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Home My WebLink About08-15-2016 ARC Correspondence - Item 3 (Roberts)Lomeli, Monique Subject: 1259 Laurel Lane From: Elisabeth Beeman [ Meeting,IAC D� � I � � I C.P Sent: Monday, August 15, 2016 1:42 PM Item: To: Advisory Bodies <advisorybodies@slocity.org> Subject: 1259 Laurel Lane RECEIVED CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AUG 15 2016 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT To whom it may concern: I have attached a letter that I ask to be read at the Architectural Review Commission meeting on Monday, August 15, 2016. My letter is regarding the 1259 Laurel Lane property proposal. Thank you for your consideration. Liz Roberts Elisabeth Roberts 1210 Southwood Drive SLO, CA 93401 I received a card regarding the proposed building at 1259 Laurel Lane and a concerned neighbor came by and showed me the plans. We discussed the proposed building and some items came up of concern for me: Parking, Noise from the roof top deck. My first Item: Parking. Parking on Laurel Lane and up Southwood Drive is limited. Between current residents and the employees at Sydney Creek Care Home (located on the corner of Laurel Lane and Southwood Drive) Bella Vista Care Home (located on Augusta St), and Mission View Care Home (located on Southwood Drive) parking can be hard to find during the day. Parking becomes an issue as early a 7:30am as employees arrive to work at the care centers. Some employees begin arriving as early as 6am for their shifts. About a dozen employees from Bella Vista utilize the shopping center parking lot during the day. About the same amount of employees from Sydney Creek also use the shopping center's parking lot and park on Laurel Lane or Southwood Drive. Both Bella Vista and Sydney Creek have limited parking in their own lots, which forces employees to park on the residential streets and or park at the shopping center. The employees take up vital parking spots that could be used for the commercial lot and or for residents in the area on the street. The proposed plan for 1259 Laurel Lane does not include a garage for the units or a parking lot just for the residential portion. The proposal allows for the residents of the residential block to use spots in the shopping center parking lot. These spots are not currently designated for "Residents Only" in the proposal. I feel that designation between residential parking and commercial parking is needed. The shopping center currently is mostly unoccupied. Depending on what types of shops or restaurants go in to the commercial section of this development parking can be greatly impacted. When there was a grocery store, laundry mat and a successful restaurant, parking was limited, especially during the lunch and dinner hours hours (1 la-1:30pm & 5pm-7pm). Parking can become an issue in the future as the occupancy of the commercial suites changes. The city of San Luis Obispo tends to believe that not everyone is going to own a car, but in this day in age that is not a reality. A majority of people live in SLO and commute to work (either to North or South County) or to school. Most residents do not utilize the bike paths, walking paths, or the bus systems to get where they need to go. It is misguided for the city to believe that residents are not going to have one or more cars per family. Especially in a 2-3 bedroom home/apartment. The current plan shows 18 units. 1 single bedroom and 17 — 3 bedroom apartments. If we are conservative on the estimation that each of the 3 bed room unit is going to house a family of 2 adults and 2-3 children, we can estimate another 32 cars will be added to the neighborhood If we estimate that the apartments will be housed by students, all who have their own cars, we can estimate that there will be an extra 54 cars added to the neighborhood. The second option estimates more cars than the cities allowance for needed parking spots in the proposal as seen on page 18, attachment 3, Subsection: Parking Info. The Roof Top Deck: Noise A root top deck is a nice idea but I feel that it would contribute to more noise in the neighborhood, especially in the evenings. Current residents already have to contend with the noise from the street: cars coming and going, emergency personal going out on calls and responding to the care homes near by. Those are things that some of us have learned to live with. Some times the noise created by large vehicles echos between our houses and causes us to close our windows. I feel that a roof top deck would create a party atmosphere in the neighborhood. Something that I know the city discourages. Even with walls built to "restrict" the noise created by residents using the roof top deck most people do not understand that noise carries across an area. Especially if those creating the noise are higher up. The noise created by individuals on the roof top deck after l Opm would cause current residents to call the police for noise violations. Pulling Police from other, and possibly more important emergency calls. The current plan for 1259 Laurel Lane has a courtyard, which I think is ample room for the project to put in a BBQ or lounge area for residents; much like the Avivo complex on Orcutt Rd and Sacramento. They have a fenced in bbq and lounge area that is for the residents to use for entertaining. I also feel that a roof top deck is not within the visual appeal of the neighborhood. There are no other structures in the surrounding area that have rooftop access. It would distract from the quiet community that is already established in the Laurel Lane and Southwood Drive neighborhood. I feel that the individuals on the roof top deck would be able to look down into neighboring homes causing the current residents to feel uneasy in their own home. No one likes others watching them from afar. The Plans for 1259 Laurel Lane show that each unit will have 1 or more decks/patio areas. I feel that is ample room for individuals to enjoy the outside space. The current houses in the adjacent property all have a patio/deck that allows for residents to BBQ, have outdoor space or a small potted plant garden. If residents of the proposed 1259 Laurel Lane want a larger gardening spot they can get a plot at the community garden across the street. Most of the people who reside on Laurel Lane and Southwood Drive are professionals: IT workers, California Mens' Colony Corrections Officers, Engineers, Teachers, and families who like the quiet (non party) atmosphere of this area. We like to take walks with our dogs, and or kids. We walk to the park down Southwood Drive, to the pool for swim lessons, to the SLO Blues baseball games during the summer, to the Laurel Liquors for a candy bar, Ice cream or small grocery item we need to make dinner. We moved to this area because it was away from the downtown bar scene and a majority of the student population who bring about noise and parking issues. There are a few students who live in the area. Most live in the apartments at the far end of Southwood Drive, across the street from the YMCA. As far as we know they are quiet. Some of them walk to the bust stop near my house and take the bus to campus or downtown. They are a portion of the people in the neighborhood who utilize the bus stops along Laurel Lane and Southwood Drive. The rest of the residents in the neighborhood use personal vehicles to go to work, shopping or to get around town in general In Conclusion: I do not oppose the current proposed project at 1259 Laurel Lane. I feel that this will help revitalize the shopping center. I loved the grocery store and restaurant that was in the shopping center. The store and the restaurant added to the "vibe" of the neighborhood. The store and restaurant made it feel like a community. Instead of having to drive 1.5 miles to the Vons Shopping Center to get an item needed for cooking dinner. Or to get a sandwich or burrito for lunch. It was convenient to have such places within a comfortable walking distance. I am mostly concerned about the noise that will be created by residents using the roof top deck. I am concerned that it will change the atmosphere of the neighborhood. I am also concerned about the amount of cars and lack of parking spaces that are currently in the neighborhood. Thank you for your consideration. Elisabeth Roberts