HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-28-16 CHC Correspondence - Item 1 (Benson)From:
Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2016 5:49 AM
To: Advisory Bodies; Leveille, Brian
Cc: Meeting.
Subject: CHC agenda item
Item:
To Whom It May Concern:
RECEIVED
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
MAR 2 4 2016
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
I live at 593 Luneta Drive, here in San Luis Obispo, right next-door to my immediate neighbors, Al and
Aurora Lipper, who live at 585 Luneta Dr.
Having read his e-mail to you dated today, I would totally concur with him that the CHC review of the
proposed project at 71 Palomar should be postponed to a later date. He has outlined the many practical
reasons for this, and I agree with him. Please see his e-mail for the details.
I would also like to add that not only are there owls nesting in the trees that the proposal would cut
down, there are a very large number of large, black birds with fimbriated wings that nest there, and
most of the time can be seen flying around the area, and often calling with gruff but friendly voices to
each other. These various birds all serve to hold down the number of rodent pests in our neighborhood
and adjacent neighborhoods. There are so many of these birds that cutting down their nesting trees
would leave them without a home. Animals have rights, too, and I am prepared to contact appropriate
national organizations that serve the interests of birds, such as the National Audubon Society.
I truly believe that an ornithologist must be consulted about this issue. As far as I know the current SLO
City policy is just that no trees can be cut down while birds are nesting in them. And that after they are
no longer nesting a biologist in the employ of the City will assess the birds. I feel this is very inadequate.
Only an ornithologist, someone not employed by the City, could most adequately and accurately assess
the true value of these birds if left in their present environment.
The primary reason for the proposal to cut down the trees is to widen an asphalt pathway into a two
lane road that connects Luneta the very short distance from my house directly to Palomar. There have
been 3 barrier posts blocking this in Luneta, just to the right of my driveway, which were appropriately
placed there far longer ago than the 22 years I've lived in my originally new house. These posts were
placed there to prevent fraternity members from racing up and down the street, endangering children,
adults and animals. The trees and birds in question line one side of the pathway. Removing these posts
and widening the pathway to a 2 lane road would bring back the very problem again that the posts were
placed to prevent.
I agree with Al and his spouse, Aurora Lipper, each of whom is an engineer, on the various points he
made in his e-mail to you. I, myself, am a medical doctor, a board certified specialist in psychiatry. I and
my similarly qualified numerous neighbors, like Mr. Lipper, also request that you postpone the hearing
to enable us to fully explore the issues that we have raised.
Like Mr. Lipper I received the notice of the hearing with only 6 days notice. So if you consider this 71
Palomar proposal on 3/28, we will not have been sufficiently notified in advance. Plus this whole
proposal has been pushed forward with almost no notice to us affected residents in the neighborhood,
preventing us from properly assessing the entire matter, which has suddenly been thrust upon us. We
are the residents and the City deserves to give us adequate notice on such a proposal that will affect our
lives and property for the foreseeable future.
Sincerely yours,
Edward Benson, M. D.