commission
also study this. The historical nature of the house and trees should also be considered.
The City Council should at least partly serve the needs of the permanent residents of SLO. I realize that the proposed
project would bring tax funds into the City treasury, and that also placing more students in this general area may seem
to further the needs of Cal Poly and its housing problems. But we have to live in this area. We're not moving anywhere
else.
Thank you.
Edward Benson, M. D.
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